Be ready at dawn
I awoke against a hot body (both in temperature and physique) and turned onto my side before looking at Link’s gorgeous profile. So many things replayed in my mind. The way it felt to be touched and loved by him and finally feeling safe enough to tell someone everything. He’d listened without judgment.
I peppered his face with kisses.
“This has never happened to me,” he mumbled. “Best…” His eyes dropped closed before he could finish his sentence.
I pressed my mouth against his and gently bit his bottom lip. One of his large hands pulled me on top of him and stroked along the length of my spine. “Time?”
Sleepy Link was too adorable for words. “Five thirty,” I said.
“That’s an entire thirty minutes earlier than my alarm,” he groaned.
“Yes, that was intentional,” I whispered before pushing my body against his.
“Oh.” His eyes shot open. “Am awake. Wide. Awake. But we’re doing it my way.” He flipped me over and climbed on top of me. His lips fell onto my neck, and every thought I had disappeared, replaced by how soft his mouth was. My hands found his curls, and I raked my fingers across his scalp. He groaned, dropping his mouth from mine, before dragging his tongue down my chest and lower still. I arched my back as he did all the things I’d hoped for.
I was right about one thing: Lincoln Carden was the most capable man to have ever existed.
And he’d have proven that again if someone didn’t knock at the door.
He pushed himself up onto his elbows and glanced at me, his eyebrows low and close. “I might kill the person at the door.”
I chuckled and rolled out of bed behind him. I pulled on his sweatshirt while he opened the front door.
I made my way into the kitchen and prepared a fresh pot of coffee. “Who is it?”
He spun around with a huge grin on his face and a box in his hands. “For you.”
“A birthday present?” I squeaked. I hadn’t received a gift from anyone except my grandmother in ages.
His grin turned lopsided. “The timing is lucky. I got them for you a while ago. They’re late.”
I tore open the package, revealing two white shoeboxes. Lincoln grabbed the larger one. I took the other, confused. “A boot?” I looked at the picture of the black ankle boot on the top of the box. “It’s cute, and a bit random.”
Lincoln pointed at the very important hyphenated word I seemed to have overlooked. “It’s steel-toed, Lily.”
Lily. My nickname. Our nickname.
“My attention to detail is something you can add to your weaknesses list along with the dishes,” I squealed while taking them out and slipping them on.
“Without socks?” Lincoln shuddered. He ran off to the bedroom and returned with a pair of his socks. He kneeled before me and took my foot in his hands. He slipped the sock on and kissed my ankle before sliding the boot on. He did the same with the other foot. The socks went all the way up to my knees.
I hopped up and danced around, appreciating how perfectly the shoes fit. “I didn’t even know they made cute site boots. I’m ready to be the best site engineer ever, even though I have to leave in a few hours.”
He groaned. “I don’t want you to leave.”
“I know. I don’t want to leave without you.” I wanted to throwmyself on the ground and kick and scream every time I thought about leaving Lincoln here and facing the final test on my own.
“We should probably get a move on. I’d like to show you some stuff on-site before your test tomorrow.” He kissed my forehead. “And don’t worry about it. You’re going to do great. Just believe in yourself.”
Once we were on-site, we surveyed everything together, and I had to use all of my willpower not to touch him. When I nearly did, he withdrew, and my soul flinched at his hesitance before remembering why. We couldn’t do this in public. Not yet.
“I guess I can’t let them know I’m dating the boss,” I whispered once we were alone in the site office.
“We’redating?” he replied as we crouched over a drawing.
I bit my bottom lip. “Aren’t we? Last night you said you wanted to marry me.”
