The woman wouldn’t be happy. She wouldn’t wake me up in a way that could put a big smile on my face. It’s stupid man-thinking led solely by my dick.
I strip off my shirt, scratching at my chest. I hate wintertime. The layers of clothes are suffocating. I can’t wait until it’s T-shirt season and I don’t need to bundle up like I live in the Arctic.
I lie down, punching at the pillow I snagged from the closet a few times to get comfortable. When I close my eyes, I see Iris’s smile and the kindness of her eyes.
My eyes pop open when I feel warmth against me. I peer to my side, finding Iris curling up against me. I don’t say anything or even move.
What in the world? If you would’ve asked me tobet on whether I’d find Iris next to me, I would’ve lost a lot of money.
I don’t know what time it is or if any real number of hours have passed since I said good night to her and lay down.
“Iris?” I whisper.
“Shh,” she says to me, snuggling into my side harder than before. “Sleepy.”
I wrap an arm around her, leaning into whatever the hell is happening. I’m too tired and comfortable to get into it. And in all honesty, she feels good, and the warmth is an added bonus as the wind whirls outside.
When I open my eyes again, the smell of coffee hits me square in the face. The sun is shining through the windows like it’s a warm, sunny day. I scrub at my eyes as I stretch my legs, hoping my back isn’t wrecked from sleeping on the couch.
I throw my legs over the edge as I put myself upright, blinking away the sleep. My eyes immediately land on Iris, who’s sitting in the kitchen at the island with her back to me.
“Iris,” I whisper, my voice hoarse from sleep and the alcohol.
She spins around on the stool with a cupcake in her hand. “Good morning,” she says sweetly.
“I see you found the bakery.”
“It’s the best place I’ve found in the city. It’s a hidden gem.” She reaches over, picking up a cup. “Ibrought you something. Tilly said it’s how you like your coffee.”
“Tilly was there?”
Iris nods. “She’s so sweet. Tate had told her what happened, and I told Tilly you stayed the night to make sure I would be okay.”
I lift my eyebrows. “Oh.”
“She said she would’ve been upset if you’d left me here by myself.”
That sounds like Tilly. While she’s all for feminism, she’s also for not leaving a woman in need. And other people may disagree, but Iris was in need of feeling safe in a foreign location.
“Did I do something wrong?” she asks.
I shake my head. “No.” I push myself up, happy when my back doesn’t tighten immediately. “My family shares everything, and Tilly would’ve given me an earful if I’d left you here.”
It’s her turn to say, “Oh.”
“But that’s not why I stayed. I wanted to stay here.” I take the warm paper cup of coffee from her hand and sit down on the stool next to her. “Thanks for this.”
“Did you sleep okay?”
I stare at her. “Do you remember last night?”
“No, silly. I was asleep. What happened?”
I blink a few times, wondering if she’s screwing with me. “The couch,” I whisper behind my coffee cup.
Iris’s gaze moves to the couch. “Was it uncomfortable?”
I shake my head.
