She’d always been careful about her figure. And while she’d made a few comments over the years, she’d never been quite so blatant and never in front of others. Or at least in front of non-family. Daniel and Mariah having a front row seat only added insult to injury leaving me choking on bitterness.
My mom acted as though my eating red meat and a potato would send Nick running for the hills.
If it had that effect on him, I didn’t want him anyway. Plus, Nick would never do that to me. If anything, Nick was solid. A rock of dedication. He’d never betray—
God, I’m talking like he’s really my boyfriend and this isn’t just some convenient way to avoid two assholes who actually would be rather good for each other.
If they’d stop looking at us and start looking at each other, we could all take a damn breath already.
I pulled out the chair next to my mom and slapped the Danish down between us with a snap of attitude.
She did a double take, her lips pinching together, before she finally smiled. “Where’s Nick?”
Mrs. McAdams glanced over, her attention one hundred percent on my answer despite Mariah still chatting beside her.
“I tired him out last night,” I said with a wink, unable to resist goading Nick’s mom. “He’s sleeping in.”
“Oh, I—Oh!” My mom’s hand flew to her chest and her cheeks turned pink.
Ewww.
The sheer joy on my mother’s face at the idea that I rode Nick, stayed on for more than eight seconds, and stuck the landing had bile climbing up the back of my throat.
“Yes, best to let him sleep then.” The sheer delight on her face stood in stark contrast to whatever the hell was going on with Mrs. McAdams’s expression.
I tore off a piece of pastry and popped it into my mouth, holding Mrs. McAdams’s gaze the entire time.
My mother positively bubbly about my not-so-sexy sex life with Nick? Now that was one I didn’t have on my bingo card.
She offered not one peep about the food since clearly I had spent the night servicing my man, and I intended to ride that high as far is it would take me. If I didn’t plan to take on the hardest trail on the mountain, The Dagger, I’d let it walk me right back to the coffee bar for a second danish.
She didn’t need to know I’d spent my night tossing and turning, studying him in the dark every time my eyes popped open, which seemed to be about every hour.
Still under the influence of the potato, no doubt.
I traced over his every feature. The dark, wavy hair smoothed back from his forehead and the disgustingly long lashes a woman would kill for. Stretched out on his back, he fell asleep where he laid, his hand up over his head, the other drawing my gaze to where his palm rested against the deep V carved along his abs, his long fingers curled along his jeans brushing the bulge behind his zipper.
Every time he stretched, I held my breath, waiting to see if the waistband slid lower.
By the time early morning filtered through the gauzy curtains, I had a seething lady boner and a raging clit shaking her angry fist.
God, but he was beautiful and so very different from… well, anyone.
Any other time, I would have just grabbed a toy or two, disappeared into the bathroom, and taken care of business, but I couldn’t bring myself to give up the view. I probably should have just touched myself right there beside him. He slept like the dead.
But by the time I got out of bed, he’d finally shifted, and the position was photographic gold. I ducked out while he was in the shower, but not before sending Chance another message while ignoring his litany of threats in dozens of others.
I pushed his buttons on the other side of the world and pushed a few more here. Hey, I took my normalcy where I could get it.
A firm hand landed on my shoulder and squeezed.
“Good morning.” Nick aimed the words at the table before bending down and stopping right next to my cheek. His hand drifted to my neck, his fingers tangling in the ends of my ponytail giving it a firm tug. This was the second time he’d pulled my hair and Jesus fuck, this was so going to be my new fantasy. He turned me toward him just enough to settle his lips along the shell of my ear.
“You’re in so much trouble, spawn. When I get you alone, it’s payback time.”
My nipples tightened to painful points.
Saint Nick must have checked his messages from Chance.
