28. The Next Morning
28
THE NEXT MORNING
Mara
The shrill beep of my alarm shattered the peaceful quiet of the morning. I fumbled to turn it off, my hand reaching blindly for the nightstand. Once the noise was silenced, I slowly rolled over, feeling the pull of warm sheets and the comforting presence of the man beside me. Ford. Just the thought of him made my chest tighten with a sweetness I hadn’t felt in years.
I hesitated before I lifted my lashes to look at him.
My whole body softened. I felt more relaxed than I had in a decade. Maybe longer? The last thing I wanted was to leave this bed.
Last night had been phenomenal.
With his face all relaxed and smooth in sleep, he looked younger than his thirty-one years. His dark hair was a tousled mess against the pillow, making him look impossibly younger and even more irresistible. The way his lips parted in sleep, soft and inviting, sent a flutter of desire through me. I had to stop myself from reaching out, from pressing my mouth to his and tasting him again.
I raised myself onto one arm and moved closer, but his eyes snapped open, and I froze. It only took a moment for those sexy, morning-softened eyes of his to focus on me. A satisfied smile spread across those gorgeous lips.
This was nice. Verra-verra nice. A girl could get used to this.
I glanced at the clock on the wall across from my bed. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to revel in Ford and all his sexiness right now. If I didn’t get moving, I’d be late opening Ghost of a Chance.
I leaned closer for a kiss. At the last second, I veered off course and planted a kiss on his forehead instead of his lips and made a quick exit from the bed. His groan of protest was immediate, his hand seeking for me before his eyes even opened. “Not fair,” he muttered, his voice still thick with sleep, and it took all my willpower not to crawl right back into bed.
“Sorry, but I have to hustle. I have a store to open in thirty minutes.”
He raised his eyebrows. “That’s not much time.”
“You forget.” I grinned, sitting up in bed as the sheet puddled around my hips and I stretched, arching my back. “My morning commute is a walk down the back staircase to my storage room.”
His eyes raked over my naked body, then he closed them. “Do you have any idea how much self-control I’m using right now not to pull you into my arms?”
At that, I nearly rolled back into bed. Could I be a little late today? I mentally checked my calendar and let out a groan. “Don’t tempt me. I have a call scheduled with one of my suppliers and I can’t be late this morning.”
As I forced myself to stand, Ford opened his eyes and sent me a sexy look that made my toes curl.
Heading out the door toward the bathroom took a monumental amount of self-control. When I glanced back, I could see him climbing out of bed. Swoon! The man looked amazing. All the sexiness on display almost had me running back to him, but I forced myself to make the responsible choice and take a shower.
As I stood under the water, I kept thinking about last night’s spectacular sex. I’d never had such an immediate physical connection with someone before. It always took time for two people to figure out how to please one another. Not so with me and Ford. Being with him felt miraculous. We fit together in bed like two pieces of a puzzle.
Good sex was its own sort of magic.
Contentment welled within me, warming me. I smiled.
I wanted more. More Ford. More sex. More fun outings. More happiness. More joy. All of it.
I brushed my teeth and hurriedly dried my hair and tugged it into a smooth ponytail. The scent of bacon led me straight to the kitchen, where Ford stood, spatula in hand, a grin spreading across his face as I entered. “Morning, sunshine. I raided your fridge. Hope you don’t mind.” He was the picture of casual confidence, standing there shirtless, frying bacon like he’d done it a thousand times before, like he belonged here. It was maddeningly sexy.
He prepared a plate of delicious smelling food and held it out to me. When I moved to take it, he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulled me close, and kissed me. Somehow, he tasted minty. Toothpaste? How had he managed to brush his teeth?
“Why do you taste so good?”
He flashed a grin. “I found a pack of chewing gum in the kitchen drawer when I was looking for the spatula.”
“Smart man. And a good cook. You must be Dante’s star pupil,” I said, inhaling the delicious scents.
He grinned. “Breakfast is one of the few things I knew how to make before I started taking his classes. Now, eat, so you can last the morning before you break for lunch.”
He gestured toward my small café table. As I sat down, he placed a cup of coffee in front of me. Then he grabbed his own plate of food and joined me.
I marveled at how natural this felt. I stared at him pensively. “I was thinking…” I said, then bit into my eggs and got momentarily distracted.
His eyes seemed to sparkle with humor. “You’re good at that.”
“Thinking? What can I say? I have a brain. I use it. “What do you think about me cooking for you tomorrow?” I asked, taking another bite of my eggs. “Fair warning though, I’m no Michelin chef. Lower your expectations.”
His eyes took on a pleased gleam as he smiled. “I’d like that.”
“Tomorrow night? I need to pick up some groceries.”
“Sounds great.” He glanced down at my plate. “You should hurry if you don’t want to be late.”
I checked the time and gave a start. “I guess my shower lasted longer than I realized.” But we both knew my delay had nothing to do with my shower, and everything to do with how much I loved him cooking breakfast for me—and how much I really wanted to linger here with him.
I shot Ford a sorrowful smile, quickly finished eating, and then gave him a peck on the cheek. “Thanks for making me breakfast. I’ll clean up after work.”
Zephyr stood next to the door, and when I grabbed his leash so he could come with me, he danced with joy.
“Don’t worry. I’ll rinse the dishes.” Ford immediately started clearing the table. “See you soon.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but Ford held up one hand to stop me. “Go. It’s all good. I’ll head home and shower as soon as I’m done here.”
I checked the clock and then headed for the door, a smile tugging at my lips. As I left with Zephyr, I couldn't help but smile. Being with Ford—a man who could make me breakfast, respect my work, and drive me wild in bed—was something I could definitely get used to. The only problem? I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to go back to life before him.