13
Jake woke up feeling unusually warm all over. He opened his eyes to find Barnaby the dog curled up against his chest, tail alarmingly close to Jake’s face. He rolled to his back, registering another heavy form settled over his feet at about the same time he saw Megan sprawled across the bed on his other side.
A smile tugged at his lips. Nowtherewas a welcome sight first thing in the morning. He rolled to face her, running a hand through the chestnut strands of hair fanning across her pillow. His heart felt so full, it was almost uncomfortable. Mostly, he couldn’t be happier to have Megan in his bed. A big part of him felt like he’d found what he’d been missing for so long.
But a smaller part of him felt trapped beneath the weight of two dogs and one sleeping woman. He’d lived alone for so long, maybe that’s all he was suited for anymore. But no, that couldn’t be true. After all, how many nights had he lain awake, feeling so alone, so empty he thought he might implode from the crushing weight of it? This was just an adjustment period. And so, with a dog against his back, a dog on his feet, and a beautiful woman in front of him, he closed his eyes, willing himself to relax.
The next thing he was aware of was Megan’s soft laughter. Groggily, he blinked at her, realizing he must have fallen back to sleep.
“Sorry about them,” she whispered, pressing her lips against his. “They usually stay in their crates at night.”
“I guess they wanted to join the sleepover party,” he said, drawing her closer against him.
“Can’t really blame them,” she murmured as her naked body landed flush against his, discovering his morning wood.
“All the same, I don’t think I want them around for this part, do you?” He pressed his cock into the heat between her legs. It was only the second time in his whole life that he’d awakened with a woman in his bed, and he was still somewhat overwhelmed by the freedom to lose himself in her welcome body in these gentle morning moments instead of laying here alone as he’d done so many damn times, deciding whether to ignore his cock or attempt to relieve his loneliness with his own fist.
“Off the bed,” Megan announced, shooing the dogs toward their blanket by the door.
Chandler let out a bark of protest but did as he was told. Barnaby hopped down quietly. Once the bed was dog-free, Jake retrieved a condom. As he pushed inside her, he forgot everything but the overwhelming pleasure they shared. Sex was somehow softer and gentler in these moments, while their bodies were still sluggish from sleep, but the rush of pleasure he felt as he came inside her far surpassed the energizing power of coffee.
They showered together and shared bagels and coffee in the kitchen before Megan began gathering her things. “I need to get these guys back to the castle. I’ve got a portrait session booked at nine.”
“And I need to get down to the barn.” He drew her in for one last kiss. “Will I see you later?”
“Sure.” Her smile seemed charged with the energy of the sun. “Text me.”
“Will do. Good luck with your portrait session.”
“It’s a family who adopted a dog from us last month. I can’t wait to see them again.” She clipped leashes onto the dogs, slung her duffel bag over her shoulders, and headed for the door. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Later.” He stood there in the kitchen for several minutes, absorbing the stillness and quiet in her wake. No dogs barking or sniffing around his kitchen. No laughter or happy chatter over breakfast. His ears rang with the silence.
Unsure what to make of it, he headed down to the barn. After he’d finished Duchess’s training session, he spent some time with Dusty Star, discovering that she accepted a bridle and saddle readily. He took her for a walk around the property, thrilled to know she could be ridden.
By the time he made it back to the farmhouse, it was past one, and he was starved. He fixed himself a sandwich and guzzled a can of soda. His phone buzzed with an incoming text as he was cleaning up his lunch, and a thrill resonated inside him that it could be Megan. He couldn’t wait to see her again.
Beers tonight at Bar None?It was from his buddy Sean.
A different kind of thrill buzzed through his system, because his friends would probably want to hear about his new relationship with Megan, and he wasn’t sure he was ready to talk about it yet.
Tucker and Theo are already in, Sean texted.
Okay, Jake agreed, knowing it was probably easier to just get this over with. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad. Maybe he could use their advice. Maybe.
Restless, he wandered toward the castle under the guise of returning a book he’d borrowed from Theo’s library, halfway hoping he might bump into Megan. He wanted to tell her about Dusty’s progress, and hell, he just wanted to see her. Instead, he found Theo.
“Any good?” Theo asked, gesturing to the book Jake was putting back on the shelf.
“Not bad, but I figured out whodunit about halfway through.”
“Well, that’s no good,” Theo said, his lips quirking in a smile.
“To be fair, I have a habit of doing that.”
“Probably what makes you so good at writing them,” Theo commented, reaching to pick up a different book.
“Could be,” Jake agreed.
