Chapter 27
SAWYER
THIS WAKING-UP-EARLY THING was starting to freak me out.
At least the sun was up this time, but I was not the guy who woke up before my alarm went off. I remembered setting it at some point yesterday so I could snooze it at least four times before I had to get up, but nope. I was awake.
Awake with my stomach aflutter, which had everything to do with the man sleeping beside me.
Beckett was on his stomach, one arm shoved under the pillow, his dark blond hair a mess like he’d tossed and turned all night.
Awake, he was so put together and controlled, the man who could apparently fix string lights and charm my parents and make me fall head over heels before I realized what was happening.
But fast asleep he was softer somehow, more vulnerable—yet just as beautiful, and I realized I was smiling as I watched him.
The fact that this wasn’t fake anymore should’ve scared me. Well, it did scare me, but not enough to stop me from staring at him, glad he didn’t realize I was such a creeper.
A creeper with excellent taste, though.
Last night came back to me in pieces when I realized we were both still wearing our clothes.
I remembered rocking on the porch swing.
Beckett’s arm around me. He’d been a little quiet, but I’d been so damn tired, and he was the one who’d been moving boxes and doing all the physical stuff, so he had to be exhausted.
I remembered wanting to stay awake because the day had been so amazing, I hadn’t wanted it to end.
Then…nothing. I didn’t even know how I’d gotten in bed, but I was sure Beckett had everything to do with the fact that I wasn’t still passed out on the swing.
I glanced at the wooden clock hanging over the kitchen sink to check the time and realized it was later than I’d thought. My alarm should’ve already gone off at least twice, but…
Shit, where was my phone?
I rolled to my back, scrubbing a hand over my face. Today was going to be a lot. I had a feeling my parents were already awake, and if I’d thought yesterday was a long day, today would be twice that.
But hopefully in a fun way, since we wouldn’t have to be part of the cleanup crew and could actually enjoy the festivities. And Beckett would be there with me…
I grinned again, glancing over at him before easing out of bed, careful not to wake him. I grabbed some clothes and quickly showered so he wouldn’t wake up to my hot-mess self from last night, because while he looked gorgeous all disheveled, I knew I couldn’t pull that look off.
I’d be getting ready in my tux later with my brothers, so I threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt for now.
“Morning.” The voice that greeted me as I zipped up my toiletry bag was still rough with sleep. I glanced over at Beckett, and he cracked one eye open.
“Good morning.” I rounded the bed to sit beside him, then leaned down to press a kiss to his lips. “Sleep well?”
“Mmm,” was all the answer I got, and I chuckled.
“Yep, I can decipher that. It means, ‘Yes, I did, and also you’re welcome for making sure you got in the bed instead of sleeping outside with the deer.’ Thank you for that, by the way.”
He cracked a smile, still waking up, and put his hand over mine. His thumb brushed along the inside of my wrist.
“Is it late?” he asked.
“No, I’m just supposed to meet my brothers in a bit. Do the whole get-ready-with-the-family thing before the ceremony.”
“Ah, right. Of course.” He sat up on his elbow, shaking the sleep off, and that was when I spotted my phone precariously close to the back edge of the nightstand. I stood up and grabbed it, but the screen was black. I hit the side button, got the flashing dead battery alert, and sighed. “How rude.”
I glanced around for my charger but didn’t see it anywhere.
“Looking for something?”
“Have you seen my charger?”
He shook his head. “No, but you can use mine. It’s in my bag.”
“Aw, look at you being so helpful before you’re vertical.
” I leaned down and stole another quick kiss—any more than that and I’d be too tempted to join him in bed, and then that would lead to clothes coming off, and then multiple orgasms, followed by missing the ceremony, and then the inevitable hunting party, when my family would bury us in the lake.
Only a slight exaggeration.
“Thank you,” I said, going off in search of his bag while he pushed off the bed.
“Just gonna grab a quick shower.” He started toward the bathroom but then paused. “You don’t have to go down there soon, right?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll still be here when you get out,” I said cheekily, shooting him a wink.
He nodded once and then gestured toward his bag. “Should be in the front pocket.”
“You’re a lifesaver.”
As the door shut behind him, I put on the coffee—priorities, after all—and then crouched beside his bag and unzipped the front pocket. Sure enough, his charger was in there, loosely wrapped around itself, along with earbuds, Advil, and a protein bar. Ready for both headaches and blood sugar drops.
Yep, that sounded like Beckett.
“Such a sexy Boy Scout,” I said, reaching for the charger and pulling it out. Something black slipped out with it, slapping against the floor beside me.
I looked down at the cardholder and grinned when I saw Beckett’s face on the ID. He looked oh so serious and very professional, but it wasn’t his driver’s license, it was what looked like a work ID.
Beckett Calder
Sports Rehabilitation Specialist
Men’s Basketball
Columbia University Athletics
That was weird. Why would he have an old work ID in his bag?
How freakin’ old was this bag?
I ran my finger over his photo. He didn’t even have to smile for the warmth to come through from his eyes.
But the more I looked at it, the more something niggled in the back of my mind.
He didn’t look any younger in the picture. It looked like it’d been taken recently, but that was impossible. He’d said he didn’t work there anymore.
Right? Was I remembering that wrong? He’d helped my shoulder and mentioned being a sports therapist before getting into what he did now…or had I assumed that? It was annoying I couldn’t remember his exact words, but I was at least seventy percent sure he’d said that.
Then again, maybe he did both? New York was expensive as hell. Many people had side hustles with their jobs, so it wasn’t out of the question that he did both. Rent was freakin’ criminal, and he lived in a nice area.
So maybe escorting wasn’t his main thing and he hadn’t told me because…well, why would he? It wasn’t like I’d hired him because of his career history, but still.
Something didn’t sit right.
I stood, cardholder in hand, the charger dangling from my fingers.
Why would this be tucked in with his everyday stuff, right beside his charger and Advil?
The bathroom door opened then, steam spilling out, and Beckett stepped into the room with a towel slung low around his waist and another in his hand as he rubbed it over his hair.
He stopped mid-step when he saw me. Or maybe when he saw what I was holding.
Because he wasn’t looking at the cardholder in my hand with indifference—he was looking at it with guilt.
I held up the ID. “This fell out with your charger.”
He lowered the towel in his hand to his side and slowly met my eyes. Why was he looking at me like that? Like there was something to apologize for?
Unless…
“I thought you didn’t work there anymore?” I said.
He didn’t answer right away, only swallowed, and that made my stomach drop.
“Beckett?”
“Yes,” he said.
“Yes, you still work there?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” I looked down at the badge again, because it made more sense than his face right now. “So, what, this is your day job and you do…the other…at night?”
He closed his eyes for half a second, and my body went on full alert.
When they opened again, there was regret there, and I instinctively backed up a step.
“Sawyer—”
“No, don’t say my name like that. What am I missing?” My grip tightened around the badge. “You do both, right?”
He looked at me, and my stomach dropped all the way to my feet.
“I need to explain,” he said.
With those four words, the room seemed to close in on us, my breath coming a little faster.
Maybe it was just complicated or he was embarrassed. Or maybe—
No. My brain was trying to come up with a reasonable solution, but as I stared at him, I could see the answer on his face clear as day.
That wasn’t embarrassment at all—that was guilt. But why would he feel guilty about his two jobs, unless…
Suddenly I was back at the hotel lounge, walking up to him, the guy in the blue tie, who’d watched me curiously as I sat down and then listened as I rambled, who didn’t say much but asked questions to keep me talking.
My skin went cold.
Oh my God.
It couldn’t be true. There was no way. I wasn’t that stupid. He wouldn’t have… No.
Would he?
But even as I opened my mouth to ask, I knew what his answer would be. Knew it in my gut.
I tried to breathe through the panic and said, “Are you really the guy I hired?”
Beckett was so still he looked like a statue, and the fact that he didn’t look surprised or confused at all told me everything I needed to know.
His voice was raw, hollow to my ears when he finally answered.
“No.”