Page 76 of The Charmer

Chapter Nineteen

Julian

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I was prone to sleeping in, even during weekdays. It was a bit of a joke in the family, especially when my brothers and I planned meetings. However, the morning after the party, I woke up at eight o'clock. That hadn't happened in years, but I was full of energy.

Georgie was so buried in the sheets that I could barely see her, but she was here; I could feel the weight of her body pressing into the mattress. She'd put a pillow over her head, and the only part of her skin uncovered was her left elbow. I was tempted to lean in and kiss her, but I didn't want to wake her up. Instead, I carefully got out of bed, grabbed my clothes, and left the room.

I'd never actually spent the night here. Usually after the party was over, I went home. It was the first time I saw it the morning after. It looked decent. Then again, I always instructed the waiters to bring less alcohol out as the party came to close so people didn't get messy and start trashing the place.

I noticed a menu on the huge dining table and looked it over. I was famished. After showering, Georgie and I stayed up late, and I'd explored her body until the early hours in the morning. Yet I couldn't wait to do it all over again.

They had decent options for breakfast. I wondered which ones Georgie would prefer.

Nah, this morning deserves something more special.

It was still early, and I was betting she wouldn't wake up anytime soon, so I had enough time to head over to Café Du Monde and grab beignets and coffee. Yeah, that was exactly what I was going to do.

I dressed quickly, putting on the crumpled shirt. It really did look like shit. Whatever. Without making any noise, I left the suite.

Taking the elevator, I was surprised when the doors opened to the lobby. The hotel was actually pretty crowded. People were probably checking out.

Outside, there were beads absolutely everywhere on St. Charles Avenue, but other than that, it was relatively empty. I was betting the Quarter would be even quieter than usual. Not for the first time, I was grateful that Café Du Monde was open 24/7. Usually I ran errands late in the evening for Bella’s beignet fix. I couldn’t remember the last time I was there in the morning. But I wanted to surprise Georgie and show her that last night was special.

She was mine, and I intended to keep her in my bed.

Well, not that one specifically.

The Quarter was just as full of beads and other paraphernalia as St. Charles Avenue. This was hands down my favorite place in the world. I traveled extensively for business, and no place could ever compare to the French Quarter.

The line at Café Du Monde was surprisingly short. It clearly paid off to be a morning person—something my brothers, and parents, and grandparents had touted repeatedly over the years.

I bought six beignets and two café au laits, then walked back at a very brisk pace. I didn't want the coffee to get cold.

Once I got inside the hotel, I went straight to the elevator. Obviously, there was no one working it like I'd hired specifically for my party last night, so it took a while. Apparently that whole crowd I’d seen before was checking in, not out.

An eternity later, I was on my floor, heading to the presidential suite. I opened the door with my elbow, listening intently. There were sounds coming from the bathroom, which meant Georgie had woken up. I put everything on the dining table, then headed that way. She was dressing fast, now clasping her shoes.

"Good morning," I said.

"Julian!" She straightened up, and her thick, gorgeous hair fell to one side. "You're back."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

She looked around, and I realized she was nervous.

"Georgie?" I asked, slowly walking up to her, "what's going on?"

She bent down, putting on her shoes, and then rose to her feet smiling.

"Nothing. I just woke up and—”

"Thought I'd left," I said, realization dawning on me.

Her shoulders dropped. "You weren't anywhere, so—"

"Shit, I never even considered how that would look to you. I actually thought you'd still be asleep by the time I got back."

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