Chapter 16
Arthur was gone when Gretchen woke the next morning. The last thing she remembered after being so thoroughly pleasured was him holding her in his arms and telling her to go to sleep. She cringed. How embarrassing to have immediately fallen asleep after the best sex of her life. Her hand ran over the empty, cold side of the bed. What an experience. She stretched, enjoying the pull of her muscles, and checked the time. Just before six. She had to be up now, anyway. As she stood, she noticed the clothes she’d worn yesterday were folded on her bed-side table. Tidying up in case Jordan had woken first. She smiled and quickly showered and dressed for the day before heading out to find the man who had made her feel so wonderful.
He stood in the kitchen stirring something on the stove as if he did it every day.
Her heart twinged. She could get used to him being there, get used to being cared for. She’d had to be self-sufficient her whole life.
He glanced back and his slow smile warmed her insides. “Good morning.”
Yes, it was. “Hi, you didn’t have to make breakfast.”
“I wanted to.” He switched off the stove and moved over to her. “Did you sleep well?”
Her cheeks flushed. “Yes. I’m sorry for falling asleep on you.”
“I didn’t mind.” He kissed her. “What do you want to tell Jordan about us?”
Us. It sounded so simple. “I don’t know.” What were they? “I hadn’t thought about it.”
He stepped back. “I don’t have to kiss or touch you in front of him. We can pretend we’re friends.”
She shook her head. That wasn’t fair to anyone. “I’ll talk to him. Tell him we’re…” She looked at him to fill in the blank.
Arthur shrugged. “Together? Dating?”
She nodded. Jordan could understand that. “I’ll tell him tonight, so he has time to process it. Will you walk him to school?”
“Of course.”
That meant she didn’t have to wake him until she was leaving for work. He could sleep a whole extra hour.
As Arthur dished up the porridge, Gretchen checked the weather and sighed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Storms are forecast tonight. We’ll probably have to cancel tomorrow’s tour, which will disappoint people.”
“How far ahead do you decide?”
“Sam will decide today. If it’s too rough, or visibility is bad, it won’t be pleasant.”
“And if you get the day off?” His tone was a little wicked.
She grinned. “I’ll set aside some time to study for my exam.” She sipped her coffee. “But if it’s raining, it might be a good time to be tucked up in bed with company.”
“I hope it rains a lot.”
Gretchen laughed. It would be a relief to be in town closer to Jordan. She got out her phone and messaged Dot.Any update?
Not yet. We can’t find where he’s staying.
Maybe he was camping somewhere, but Kurt never liked to rough it. She showed Arthur the message and checked the time. “I need to wake Jordan.”
Love filled her as she entered his room. Somehow, he’d ended up with his sheets around his head, his legs sticking out below, and his stuffed bunny on the floor. Gently she uncovered him. “Jordan, it’s time to wake up.”
He grumbled.
She kissed his brow. “Come on, sweetheart. I need to get to work, and Arthur will walk you to school.”
