Page 77 of Midnight Secrets

Coffee. I needed coffee.

I’d lain awake for several hours, hoping Ozzie would come back after he finished at work, even though he told me he would probably just go home so he didn’t disturb my sleep.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t tried to go to sleep without him. The hope rattling around my brain was a giddy annoyance I hadn’t been able to silence easily. Finally, around three, I’d fallen into a fitful sleep plagued with decadent dreams about Ozzie and all the wicked things we’d done just hours before.

My gaze stopped on the island in front of the fridge.

The scene from last night unfolded in my mind, heating my blood.

I drew in a deep, cleansing breath and forced myself to look away. Spending the day in a perpetual state of arousal wouldn’t do me any good. While it wasn’t technically a workday, I did have things to do.

Like file a claim with my insurance company. And call all my clients.

Hence the reason I was awake at seven a.m. after only sleeping for a few hours.

Thank goodness I kept online records. I would lose some days just dealing with the fallout, but business wouldn’t suffer too much. I could work from home or Mina’s shop.

Yawning, I set Pebbles on the floor and made my way to the coffeepot. Today, I added a pod to the single-cup brewer side of the machine and pressed start. Once I had a cup of the gods’ nectar in me, I would take a quick shower then get online and start the claims process with my insurance company. I was very glad they offered that option. Eventually, I knew I would have to talk to a real person on the phone, but I wasn’t ready for that. Just thinking about what happened made me tear up.

After that, I would start contacting clients. I wanted to check on Savannah too. Hopefully, the hospital didn’t keep her, but she’d been coughing quite a bit, so I wasn’t sure. Smoke inhalation could be nasty.

The coffeemaker sputtered, and the scent of fresh coffee filled the room.

While I waited on the coffee, I put a scoop of food in Pebbles’s bowl, to which she turned up her nose and trotted toward the back door.

“You stay in the yard, you little terror.” I opened the door, and she dashed out, quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Flipping on the outside light, I stayed by the window and watched. I could just see her at the edge of the light’s glow, moving back and forth, looking for the perfect spot to do her business. Finally, she squatted to pee.

Mid tinkle, she barked and took off toward the gate.

Groaning, I opened the door. What was she after now? “Pebbles!”

She ignored me.

I called her name again, but she just stood at the gate, raising hell.

“Definitely looking into obedience classes, you little turd.” I put one foot out the door to go get her, but the doorbell pealing stopped me.

Pebbles turned around, running full speed for the back door, still barking.

I let her in, then shut the door before following her to the front of the house.

A quick peek through the windows revealed Ozzie standing on the porch.

My heart stuttered, then launched into double time.

I glanced down at my attire, self-conscious of how I was dressed, then huffed a short laugh. He’d seen me naked. How was my bathrobe and pajamas worse?

Rolling my eyes at myself, I opened the door. “Hey.” With a bright smile of welcome, I stepped back to let him in.

He stepped over the threshold, his eyes heating as he took in my robe. A touch of amusement entered his gaze when he spotted my slipper. “I might frame those if you ever decide to throw them away.”

I raised the hem of my robe admiring the pink shoe on my foot. “Best nineteen-ninety-five I ever spent.”

Chuckling, he moved closer, wrapping an arm around my waist before leaning down to kiss me soundly.

My blood immediately heated, wanting more, but he pulled back, letting me go. “Sorry I didn’t come back last night. Things got busy.”

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