Carli watched as his chest rose and fell, and his eyes fluttered open. As he stretched, his arm bumped into her and he stilled, then turned his head. Those gorgeous deep brown eyes stared at her, and his lips turned up.
“Morning,” he mouthed. What did his voice sound like first thing? Not that she knew what it sounded like normally, only the CI version. In her mind, it was gravelly and rough from sleep and desire. Maybe she read too many romance novels.
“Hi.” Yeah, brilliant start to the day.
He lifted his head and squinted behind her at the clock. “You’re awake early.”
“Strange bed.”
“But I’m not a stranger.”
He certainly wasn’t now. And he was being so good about carefully pronouncing his words without over-exaggerating them.
“It was chilly, so I put another few logs on the fire.”
His gaze flickered toward the fireplace, then back to her. He ran his fingers down the side of her cheek. She loved it when he did this. Did he know how special it made her feel? How her stomach flipped around like a fish on shore?
“You should be rewarded.”
As he moved in, his eyes closed, but Carli wanted to see him, watch his face grow in passion as his lips showcased how talented they were. She didn’t want to miss if he said something. Often, she’d see him mouth a word or two when they kissed, usually some endearment or exclamation of pleasure.
“I’ll stoke the fire all day if that’s my reward.”
“You’ve certainly stoked my fire. How come you taste minty fresh already?”
“The benefits of getting up early. But the place was still too chilly and you were warm, so I jumped back in bed.”
“Excellent choice. Stay here while I run to the bathroom, too.”
The cold seeped in as Blake pushed back the covers. All he wore was a pair of boxer briefs, and she forced herself not to stare as he walked across the room. It didn’t work. Luckily, he returned in minutes and snuggled back under the covers, guiding her to rest her head on his shoulder. They stayed that way for a while, his hand roving up and down her back. Her eyes drifted closed with the relaxing touch.
When they opened again, Blake was propped on his side, playing with her hair.
“Did I fall asleep again?”
“You must have been tired. What were you doing all night instead of sleeping?”
Blood rushed to her cheeks. “Same thing you were, smartypants.”
He worked up a cocky grin as he glanced under the covers. “Nope. No pants on me.”
With a choked laugh, she pressed her face against his chest. Could this get any more awkward? His chest moved up and down, so she lifted her head.
“Did you say something? I don’t have my CIs in. Sorry.”
He shook his head. “No need to apologize. At least this way you won’t hear me snore.”
“Do you snore?”
“I used to. I don’t really know now. It’s been a while since I’ve had anyone sleep in the same room as me.”
Those words sent a thrill through her. “So your friend, Prissy, hasn’t been here?”
“Priscilla, no.” His face tightened, and his eyes lifted toward the ceiling. “No other woman has been here. This is all new furniture, too. My mother bought it for me when I graduated from medical school and got my first job.”
“She bought you a house full of gorgeous expensive furniture? Wow, I got taken out to a fancy restaurant. Not that I didn’t appreciate it, but new furniture would have been great. Mercedes and I scavenged what we have from a bunch of different places.”
“Feel free to use mine anytime you want.” He leaned over her and waggled his eyebrows. “Especially this bed. I’m all about sharing.”
