Chapter 24
Lauren
The moment I slip into consciousness, I know I’m not at home. The pillow is fluffier, the mattress harder than mine, and my arm is over the blanket, a telltale sign that the window isn’t open.
And there are no cats climbing all over me.
“Oh, fuck.” I jolt upright, glancing around the room. There are massive bookshelves lining the sage walls and a nightstand stacked with books.
Right. I’m at Caleb’s place. I tuck at the blanket and look down my body. I’m still naked.
And then all the memories come rushing back into my brain. His face between my legs, about the best orgasm I ever had and…
I jump up and throw the blanket off me. I’ll have to postpone the reminiscing, because I have two cats at home who, despite having a lavish dinner before I left for Caleb’s, will turn into starved, ravenous beasts if they don’t get fed soon.
What time is it anyway? My eyes dart around the room, finding my pants tossed into a corner, my phone peeking out of the pocket. I fumble it out quickly.
Six o’clock. Okay. That isn’t too bad. I reckon I have another hour before they decide to eat the couch or break into my fridge.
Wait. Where’s Caleb?
I whip my head around, but his whole flat is quiet and dark. I turn around. Right. He definitely wasn’t in bed. I’m pretty sure I would have realized that, even pre-coffee.
Coffee. Right. He’s probably already at the café.
Quicker than a hurricane, I find my clothes, scattered all across his flat, and pull them on. I’m about to rush out when I see a palm-sized note pinned to his apartment door:
Swing by through the back before you head home.
And just like that, thanks to his scratchy handwriting, all the stress leaves me. Now that I think about it, it would be better for both me and the cats if I had a coffee before I drove home.
I grin, pluck the note from the door, fold it neatly, and stuff it in my jeans pocket before I run down the stairs.
“I didn’t even know your café had a back door,” I blurt as I walk inside the kitchen through said back door.
He’s kept it ajar with a brick between the door and frame. Whether that’s because his ovens have turned the kitchen into a sauna or because he was waiting for me, I don’t know. I’m going to pretend it’s the latter.
“Good morning,” he mumbles, blinking up from where he’s rolling out a giant piece of dough. As soon as his eyes land on me, he sets the rolling pin aside.
I didn’t know what to expect this morning. Maybe it was going to be awkward. Maybe he’d return to his usual grumpy self and scold me for demanding a gingerbread latte.
But he doesn’t.
Instead, he walks around the worktable. Before I know it, he’s running his fingers through my hair, wrapping his other arm around my back and kissing me.
I hum happily, sliding my cold hands under his sweatshirt and pressing my palms against the small of his back. He flinches, but I feel him grin into the kiss.
“Good morning, handsome,” I mumble against his lips after he breaks the kiss, a love struck smile tugging at mine.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he whispers right back and kisses me again.
“Careful, I might get used to this.” His only reply is to lean in once more for a kiss that leaves me breathless. I’ll take that as a ‘please do.’
“I made you breakfast.” He nods toward the left. There’s a table scattered with papers and recipe books that have markers sticking out of them. On it are a thermos mug, hopefully filled with coffee, waiting for me, along with a small plate holding a golden pudding pastry.
“You’re spoiling me.” I grin and lift myself onto the table. “Sorry, is it okay if I sit here? Am I in the way?”
“Sure, sure.” His gaze wanders over me, unhurried. Lingering just long enough to make my heart skip a beat and heat to rush into my cheeks. Oh, he’s definitely thinking about yesterday. “Dig in. I figured you might want something to eat before going home to feed your kitties.”
Aww, he thought of my cats.
“You figured right.” I giggle and take a bite. My eyes widen. “Oh my God,” I groan, hiding my full mouth behind my hand. “Caleb, that is so good.”
It’s buttery. It’s flaky. And it has a hint of gingerbread spice.
“Are you a magician?” I wave the pastry through the air, but then I stop when I realize that some of the pastry is falling off. “You could achieve world domination with these.”
“I don’t need world domination.” He shrugs, but the corners of his mouth tug into a grin. Then he shoots me a look that makes me go weak in the knees, even though I’m sitting.
“You’re so sweet,” I say dreamily and take another bite.
“Why? I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to.” I grin and take a sip of the coffee. As soon as it hits my tongue, I freeze.
He put gingerbread syrup in it for me.
I stare at him, shocked and a little touched.
“I got you a bottle a few weeks ago,” he admits shyly, slowly coming closer.
“What?” I stammer and watch him opening the drawer to my left.
I can’t believe it. He actually did. Even the same brand as I bring over.
“Weeks ago?” My head snaps to him. “Weeks? And you made me carry that two-kilogram monstrosity around this whole time?”
“I sure did.” He shrugs and bites the inside of his cheek to hide a grin. “I’m pretty sure you did something to piss me off.”
“How mean.” I shake my head, trying to put all the disappointment I can into my eyes. But I can’t even stay mad at him, because he steals a quick kiss before returning to the rolled-out dough, holding a bowl with a mixture that smells like cinnamon.
“Do you always have to get up this early?” I ask him.
He glances up and slowly quirks his eyebrow at me.
“Right. Of course you do. You have a café to run. Duh.” I take another sip of my perfectly prepared coffee.
“Speaking of running things, I’m helping out Amanda this afternoon.
I’ll probably pop in for lunch, if that’s okay? ”
He cocks his head. “Why wouldn’t it be okay?”
“I don’t know.” I set down the plate, swallowing down the last bit of pastry and hiding my red cheeks behind my hands.
“What if the whole town realizes what happened between us last night if they see us together?” His eyebrows furrow together, confused.
“I’m just saying, when Nic and Henry got together, she had that freshly fucked glow about her. ”
My eyes widen. “Oh my god. Am I glowing?” I reach for a spoon and turn it around, trying to see my reflection in it.
“Do you seriously think me eating you out is going to turn you into Tinkerbell?” He sounds amused. He dusts the last bit of cinnamon mixture over the dough and sets the bowl aside, cleaning his hand on his apron as he makes his way over to me.
“I see myself more as Ray from The Princess and the Frog. I’ll take a Tinkerbell.” I lower the spoon and arch my eyebrow at him.
“You can come in for lunch.”
He nudges my legs apart, steps between them and puts his hands on the counter on either side of me. “I don’t care. Everyone is in everyone’s business in this town. It’s only a matter of time until they realize we’re together.”
I snake my hands around his neck and lace my fingers at the back of his neck.
“We’re together?” I bite my lip, but can’t contain the grin they tug into.
“If you want us to be together.”
“Then we’re together.” I let go of my lip and smile so widely that it threatens to split my face in two.
“Just don’t break my heart. If you break up with me, they’re all going to be on my side.”
“Not going to happen,” I whisper, running my thumb over the nape of his neck. “But also, I’m very lovable. Give it half a year and I’ll win them over. You better don’t break my heart either.”
“I promise,” he whispers and slides his arms around my back, caging me against him. For a moment we stay like this. The only sounds are the clock over the back door ticking and the soft hum of an oven.
“I don’t want to go back to L.A. tomorrow,” I whisper against his neck, exhaling a deep sigh. What terrible timing this whole thing is.
“I don’t want you to go,” he whispers and tightens his hug.
“I promise I’ll come back.” His whole body tenses. “For good. Pinky promise.”
“Okay.” He lets go of me and holds up his pinky. Smiling, I link it with mine. “Who will be taking care of your cats?”
“Kieran.”
“Kieran?” Caleb bends over with laughter, his forehead on my shoulder. Where did that come from?
“What?”
“You’re brave for giving him unsupervised access to your home, that’s all.” He keeps his head on my shoulder, and I snake my arms around his middle.
“Ah, what’s the worst thing he could do?” I shrug and lace my fingers over the small of his back. “Put googly eyes on my pictures? Steal my bookshelves? Turn everything upside down? Form an alliance with my cats to have me murdered in my sleep?”
“I mean, I wouldn’t put any of those things past him.”
“That’s okay. I’m sure there’ll be a time when I get to return the favor.” I grin. “And Kieran knows I can be meaner than him. If he doesn’t, he’ll find out. Now let me drink the rest of this perfect coffee before my cats stage a revolution at home.”
“Call me if they bring out the guillotine. I’ll come and save you.”
I flutter my eyelashes at him. “My hero.”