Carefully rolling over so I could study her expressive face, I shook my head. “None of this is because of you, Eden. You’re not responsible for anyone else’s behavior, and if some asshole thinks he can get to you through me, we’re going to prove him wrong.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
I slid my hand along the sleek silver nightgown I’d refused to peel off her body before making love to her. “By the way, I fully approve of surprises like this.”
Just when I reached the bottom of the fabric, she said, “Your mom helped me pick it out.”
I froze. “What?”
“She came to the shop while I was sorting the shipment. She kind of…talked me through what’s been going on in my head since that night. And then she bought a red—”
I jerked my hand away from her hip to cover her mouth. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence, you little monster.”
It hadn’t even been two weeks since she asked for space, but the sound of her laughter was the sweetest thing I’d ever heard. Her whole body shook with the force of it as she burrowed into me, trying to muffle the giggles bursting from her lips. I let it wash over me even as I buried my face against her neck and tickled her with my beard.
This—this was what I’d missed. The unfettered joy of having her in my arms.
She fell asleep wearing the nightgown and nothing else, but it was rucked up to her waist, leaving one hip bare for my fingertips to explore. Only through sheer force of will was I able to wipe my mother’s involvement from my memory. I refused to think of anything but the way it shimmered as Eden’s body moved over and under me.
Those images filled my mind until I finally drifted off with her tucked against my body, and waking up to her in that same position was a slice of heaven I’d been afraid I might never get back.
“Is it morning?” she mumbled into my chest.
“Unfortunately, yes, but it’s Sunday, so you can stay right where you are.”
“I’m sorry it took me so long to come around, but I’m also not sorry the timing worked out this way. I love Sundays.”
I laughed into her hair. “My favorite day of the week.”
For a minute, she was quiet, then she asked, “Do you know whether the police have any leads?”
“No, though a guy at the cafe across the street got a partial license plate when the car paused out front. The police are still looking for witnesses, so we just need to sit tight. It wasn’t like it was midnight. People were out and about. Someone had to have seen something.”
“Okay,” Eden whispered.
“Tomorrow, you should come in and see what Carter did with the plywood. I think you’ll love it.”
“Okay.”
The word was stronger this time, more like her usual self. I rolled onto my side, keeping her leg draped over my hip, and kissed the tip of her nose.
“So, what should we do with our day? Stay in bed? Make some cookies? Go out for brunch?”
“Will Jiji murder me in my sleep tonight if we spend the day in bed?” she asked.
As if summoned by the question, a plaintive meow came from beyond the closed door and we both started laughing. Eden curled her body into mine like she was seeking shelter, so I tightened my arms around her until she glanced up at me, still giggling.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” she said, “but I’d be happy just lounging around today.”
“We’ll invite him in after breakfast.”
If it weren’t for Jiji, I probably would’ve kept Eden right there for as long as humanly possible. With the comforter tucked up around our shoulders, we were encased in a warm cocoon together, shielded from the reality of the world outside this bed. Eden shifted slightly, not to look up at me, but to nuzzle her face into my throat.
“I had an idea,” she said softly.
“Lay it on me.”
“I know there’s a certain ambiance in your shop, but what if Olivia ran her games out of one of the back rooms at mine? None of our meetings or events have been on Tuesdays, so I’ll just make sure we don’t schedule anything when she’s got a game night.”
