Page 49 of Turning Tides
Chapter 24
Archer
The day before wasa dream. I woke in Shane’s arms with birds singing outside the window, serenading us awake with their sweet songs. Okay, so I woke up sprawled out on the other side of the bed, far away from Shane’s arms, and it wasn’t the sound of birds that woke me, but the sun slicing through the window and straight into my brain that stirred me out of my sleep.
Shane, however, slept like the dead still. I stared at him for a minute, fairly certain that a bomb could go off and he’d sleep through it. Slipping out of bed, I made quick use of the bathroom before returning to slide in next to him and press myself close to his side and pretend that we’d woken up like that, all tangled together. The truth was that sleeping next to another person was great. Sleeping in their arms was sticky and uncomfortable and Shane and I had quickly stopped trying to be comfortable like that.
It was different post-orgasm, when we were still blissed out and craving that residual connection. We’d fallen asleep facing each other, hands tangled in the space between our bodies. In the dark, we’d whispered secrets to each other. Confessions had fallen from our lips so much easier than they would have in the light of day.
Reaching out, I traced the line of Shane’s jaw with my finger. His scruff was longer now, and soft. Last night, we’d kissed until I was suremy jaw was going to fall off. The muscles in my face had protested long before I was willing to stop.
Waking up next to someone was a novelty to me. I’d had a few relationships, but not for a while. I’d been focused on getting my shop off the ground, and then I’d been dealing with the mess Clayton left behind. My shop was my life. My livelihood. My soul. But Shane had become my heart. My light.
“I could get used to this,” I whispered to him. It was harder to confess things in the daylight.
“To which part?” Shane asked.
His voice was hoarse and gravelly. I loved the way it sounded and I loved that I was lucky enough to hear it. Sex with Shane was amazing. Explosive. Everything I’d ever wanted and never been able to find. But this quiet intimacy, this tender moment, was a gift.
“All of it,” I answered, burrowing closer. Was I horny? Absolutely. But this moment felt far too soft and precious. I wanted to exist in it on its own and absorb the easy affection that thrummed between us as Shane wrapped his arm around me and kissed my head.
“What time is it?” he mumbled some minutes later. “Shit.”
He kissed my head again. “I have to get up. It’s delivery day and I need to be there to sign.”
So much for the bubble we lived in. I tried not to be disappointed, even though I knew we’d have to leave eventually.
“Sorry,” Shane apologized as he crawled out of bed. I watched him tug clothes on, doing nothing to hide my admiration for his body. He was tall and strong, and I knew from experience how firm he felt under that top layer of padding.
Shane caught me staring. “What?” He pulled a shirt on over his head.
Sliding out of bed, I walked over to him and rose on my toes. I stole a kiss, smiling as I pulled away. “Nothing. You’re hot, that’s all.”
I raked my gaze over his body, letting him see me appreciate him before meeting his eyes again. “You should wear suspenders today.”
Shane’s nostrils flared. “That’s cruel. I’ll be hard all day long. I can’t even think about suspenders without getting a raging boner.”
“I’ll make it worth it.” I slid my finger down the center of his chest before spinning away. My clothes were in the bathroom where I’d left them, in the state that I’d left them in. Rumpled and crumpled, but they’d have to do. Shane came into the bathroom as I was zipping my fly. Of course he was wearing suspenders like I’d asked.
“Good boy.”
He huffed. “That shouldn’t be nearly as hot as I find it.”
“Why not? Don’t you like being my good boy? Good boys get rewards.”
Shane’s lip curled. “I can’t have this conversation right now. But we can pick it up later, say after work.”
I took pity on him as he had to steady himself with a few deep breaths before he could get his dick to cooperate and let him drain his bladder. He told me the secret location of the spare toothbrushes and I made use of one. The whole thing was startlingly domestic, intimate in a different way than I’d ever experienced.
“I’m sorry I don’t have time to make you breakfast,” Shane apologized as he shoved his feet into his shoes and grabbed his keys.
“I didn’t come over for the food. Besides, I’m hoping there will be many more opportunities for you to serve me breakfast in bed.”
“Oh, now it’s breakfast in bed, is it?”
“I think I’m worth spoiling.”
“If it’s spoiling you want, I’ll take you to Bennett’s for breakfast. Their waffle stack is a sin.”
