Chapter 34
I wake up with a dry mouth and a kink in my neck.
I rub my face into the soft pillow beneath me and yawn. The cool air on my back has me reaching out across the bed, searching for the warm body I fell asleep with before realizing quickly that I’m sprawled out on my stomach with my limbs extended.
I’m also alone.
I frown. Did Finn leave? No, he wouldn’t have done that.
Flopping over onto my back, I look at the empty half of the bed.
The duvet is shoved down out of the way—by me, most likely—and the pillow beside mine still smells like him.
I rub my eyes and glance at the clock on my nightstand.
From the time, he couldn’t have been up for long.
He hates early mornings just as much as I do.
The front door slamming shut has me pausing, my hand stilling over my heavy eyes. “Finn?”
There’s a whispered curse that follows, before I hear a rough “It’s me!”
I blow out a laugh and get out of bed before grabbing my powder-blue robe from the chair in the corner of my room and sliding it on. Tying it closed beneath my tits, I groan at the pain zipping up my neck.
I’ve been a restless sleeper all my life, and clearly, that doesn’t change when Finn’s beside me.
I should start investing in massages, but I’ve never had the time to book an appointment.
Between my workload and the friends I see when I’m not at the office, I could use more than twenty-four hours in a day.
After slipping into the ensuite to clean myself up, I walk into the hall and stall.
Finn’s bent over my kitchen island, half-naked, with his hair messy and eyes bright as he pulls food out of a white takeout bag.
The cardboard tray beside it has three drinks in the holders.
I see one that I hope is a vanilla cold brew, and my stomach growls.
“Is that from the coffee shop Beck’s obsessed with?”
Finn jumps at the question, his head whipping toward me. He blinks a few times before grinning. “It’s not the place he likes as much as it is the owner who always makes his coffee, but yes. Is that okay?”
“That depends. Is that a vanilla cold brew?” I eye the clear plastic cup, parched.
“What else would it be?”
My heart speeds up when he grabs it from the holder and brings it to me. I take it, the dew on the cup distracting me before he cups my face and brings me in for a kiss. My lashes flutter as I close my eyes and press up on my toes, breathing him in.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he murmurs, backing away. “Are you hungry?”
I stay frozen in place for a minute after he turns and makes his way back to the island. He looks completely relaxed as he continues laying the food out, like last night was something casual and not the first time we’ve ever had sex.
Sure, we’ve slept over at each other’s places a thousand times, but last night wasn’t just a regular sleepover. It was . . . something else entirely. You’d never know, though. Not if you didn’t know the details.
I clear my throat and step forward. It’s six in the morning, which isn’t ungodly early to some people. To me, it may as well be last night still. It doesn’t matter how many days I wake with the sun to get ready for work, it never gets easier. Early risers are straight up psychopaths.
“I’m starving, actually,” I finally answer him.
It’s impossible not to check him out, so I do.
He has a few new scratch marks on his side, and my cheeks burn before I divert my eyes.
The low hang of his sweatpants doesn’t fare much easier on me.
It would have been safer if I tossed the spare clothes he keeps here out the window so he had to wear a garbage bag instead.
“Did you go out dressed like that?” I ask a bit harsher than necessary.
He glances at me, one eyebrow raised. “Why? Would you have been jealous if I did?”
“I don’t get jealous.”
“I’m glad to see I didn’t fuck the jokes out of you last night, Bree,” he drawls with a wink.
I take a long sip of my coffee. Then another. I don’t stop until he starts laughing at me and pulls one of the cream, high-backed bar stools out for me. I roll my eyes and slide into it before he does the same with the one beside me.
Two wrapped items are set in front of me, and I stare at them while muttering, “I was just concerned for the poor citizens of Vancouver who had to see you parading around the streets this morning half-naked.”
“Mmm, is that it? In that case, I don’t think town hall will be getting any complaints.”
“What did you get at this magic cafe?” I ignore his baiting.
“Well, I was offered a hundred bucks to take my pants off, but of course, I wasn’t going to take the first offer, so—”
I twist and pinch his nipple. His howl of pain doesn’t keep my scowl away. I twist harder, starting to pull before he slaps my hand away and chokes on a laugh.
“You’re so violent, baby. I’m going to start keeping my shirt on around you until you stop abusing my body. First, my dick and now my nipple.”
“Finn!” I groan, ripping open the first crinkly wrapper. “Just tell me you wore a shirt.”
His hand drops to my thigh and squeezes as he brushes a kiss against my temple. I stare at where he’s touching me and feel my annoyance melt away. My robe has crawled high up my legs, but I make no move to adjust it.
“Of course I wore a shirt, Aubrey. I took it off when I got back.”
I nod, loosening up. The blueberry bagel in front of me has been cut in half with a thick spread of strawberry cream cheese in the centre. My stomach growls again, and he chuckles.
“I was going to cook for you, but your fridge is pretty empty,” he says.
His long fingers peel open his wrapper, revealing a plain bagel with a runny egg and two thick slabs of Canadian bacon. My stomach pinches at the sight of the egg leaking down the side and into the wrapper.
“I haven’t had time to go shopping.”
“What have you been eating, then? There aren’t even any coffee pods, and I know you don’t go to the office without coffee.”
“What are you, my dad now?”
The question could come off as rude and abrasive to the wrong person, but when Finn starts stroking his thumb over my thigh, I know he doesn’t take it as an attack.
“Your boyfriend, actually. But if you’re a good girl and eat all your breakfast, I’ll let you call me daddy once I get you back in bed.”
“I don’t know if sex is healthy for you. It makes you cocky.” I take a bite of my bagel and smile, nudging my thigh closer to his.
He brings the straw of his smoothie to his lips and keeps it there. “I disagree. I’ve never felt better than I do right now.”
“You’re just saying that to gain the points you lost by teasing me.”
“We both know I don’t need to lie to do that. You love me too much to hold anything against me for too long.”
“In your dreams.”
“How did you know what I dream about?”
I pull my lip into my mouth and roll it between my teeth. There’s a weird tightness in my chest when he says that. Like I’m not able to distinguish between the truth and a joke right now.
It’s because of last night. I can still feel his dick inside of me when I move on this stool, and with his hand on my thigh, I’m burning up. I’m not wearing anything beneath this robe, and my nipples are hard, rubbing against the silk.
Everything is more complicated now, which doesn’t surprise me. I knew it would be. But he seems fine.
“Do you not feel weird today?” I blurt out.
Finn pauses, swallowing the bite he took of his bagel sandwich. “Weird how?”
“You’re acting like nothing happened last night.”
“And that’s upsetting you?”
“No.” Exhaling, I ignore the steady weight of his hand on my leg. “I’m just wondering how you’re not thinking about it when I can’t stop.”
Nerves tingle beneath my skin when he sets his food down and turns to face me. His second hand joins my other leg, holding me firmly. It’s the serious pull of his features that has me holding my breath.
“I am thinking about it. I woke up in your bed with your head on my chest and your leg over my hips and wanted to turn us both over, slide back inside your warm pussy, and stay there all day. But I didn’t, because I knew when you woke up, you were going to be hungry, and I wanted to be the one who made sure you were taken care of before work.
It’s still early, but I’m well aware that I only have a little while with you before you need to get ready to go.
I’m going to be gutted when we have to say goodbye. ”
My shoulders droop forward, and he runs his knuckles over my cheek, not finished speaking.
“Last night was so much more than I thought it would be. If I seem like I don’t care, it’s because I’m trying really hard not to pick you up and carry you into the shower so I can beg to be the one to wash your hair.
The last thing I want is to overwhelm you when this is so new.
So, I promised myself that I was going slow this morning and hope like hell you could still tell just how much I like you.
I’ve obviously failed in doing that, and I’m sorry. ”
It hits me viciously. Guilt worms its way through me, making me frown as I reach for the hand on my thigh and thread our fingers. His eyes brighten once again, turning my favourite shade of blue-grey.
“Don’t say sorry for that. I should have known you were just thinking about my feelings.
I’m being selfish.” I take in a long breath and twist my mouth.
“And you’re not going to scare me off. I know I’m not the most obvious with my feelings, but I like you, too.
A lot. It shouldn’t be all that different for us now.
We’ve always been best friends. The only difference now is that I know what you look like naked. ”
His laugh is rough yet vibrant. “That, among a few other things.”
“You could remind me of what I was missing,” I say, a sudden shyness stealing the confidence from my voice.
He glances at the time above the stove and then back at me. “You’ve got time?”
“I can make time.”
Our food gets abandoned, half-eaten and growing cold.
He stands and tugs me off my stool before tugging on my loose robe tie and groaning when it falls open.
His heated stare threatens to set me on fire when it lands on my hard nipples.
My lips lift at the corners as I take a step backward.
He takes one forward, tracking me like a predator.
“What are you waiting for?” I tease, continuing to retreat.
Suddenly, an arm shoots out and catches me around the waist. I belt out a laugh and let him carry me back through the condo to my bedroom. He bypasses the bed and heads for the ensuite instead.
Then he makes good on his promise to wash my hair.