Page 16 of Fierce Family

“What are you offering?” I grin.

“Poached eggs on toast?” he offers.

“You can poach eggs?”

“One day I’ll make you my Beef Wellington and you won’t question my culinary skills anymore.” He looks rather pleased with himself.

“I don’t eat mushrooms, Chef.”

“Just for you I’ll make it without,” he places a soft kiss on my lips.

“Wellington would turn in his grave. But poached eggs sound great.” My fingers slide through his hair. I can’t remember the last time I felt so content and relaxed.

“Poachedeggs coming up. I’ve put a hair dryer and stuff in the bathroom for you.” Josh gives me one last kiss before crawling out from under the duvet. His arse looks delicious in those black boxer briefs and I give him a little whistle, which makes him chuckle.

“I might jump in the shower, if that’s okay?” I ask.

“Feel free: shower, bath, take your time. I’ll get everything ready and poach the eggs when you’re down,” he says before leaving me alone in the bedroom. I curl up again under the duvet and close my eyes for a few seconds. I can smell his scent all around me. I can still feel every touch and kiss from last night on my skin. That was sex like I’ve never had before. Mind-blowing. I’m sure we can make this work.Friends with benefits. Perfect.Suddenly the idea from last night doesn’t sound quite so crazy anymore.

“I don’t know, something’s different with you. You have been so darn cheerful for the last two weeks. Have you won the lottery?” Marisa watches me with curiosity as I enter guest details into a reservation. Two of our receptionists have called in sick and so I’m helping out for a couple of hours until the afternoon shift comes in.

“There’s nothing different with me. Did Chef drop off the menus for the book publishing conference in four weeks? Tommy’s in the office this afternoon and I want to discuss them with him.” I try to divert before greeting Ms Hallett, a travel blogger currently staying with us.

“Yes, I’ve emailed them to you. Hey, Ella, doesn’t she look different?” I look up and see Ella and baby Nicky walking through the lobby.

“Sorry I’m walking through, but I forgot my keys to the ground floor entrance,” she mumbles sheepishly.

“Oh, please, don’t apologise. We all love to see the little princess and you, of course. How’s she doing?”

“She slept through for the first time last night,” Ella grins. “Tommy is taking full credit for it of course.”

“The baby whisperer,” Marisa and I say in unison, causing us all to break out in giggles. Tommy has proudly told everyone how he has the magic touch to get his daughter to sleep. He doesn’t mention that it’s usually against his chest and whenever he puts her down she starts to cry again.

“But coming back to Sheila, she won’t tell me what, but something got her into a super chipper mood the last two weeks.”

“Did you get laid,” Ella jokes. She worked with us when she was Tommy’s assistant before the two of them fell in love, so she and I know each other quite well.

“No,” I reply but I emphasise the “o” for way too long and focus way too hard on the computer monitor in front of me.

“Oh my god, you did!” Marisa whisper-shouts as a group of old ladies walk past the front desk.

“Who is it?” Ella leans over the reception with interest. Even Nicky seems to scrutinise me with her big baby eyes.

“Nobody.” I try again.

“Josh!” Marisa shouts suddenly, causing Nicky to startle.

“Who is Josh?” Ella asks animated.

“The hot firefighter who she has been arguing—aka flirting—with every time we have another alarm.”

“Oh my god, a firefighter! That’s hot.” Ella fans herself.

“You should see him, he’s uber hot. Like fire-fighter-wet-dream hot!” Marisa replies.

“Can you two stop this? What will the guests think? As you are not busy, Marisa, I’ll leave you to it and go back to my office,” I challenge her.

“No guests around. Just tell us... are you dating him now?”

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