He’d slept approximately twenty-four hours.
His stomach rumbled again, and he finally climbed out of bed. Because now that his stomach was wide awake, apparently, so was he.
Rummaging through the small kitchen, he downed two bananas, a handful of cookies, and a cheese stick. All washed down with two glasses of water, because damn, he was thirsty.
With that taken care of, he crawled back into bed, under the covers this time, and crashed back into sleep.
It was still dark when he awakened again, but this time there was a very warm and Dewi-shaped lump molded against his back.
With her arm slung snugly around his waist.
Aannnd now I’m wide awake.
But he didn’t want to move for fear of waking her.
The longer he lay there, however, the more he realized he had to get up. Because the two glasses of water he’d downed earlier were ready to exit.
Moving slowly, he eased himself out of her embrace, sliding his pillow into position for her to hug once he was on his feet. He grabbed sweats and a T-shirt on his way to the bathroom and did what he needed to do.
This time, his phone read 5:38.
Okay, that’s a start in the right direction.
Maybe his body clock would finally reset itself.
What he really wanted was coffee, but he didn’t want to wake Dewi up. Instead, he set up his computer on the table and settled in with another glass of water.
He didn’t know what time zone Peyton, Jake, and Alvarez were in, and he didn’t have any updates from them.
Wait. That would’ve happened yesterday, right? No. Today.
Shit.
Hoping he didn’t regret it, he texted Peyton.
I just woke up. Did the world blow up?
He responded a minute later with a cry-laughing emoji. And:
I heard you were playing Rip Van Winkle. We have everything in place for today.
Whew.
That meant he hadn’t literally slept through the operation.
What do you need from me for today?
Nothing. We have it under control. We’re still a go to meet today. Keep your work phone close, but I don’t anticipate needing anything from your end. Seriously, we’re good.
He sat back, feeling a little… Not disappointed, exactly, but?—
He blinked. I’m a fucking idiot.
Ken closed his laptop, walked to the bedroom, stripped naked, and returned to bed. Dewi stirred as he replaced the pillow with himself, and he rolled to face her.
Her eyes fluttered open. Ken lifted his hand to her face, brushing the hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. “Hi, baby.”
He’d expected a smile, a kiss, or being shoved over onto his back and ridden like a Shetland pony—all options he was perfectly fine with.
