I reluctantly peel myself away and tuck the blankets around her, but can’t resist giving her one more kiss. She laughs and gently pushes me away.
“If you want me to sleep, you need to get down to the couch.”
“I’m going, I’m going,” I say, desperately wishing I could stay.
Chapter 10
Diablo
I’mwokenbythesound of pots and pans which is odd, I usually can’t hear anything in my room at the clubhouse. I blink my eyes open; everything is so bright… definitely not my room. A vivid flashback creeps into my thoughts of last night in the shower with Elizabeth, and a smile crosses my face when I remember that I’m at Miguel’s house. Coming here was the best decision of my life, opening up to Elizabeth about my feelings means that we’re together, and it’s just going to be us, no one else. Falling asleep with her last night was everything I’d hoped it would be, and more, and I can’t wait to do it again.
According to my phone it’s still early, but judging by the sounds coming from the kitchen, everyone else is up. Hearing Elizabeth’s voice in the distance pulls my body upright, needing to see her and be in the same room as her as soon as possible. The clothes I left on the sofa bed next to me are missing so I search the floor to check I haven’t kicked them out accidentally. Realizing they’re nowhere to be found and not wanting to wander around Miguel’s house in just my boxers, I have to call for my mom like a little kid.
“Mamá, ¿dónde está mi ropa?”
“Ellos estan aqui,” she shouts from the kitchen, “los lavé.”
I sigh, of course she took them this morning and washed them. Footsteps approach from down the hall and I call out.
“You don’t need to wash my clothes for me.”
“Good to know.”
I look up at the sound of Elizabeth’s voice, she’s smiling at me and looking gorgeous, her hair left loose so it cascades around her shoulders. I get another delicious flashback of her naked in the shower while she washed it, shampoo suds sliding down her curves… Shit, I can’t be thinking about this right now.
“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, princess,” I say.
“Not such a bad sight yourself.” She doesn’t hide the fact that she’s checking me out, sitting in my boxers. “Here.” She hands me my clothes, freshly laundered and folded neatly.
I’m about to ask how she slept after I left, but more footsteps approach.
“Morning, D!” Donovan says as he bounces around the corner.
“Woah, little bro, you’re gonna need to dial this down a few notches, no one is supposed to have that much energy in the mornings.”
“What? How can you even say that to me?” he asks, “Beth, tell him that my energy levels are perfectly normal.”
She looks between us. “You know I’d never normally want to admit this, but I’m with Diablo on this one, you’re insufferable in the mornings.”
Donovan’s gaze flits between us, calculating.
“Nope, I don’t like this, you two agreeing on something, it’s unnatural.”
Elizabeth laughs. “What’s unnatural is you giving off Golden Retriever vibes before 10 a.m.”
“Yeah,” I say, “you’re like an excitable puppy.”
Elizabeth and I are both laughing while he looks at us in mock horror.
“I go away for two weeks and you’re already ganging up on me, so not cool.”
“Come on,” Elizabeth says, linking his arm. “I’m going to need more coffee; I’m out of practice dealing with ‘morning Donovan’.”
They head back to the kitchen leaving me to get dressed. The smell of waffles drifts through and my stomach lets out a happy growl. Man, I’ve missed my mom’s cooking. Everyone is seated around the breakfast bar, Miguel reading the paper, Mom flicking through a magazine, and Elizabeth and Donovan are fighting over the maple syrup for their waffles.
I go straight to my mom, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and kissing the top of her head.
“Morning, Mamá.”
