“Sometimes, I don’t know what to do with you, Tristen Davis. You keep surprising me.”
“Now who is sounding like a line from my audiobook?” I grin as she wrinkles her nose at me.
“Get over here, you,” she growls, pulling me close until we melt into another sweet kiss.
A kiss I don’t mind one bit.
Chapter Seventeen
REESE
Inever thought waking up in my own bed would feel strange, but as I stare at the drop ceiling tiles, here I am. The last few days with Tristen cling to my memory like a distant dream, and a heavy weight presses on my chest at the realization that I have to return to my mundane life.
No whiffs of his cologne. No morning snuggles and chats. Just me. All alone.
After hours of tossing and turning, I admit defeat and click on the bedside lamp. Piles of dirty laundry are scattered around the room, and since I’m not able to sleep, I clean up instead. Might as well be productive while I wait for my alarm clock to go off.
Hitting the button to the coffee maker as I walk by, I pick up a few stray socks that are crumpled on the floor and add them to the laundry basket in my arms.
I jolt when a knock sounds at my door, and the instant fear that my ex-boyfriend is outside blares through my mind on a megaphone. Could Burns have been granted parole so soon?
“I promise it’s not Gary.”
Gary?
My breath rushes out in relief. I sag against the sofa and slowly release my death grip on the basket.It’s Tristen. Nothing to be scared of.
“Reese? You up?” A knock sounds again, a little louder than before.
“Coming.”
I swing the door wide to see Tris’s oversized grin, way too awake for this hour. A white take-out bag dangles from his finger, filling my apartment with the tantalizing aroma of bacon and eggs. Before I can say hi, he leans in for a quick kiss as a greeting.
“Good morning to you too,” I say, chuckling. “Wait a minute, how did you get into the shop?”
“Lewis gave me a key. I gave him one to the bar too, for emergencies. Since the incident with Burns last year, a lot of the shop owners swapped keys and have been keeping an eye on things after closing. Since I couldn’t reach your door, I thought you wouldn’t mind if I used it. Especially since I’m willing to share my breakfast with you.”
“As long as you’re not barging into my apartment while I’m showering, I’m okay with it.”
I stretch out my arms, yawning.
“Oh man, sleepy Reese is dangerous. Here.” He hands me the bag and takes a giant step away from me, tucking his hands behind his back. “I don’t trust myself when you’re all tussled and warm, and—I have to go. Bye.”
He dashes down the stairs without a backward glance.
I blink at the empty stairwell, wondering if I had imagined the whole weird encounter. Sleep delirium? But the plastic bag in my hand would prove differently. Using my hip, I close the door and carry the food over to the TV tray, pinching the sleep in the corners of my eyes. I need that cupof coffee like yesterday. The time flashes on my microwave screen, and I suck in a breath at the early hour.
Why on earth would he be up so early? Not that I’m complaining about free food. I haven’t had time to buy?—
An urgent knock thuds on my door again. I cast a longing gaze at the percolating carafe, still barely a half inch full. It’s too early for these shenanigans.
“Still not Gary,” Tris says from the other side.
I open the door again, chuckling. “What is going on with you?”
“Yes, sorry. It’s been a crazy, exciting, wonderful day.”
“That’s a lot of descriptive words for six in the morning.”
