Except I don’t know what it’s like to be confident anymore.
Too busy with my thoughts that can rival LA traffic, I didn’t pay attention to the noises happening in my living room.Is that a drill?
I walk out into my living space and see a freshly built desk with Jared hunched over it, making sure it’s intact.
“Good morning?” I say, my voice loud with disbelief. I rub my eyes, wondering if I’m still dreaming or if my mind has decided to throw me a curveball this early in the day.
Jared looks up, a sheepish grin spreading across his face, and I can't help but notice how disheveled and adorable he looks. “Hey there, sleeping beauty. I figured I’d put this desk together while you were”—he gestures dramatically at my messy hair—“hitting the snooze button.”
“For your information, I hit it like twice,” I shoot back, crossing my arms. Not that it matters, but the grin threatening my face totally undermines my argument.
“More like four,” Jared fires back, his grin widening as he leans against the desk like he owns the place.
“Why are you counting that?”
“It’s easy to count when I hear it go off repeatedly,” he replies with an annoyingly charming smirk. “Looks like someone didn’t get enough sleep.”
“I slept peacefully thanks to someone.”
“Three orgasms and counting,” Jared says in a low, teasing voice, his grin smug and unapologetically sexy.
I freeze, my stomach doing a weird flip. What do I even say to that? My hands suddenly feel clammy, and I quickly look away, trying to focus on anything else.
I fail extraordinarily at that, though. Heat floods my stomach.
“What’s this, uh… what’s this desk about?” I question, shaking my head.
“Well, I couldn’t really sleep with your rave alarm blaring this morning.”
“Hey, it’s soft EDM… it’s meant to feel enlightening.”
“It was more ‘stay awake and avoid going crazy’ than enlightening,” he flashes a wider grin. “So, I decided to be useful and build your desk. I even went out and got you a bagel and a caramel latte.” He gestures at the treats on the dining table with his head.
My heart leaps as the gesture leaves me breathless.
“I also remember you telling me how your back has been killing you since your desk broke and you’ve been doing all your work on the coffee table,” he adds, his tone shifting to genuine concern as he straightens. “And that you were planning to put it together yourself… with a YouTube video tutorial,” he tries to finish casually.
“Youreallydo remember everything, huh?”
“You’re you. I wouldn’t forget anything about you.” He takes a step closer, his presence enveloping me, the air crackling between us.
I take a sip of the caramel latte, letting the rich flavor wash over me, but it’s the warmth of Jared’s presence that truly grounds me. He leans against the desk, arms crossed, watchingme with that lazy smile that sends a thousand butterflies swirling in my stomach.
“Did you really call me ‘sleeping beauty’?” I tease, raising an eyebrow, my heart racing as his gaze pins me in place.
“I did,” he replies, a hint of mischief in his voice. “But I might need to change it to ‘Waking Beauty’ if you keep looking this good in the mornings.”
I bite my lip, trying to suppress a smile. “Stop it, you’re going to make me blush.”
“Good, because I like seeing you like this,” he says, his voice dipping lower as he steps into my space.
“Has anyone ever told you that doing good things can lead to rewards?” I tease.
“I’ve heard the saying.”
Placing my hands lightly on his shoulders, I guide him toward the couch, nudging him to sit. “Well, I think you’ve earned a reward for your efforts this morning.”
“Oh? And what kind of reward are we talking about?”
