His stomach tightened. “Fair enough. Six months, I think.”
I popped my head up, forgetting about the morning breath. “That long?”
His expression was softer, and his hair was tousled. Suddenly, he was approachable. I was married to the guy,but seeing him like this was more dangerous to my resolve than anything else. He was out of my league on a good day. In the soft light of the morning, in my bed, he was intimidating.
I laid my head back down before he answered. I was still cuddled into his side, and I was content to stay there. I was soaking up a handsome guy in my bed while I could. Living the dream while I could.
“At least six months,” he reiterated. “I only remember because that matches up with the end of Q1 and I was working more with...”
“Yeah.” As distasteful as it was hearing about his sex life, I liked hearing that Taya was only when time and opportunity matched up. “No Q2 nookie?”
Another deep chuckle reverberated under my cheek. “The land sale didn’t make me the best guy to hang around.”
“How kind you are doesn’t strike me as a deal breaker when it comes to you.”
“You keep mentioning my looks, rusty.”
I snorted. “They’re that good.”
“You also haven’t answered me.”
Crap. It was my turn. “Um... right after the New Year. I tried another dating app last fall, and I thought I’d found someone who was a contender.”
“A contender for what?”
“For being a partner. He had a job and his family was nice. He seemed respectful and treated me decent.”
“He was a creep?”
I traced my finger over an ab ridge. Was I going to admit this? I hadn’t even told my sisters. Hello, embarrassment. “I caught him stroking off to a picture of Junie. It was her magazine interview inMusic Today.”
He went taut under me. “What a fucking bastard.”
“Can you imagine how awkward family dinner would be after I knew that?”
“Don’t tell me you entertained staying with him?”
“He was trying to defend it, so I told him to print out a picture of his brother and I’d rub one off.” I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from telling the rest of the story.
“Don’t tell me he called your bluff?”
There went the rest of my pride. “Are you a mind reader?”
“No, I’ve just seen a lot living and working in a casino for so long.”
“People can suck sometimes.”
“A lot of times.”
We fell quiet, but it was a comfortable silence. Then Sprinkles jumped on the bed and meowed. She marched across the covers and caterwauled in my face.
“Is there a fire somewhere?” Gideon asked. Sprinkles marched up his chest, smothering my face with her kitty pooch as she went. She wailed in his face.
“It’s time for her to eat. And we have a party to get ready for.” I rolled away and he let me go. Sprinkles sprinted for the kitchen. I scooted out of bed and made sure my loose green pajama pants and my sleepy-cat nightshirt were covering everything.
“Autumn.”
I turned before going into the bathroom.
