“Oh, no hurry,” she was too quick to say. “I mean, about the coffee. You made it, you deserve the first cup.”
His lips twisted. “Damn, and I was hoping you’d be the guinea pig and test it before I poured one for me.” He winked.
“No, really. I want to duck into the bathroom. I need to tame my bed hair before I frighten the natives.”
His gaze swept over her face and hair. “You look beautiful and refreshed.”
“Liar on the beautiful,” she said. “Is refreshed code for interesting. You know, that word you use when you aren’t impressed, but don’t want to be rude?”
Simon laughed. “You are beautiful, and you look well rested. The dark circles under your eyes have faded.”
Holly touched her fingers to her face. “They were pretty bad, weren’t they?” She grimaced. “It’s all a result of no sleep and waiting for the next shoe to drop on the curse that’s been plaguing me for the last six months. But thanks to you, I slept well last night—sadly, at your expense.”
“I managed to sleep,” he said. “Despite being about two feet too short, the sofa was soft enough for me to get semi-comfortable.”
With a frown, Holly studied the offending piece of furniture. “We need to do something about that. A man your size can’t sleep like that every night. I can’t even stretch out on the couch, and I’m at least six inches shorter than you.”
Simon shook his head. “I can manage. Go. Do your morning thing. I’ll see what I can whip up for breakfast.”
Her eyebrows rose. “You protect and cook? I should’ve hired a Brotherhood Protector ages ago.”
He tossed a hand towel at her. “Keep it up, and you can make your own breakfast.”
Holly squeezed by him, her hip brushing against his on her way through the kitchen to the bathroom.
Once she was inside with the door closed, she stared into the mirror at a woman with pink cheeks and a sparkle in her eye. She’d enjoyed sparring with her bodyguard. And the view had been better than average.
Hell, who was she kidding? The man was drool-worthy. It had been all she could do not to run her fingers over his shoulders as she’d moved past him.
After brushing her teeth, she smoothed the tangles from her thick hair and pulled it up into a loose bun on top of her head. As an afterthought, she loosened a few stray tendrils to curl around her ears.
A little mascara and a dab of lipstick were all she needed, and she stepped out of the bathroom to find Simon fully dressed in a clean T-shirt and boots, scooping fluffy yellow scrambled eggs out of a skillet onto two plates. When toast popped up out of the toaster, he added a piece to each plate, along with a fork, and handed one to her.
Simon nodded to the sliding glass doors that led off the living room onto a patio area overlooking the bayou. “Shall we eat on the deck?”
“Absolutely,” Holly said. “It was one of the selling points for renting here instead of a house in town. That and availability.”
Simon led the way, flicked the lock open and slid the door open. Then he moved to the side, allowing her to pass through first.
The morning sun still hung low on the horizon, blocked by towering cypress trees. In another hour, the sun would crest the treetops and shine directly down, raising the temperature and the humidity. But at that moment, being outside was tolerable, the view was beautiful and the bayou peaceful. Soon, charter fishing boats and airboats with their massive fans would be passing by, carrying tourists out into the bayou.
Holly sank onto one of the cushioned chairs and laid her plate on the tiny bistro table.
Simon set his plate on the other side. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”
Her gaze followed him as he disappeared through the door and reappeared a moment later, carrying two steaming mugs of coffee.
She took one from him and sniffed appreciatively. “This is my drug of choice,” she murmured as she took a careful sip.
They spent the next few minutes devouring the scrambled eggs and toast. When her plate was empty, Holly sighed and sat back with her coffee. “That was good. Thank you.”
He dipped his head.
“You don’t have to cook for me, you know.”
“I know. But I like to start my day with a good breakfast. It was no big deal to make enough for two.”
“I’ll make it tomorrow,” she said. “As long as eggs are good for you two days in a row.”
