Page 36 of Christmas Wishes

The longer Ilay in bed, the better the chances I’d run into Keaton. I should’ve gotten up an hour ago, quickly gotten ready, and scurried out of the house to grab coffee and breakfast on the way to my Saturday appointments. A day off would’ve been nice, but appointments paid the bills.

If I saw Keaton, there was probably a fifty-fifty chance I would either drop to my knees again or be a complete asshole. Normally I wouldn’t care about the latter, but for some annoying as fuck reason, I did with him. I actually liked the guy.

A whiff of bacon cooking pulled me out of bed against my will. I took a piss, then, while staring at myself in the mirror as I brushed my teeth, noticed a faint mark on my collarbone. That little shit. Just had to leave a mark. The memory of his wicked mouth and his tongue teasing my piercing started to get me hard. Fuck.

I pulled on my gray sweats and a thermal shirt.I need to calm down before I go out there, or he’ll see exactly how much fun I had in the cold light of day.I changed into jeans.

Joule needed food, so I shuffled my uncaffeinated ass to the kitchen. As I walked down the hallway, I decided to play it cool and act like nothing had happened. We couldn’t do it again. I’d be polite but keep my distance. Only one more day until he’d be a memory, anyway. A really good one.

I squared my shoulders and entered the kitchen.

Keaton stood over the stove, stirring something. He glanced over his shoulder and winked with a ready smile. He got one look at me and frowned. “Oh, hell no. Get your ass out of this kitchen and don’t come back until you start acting like a man who got his brains sucked out of his dick last night instead of falling back into your grumpitude.”

I huffed but turned and left the kitchen. As soon as my back was to him, my lips curved into a smile. I rolled my shoulders.It’s one more day. Try not to be too much of a dick.I reentered the kitchen feeling lighter.

“There he is. How’s Mr. Big Pierced Dick doing this morning?”

I didn’t know if it was the lack of caffeine coursing through my veins, exhaustion, an orgasm hangover, or just Keaton, but that broke me. A big, loud, full laugh burst from my belly.

Keaton didn’t comment, but he handed me a cup of black coffee as a smirk played on his lips. That was oddly…quiet for him in the morning. Huh.

I went to the pantry to pull out a can of Joule’s food.

“I already fed Joule this morning,” he said.

“So, Doris told you about her then?” I leaned against the kitchen island and watched him stir scrambled eggs. Then I realized he was cooking enough food for both of us, and I could at least do something to help, so I pulled plates from the cupboard.

He shot me a stern look. “Yes, and I’m going to leave treats for you. She needs a new Nico.”

“And treats are the answer?” I already bought the best quality cat food I could get around here.

“When I leave them out, he leaves a toy at my door overnight. It couldn’t hurt to try.”

I hadn’t thought of that, but as Keaton said it, I vaguely remembered Nico saying Joule would do that for him. I was such a fucking dickhead.

As I pulled silverware out of the drawer below where I kept the coffee machine, I noticed a new addition. A plastic K-cup-shaped contraption with a metal filter on the bottom.

“Had it Prime delivered yesterday. Consider it a parting gift.”

The head he gave me last night was the best parting gift, but a reusable K-cup was thoughtful. “Thanks.” My voice was still morning rough.

Keaton cooked in silence and hummed to himself as he dished up our food. He’d been so chatty all week in the mornings. Was something off?

When I reached the table, I noticed the folded newspaper in the seat I always sat in. I’d been so thrown off by what happened last night that I hadn’t gone outside to grab it before coming into the kitchen. “Thanks.”

“Mm-hmm.”

With my mind still trying to puzzle it out, I munched on a piece of perfectly crisp bacon. Keaton shamelessly watched me eat as he jabbed his fork into a fluffy bit of scrambled eggs. Still quiet though. Then it hit me. Was he being quiet because he’d sensed I preferred that in the mornings? I couldn’t think of another reason because he seemed to be in a perfectly good mood.

After finishing my breakfast, I let out a pleased sigh and finished my coffee.

“What do you have planned for the weekend?” Keaton asked.

Youwas what I wanted to say. “Got appointments lined up both days.”

Keaton frowned. “Why don’t you give yourself weekends off? You need time to rest, or else you’ll risk electrocuting yourself.”

I shrugged. “I’m doing the work of two people these days, and there’s plenty of demand.”

---