Page 11 of Unforgettable

“I’m sure you get it all the time, but you look better with your clothes off.” Reeve’s unused voice startles me.

I look over my shoulder at his sleepy expression and at how he’s tangled up in the sheets. Without warning, a warm smile immediately settles on my face. “I’m sorry for waking you.”

He swallows hard, that awkward, self-conscious man of last night returning. “Are you leaving?”

I nod. “I figured I’d get out of your hair.”

Instinctively, he runs a hand through his tousled waves, and my smile returns.

He’s a sight to behold in the morning.

Just as I open my mouth to say goodbye, he rises up on his knees, letting the sheet fall. My cock stirs, and it takes the last bit of willpower I have to not jump back in that bed with him.

He reaches for my neck and pulls me to him, planting a firm, closed-mouth kiss on my lips. “Thank you,” he whispers.

I want to retort with something light like, “Forwhat? The best sex of your life?”but somehow my gut tells me that isn’t what he’s thanking me for.

Wrapping my arms around him, I hug him tight and whisper goodbye before reluctantly letting him go.

Turning, I find my shoes and slip my feet inside. I don’t look back as I walk through the motel room, out the door, and out of his life.

Stepping outside, my cell rings almost immediately, bringing me back to reality. The screen reads Tanner.

“Hey, man,” I greet.

“Oz, man, I’m sorry to call on your morning off, but do you think you can come in earlier today?”

Tanner is the bar manager at Vino and Veritas, a wine bar and bookstore in Burlington, and essentially one of my bosses.

“How early?” I ask while dragging my cell off my ear and peeking at the time.

“Now,” he says, apprehension in his voice. “I’m sorry to do this, but you know I wouldn’t ask unless I had to.”

“It’s fine,” I assure him. “I’m in Colebury and I need to get home and shower first, so give me an hour and a half?”

“You’re not at home?” he questions. “Never mind. Not my business. But that works perfectly. Thank you, I’ll see you soon.”

Not bothering with a goodbye, we both hang up, and I jump on the Uber app to get a ride home.

Just as predicted, I’m walking through the doors of Vino and Veritas right on time.

Tanner’s head snaps up as I stride toward him, his eyes narrowing curiously. “I know I said I wouldn’t ask, but man, what did you do last night?”

Looking around, I make sure customers are out of earshot. “What, do I still have some come on my face?” I joke.

He shakes his head at me, laughing. “That explains why you look so tired. Go next door and grab a coffee and then meet me in the storeroom.”

Tanner’s already started walking in the opposite direction, so I call out, “Do you want anything?”

“No, I’m good,” he answers back.

Walking into the Maple Factory is what I assume heaven would be like. It’s always warm and the smell of bread, pastry, and sugar is more than enough to entice me to buy something every time I step over the threshold.

Proof that I am a frequent visitor, all I have to do is step inside—don’t even have to speak my order—and the barista on that day is already making my coffee and boxing up my pastry.

Today it’s Bec, and she pairs it with whatever today’s special is, because they all know I like to try something different every day.

“Here’s your large caramel macchiato with two extra shots of espresso, three pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup, extra foam, two percent extra hot with extra caramel drizzle in the cup.”

---