Stirring, I opened my eyes. I wondered why I was asleep on top of the covers on my bed.
Sunlight was trying valiantly to peak around the blinds. I reached for the remote on the bedside table and hit the buttons.
At that moment, the faint scent of a thunderstorm caught my nose.
Lark.
I rolled over…
To discover the bed was empty. The handcuffs were dangling from the headboard.
Fuck.
I leaped up.
How long ago had she left? She’d told me that there was no way she could sleep, then she’d drifted off a few minutes later. How the fuck had she escaped without me realizing?
Because she’s good, Thorne.
Dammit. She’d be long gone by now.
I strode down the hall, the marble cool under my bare feet, urgency riding me. Then I smelled sizzling bacon. My steps slowed.
I stepped into the living area and spotted Lark in my kitchen. Her white shirt was a pop of color against the dark cabinets.
She spotted me. “Hey.”
“You’re…cooking breakfast.” I walked closer.
She expertly whipped a pan off the stove. The bacon was cooked to perfect crispiness. There were plates on the island filled with poached eggs and toast, as well.
“Since it’s ten o’clock in the morning, I think it’s brunch,” she said tartly. “And I can cook bacon. My repertoire isn’t huge, but I learned that if I wanted to eat well, I needed to know how to cook a few things.” She cocked her head. “You can’t cook?”
“I can order in.”
She made a humming sound and headed for the fridge.
The white shirt she was wearing was mine. She hadn’t put her jeans back on. The shirt hit her at mid-thigh, and the sleeves were rolled up. My gaze ran down her toned legs, stopping at her toenails, which were surprisingly painted a soft pink.
That shirt had been against my skin, and now it was against hers.
And now I was as hard as a rock.
Fuck.
I sat on one of the stools. “I figured you’d be long gone.”
She pushed a plate in front of me. Next, she turned to the coffee machine and poured two mugs. She set them down, then circled the island and sat beside me.
“I thought about it, but I slept really well. Even with one hand cuffed. You have an excellent mattress.” She pulled a face, then took a sip of her coffee. “You were right. I needed some rest. I have you to thank for that, even if you were extremely bossy about it.”
I picked up a piece of toast and bit into it. “I just wanted to take care of you.”
She glanced at me, like she was looking for a double meaning. “I’m guess I’m not very good at letting anyone do that.”
She’d get used to it. I’d see to that.
We ate. I discovered that she liked her coffee milky, with half ton of sugar in it.
