His eyes find mine—piercing blue, the kind of alarm clock any woman could get used to. The sight of him like this, unarmored and domestic, lands harder than I expect. He’s even more attractive like this.
“Morning,” he says, his voice is lower this early.
I never noticed it in the hotel. Then again, I guess he never really slept.
“Morning,” I reply.
He hands me a coffee he prepared in a travel mug. “I figured you would be rushed, so I made it to go. Half decaf, half regular. The caffeine should be okay.”
I smile, grateful, and take the mug, careful not to let my fingers brush his.
“You still like pistachio syrup?” he asks.
The corner of my mouth quirks. He remembered. “Don’t tell me you actually keep that stuff around?”
He shrugs, playful. “Of course, I do.”
He bought it for me.
He turns again and grabs a foil-wrapped packet from the counter, and my eyes drop—again—to that dangerous ass. I jerk them back to eye level when he spins.
“Breakfast bagel.” He lifts the packet.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“Preparation’s been drilled into me, I’m afraid.”
I take the sandwich from him, trying not to crumble completely under the weight of his thoughtfulness. “Consider me the grateful recipient of your training.”
He offers a crooked smile.
I smile back.
He doesn’t break eye contact.
Neither do I.
And somehow, despite keeping my gaze on his face, the bulge in his sweatpants stays firmly in my peripheral vision. I swear my brain and eyes are in a full-blown battle of wills.
“Well.” I tuck the sandwich into my tote and stare into its depths just to give myself somewhere else to look. “I should run.”
He takes two steps closer.
My eyes lose the fight, drifting to the tight plane of his stomach above that stupid gray waistband. I drag them back down into my bag and pretend to rustle around.
He steps right next to me now.
“Text if you need anything,” he says. “I’m working out of the offices here at the ranch today, so I won’t be far.”
I glance up but don’t let my gaze linger. “Sure. Thank you.”
I turn for the door, and only when he’s a safe distance behind me do I look back one last time. “Thanks again. See you later.”
I practically flee out the front door.
Anton and I will be connected for at least eighteen years. We need this to stay clean. Simple.
And pregnancy hormones or not, no woman stands a chance against a specimen like that before coffee. Still… this level of lust has to mostly be hormones. Right? I might need to slip into the perks section of Pages and Perks and get a little help until I’m more used to seeing him.
