the words hang in the air for ten slow seconds before clearing his throat loudly and finally continuing. “And since I couldn’t find you this morning as you seem to have gone out really, really early… Like predawn early, or maybe even forgot to come home…” His voice dripped with innuendo. Damn her little brother!
She stirred the air with her hand and used the nickname no one had spoken in years. “Get to the point, little man.” If her six-foot brother had a point other than to tease her, that is.
“Right. Well, I was going to pick up Carly today, but there’s been a report of trouble out of the east side—”
Her heart thumped harder. Hellhound? “You mean, the…the…” She couldn’t exactly say it, not with Rick right there.
“Maybe. Look, I have to check it out with Kyle, so I need you to pick up Carly. Her flight comes in at nine.”
Her eyes flew to the clock. She’d just make it if she rushed.
“Of course, if you’re too busy,” Cody said, slipping back into surfer dude tone, “I can tell Ty and ask him to pick—”
“No!” she yelped into the phone. It had taken years to get her father and older brother to accept that she was all grown up, and even so, they still used the stare of death on any male suspected of fooling around with her. Rick, they’d kill on the spot. “Cody, if you so much as—”
He laughed. “Just kidding. Unfortunately.” He gave a theatrical sigh. “I owe you forever for helping me win my mate, so I’ll have to let you off the hook. This time.” She could see the wink hidden in his words. “But it would be a big help if you could get Carly.”
“I will. But you owe me.”
“I do owe you.” His voice was serious for a change.
She clicked off, sighed, and looked up to find Rick—gloriously naked Rick—handing her a steaming mug of coffee.
She blinked. Coffee? When was the last time anyone had made coffee for her?
Apart from Aunt Jean on the occasional quiet afternoon, nobody. Ever.
“
Café con leche.
” He smiled and pulled her back to bed, where he lay down, propped on one elbow. “Just like my dad used to make.”
She took a sip, placed the mug on the side table, and curled up beside him like a cat, perfectly at home. Just like in her dreams, it was her and the love of her life, waking up together, starting a day together. The ultimate fantasy, because they were both naked, too. Her mind threatened to run away on that one, but she reeled herself back in. She couldn’t allow herself any more fantasies or any more mornings. This had to be it.
“I have to go,” she mumbled, although her body refused to budge.
He rubbed a thumb across his chest in that absent gesture she loved so much. “Yeah?”
“I have to pick up my sister at the airport.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You have a sister?”
“Carly. She lives in California with her mom.” She cursed inside, because her voice was suddenly wistful and weak, like it always was when she wondered how different life would be if she’d had a mother to live with. Just to talk to, even, from time to time.
Rick studied the swirl of milk in his coffee, lost in his own thoughts. Was it worse to be left behind by a mother who’d run out, she wondered, or to lose a loving mother to cancer far too young, as Rick had?
When he finally took a sip, it ended up being a heavy gulp, and he winced a little. Her, too. Then he flashed a tight, bittersweet smile. Like he knew just what she was thinking. Maybe even wondering the same thing.
She took his hand and held it, and the warmth traveled up her arm, making her chest swell just a little bit. A little more when he pulled her knuckles to his lips and kissed them without saying anything.
Over in the main house, the grandfather clock bonged. Eight o’clock.
“I have to go,” she whispered.
He smiled that tight, bittersweet smile and kissed her knuckles one more time.
“No breakfast?”
She shook her head slowly. Sadly. No breakfast. No
She stirred the air with her hand and used the nickname no one had spoken in years. “Get to the point, little man.” If her six-foot brother had a point other than to tease her, that is.
“Right. Well, I was going to pick up Carly today, but there’s been a report of trouble out of the east side—”
Her heart thumped harder. Hellhound? “You mean, the…the…” She couldn’t exactly say it, not with Rick right there.
“Maybe. Look, I have to check it out with Kyle, so I need you to pick up Carly. Her flight comes in at nine.”
Her eyes flew to the clock. She’d just make it if she rushed.
“Of course, if you’re too busy,” Cody said, slipping back into surfer dude tone, “I can tell Ty and ask him to pick—”
“No!” she yelped into the phone. It had taken years to get her father and older brother to accept that she was all grown up, and even so, they still used the stare of death on any male suspected of fooling around with her. Rick, they’d kill on the spot. “Cody, if you so much as—”
He laughed. “Just kidding. Unfortunately.” He gave a theatrical sigh. “I owe you forever for helping me win my mate, so I’ll have to let you off the hook. This time.” She could see the wink hidden in his words. “But it would be a big help if you could get Carly.”
“I will. But you owe me.”
“I do owe you.” His voice was serious for a change.
She clicked off, sighed, and looked up to find Rick—gloriously naked Rick—handing her a steaming mug of coffee.
She blinked. Coffee? When was the last time anyone had made coffee for her?
Apart from Aunt Jean on the occasional quiet afternoon, nobody. Ever.
“
Café con leche.
” He smiled and pulled her back to bed, where he lay down, propped on one elbow. “Just like my dad used to make.”
She took a sip, placed the mug on the side table, and curled up beside him like a cat, perfectly at home. Just like in her dreams, it was her and the love of her life, waking up together, starting a day together. The ultimate fantasy, because they were both naked, too. Her mind threatened to run away on that one, but she reeled herself back in. She couldn’t allow herself any more fantasies or any more mornings. This had to be it.
“I have to go,” she mumbled, although her body refused to budge.
He rubbed a thumb across his chest in that absent gesture she loved so much. “Yeah?”
“I have to pick up my sister at the airport.”
His eyebrows shot up. “You have a sister?”
“Carly. She lives in California with her mom.” She cursed inside, because her voice was suddenly wistful and weak, like it always was when she wondered how different life would be if she’d had a mother to live with. Just to talk to, even, from time to time.
Rick studied the swirl of milk in his coffee, lost in his own thoughts. Was it worse to be left behind by a mother who’d run out, she wondered, or to lose a loving mother to cancer far too young, as Rick had?
When he finally took a sip, it ended up being a heavy gulp, and he winced a little. Her, too. Then he flashed a tight, bittersweet smile. Like he knew just what she was thinking. Maybe even wondering the same thing.
She took his hand and held it, and the warmth traveled up her arm, making her chest swell just a little bit. A little more when he pulled her knuckles to his lips and kissed them without saying anything.
Over in the main house, the grandfather clock bonged. Eight o’clock.
“I have to go,” she whispered.
He smiled that tight, bittersweet smile and kissed her knuckles one more time.
“No breakfast?”
She shook her head slowly. Sadly. No breakfast. No
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