Page 76 of No One Wants That (Blitzen Bay)

“Am I going to have to dress you the rest of the way?”

“I’d rather have you undress me,” she says. “It’s not too late to go back upstairs.”

“Arms up,” I say as I get the fleece ready to pull over her head.

“Ooo, yes,” she says, raising her arms. “This is where we left off last night.”

I pull the fleece over her head and arms and then pull the knit cap over her eyes. “Behave,” I say, tapping her nose.

She growls at me as she shoves the hat up. “Coffee, please.”

I take two travel mugs out of the backpack and a plastic bag full of cream and sugar packets. “Do you want me to leave room for cream?”

“How much stuff did you cram into that backpack?” She looks up at me. “Is it like Hermione’s bag? Where you can keep pulling unlimited stuff out of it. Do you have a tent in there, too?”

“I don’t know who Hermie is,” I say, squinting at her. “And we don’t need a tent. We’re not camping.”

“It’s not Hermie, it’s Hermione.” She rolls her eyes and grabs the mug from me. “Never mind. Yes, I like cream and lots of sugar. I’m Southern. I like everything to be as sweet as possible.”

“Except for your sexual partners apparently.”

She watches me carefully as I prepare her coffee. She takes a long drink, sighs with satisfaction, and then kisses my cheek. “You’re not not sweet. I mean, you’re not as much of an asshole as I thought you were at first.”

“Thank you,” I say, starting the car. “I think. I’m never sure if you’re complimenting me or slamming me.”

“I can do both at the same time,” she says, taking another long drink. “I’m an excellent multitasker.”

“Are you as good at that as you are at treading water? Which one should top the list? I want to make sure I have all of your skills in the right order of mastery.”

“Shut up.” She crawls over and kisses my cheek again. “And after last night, I think you know which of my skills should top the list.”

“Yes,” I say, pulling her in for a longer kiss. “I definitely do.”

She smiles up at me. “I was wondering if you were going to give me a proper kiss this morning.”

“I was waiting for you to get some caffeine into your system. I didn’t want to get punched. Are we good now?”

She sits back down in her seat. “No promises until I’ve had a few more cups.”

“Noted.” I slide my hand onto her thigh as I start driving. “Thanks for coming out with me.”

“Did I have a choice?” She puts her hand on top of mine.

“You always have a choice,” I say, lacing my fingers into hers, “but I’m glad you made the right one.”

She lets out a long, contented sigh and lays her head on my arm. “You know what? I did make the right decision. I’m starting to feel that all the way to my toes.”

“Good,” I say, kissing the top of her head. “Because I’m starting to feel that, too.”

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