His expression shifts from concern to understanding, and then something that looks a lot like pain. “Hey, no. I didn’t leave.” Hesits on the edge of the bed and pulls me into his lap, wrapping his arms around me. I bury my face in his neck, breathing him in and feeling stupid and relieved and overwhelmed all at once.
“I’m sorry,” he murmurs into my hair. “I should have left a note. I just wanted to surprise you. I thought I’d be back before you woke up.”
I nod against his shoulder.
“Darlin’, look at me.”
I pull back reluctantly, and he cups my face, his thumbs swiping away my tears.
“I went to get us breakfast,” he says firmly. “That’s it. I wasn’t leaving. I’mnotleaving.” He leans his forehead against mine. “I should have woken you up, but you looked so peaceful, and I thought that bringing you breakfast in bed would be romantic or some shit.”
A laugh bubbles up through my tears. “Itisromantic.”
“Yeah?” His mouth quirks up. “Even though I made you cry?”
“I’m a mess,” I admit. “Last night was…” I take a shaky breath. “I’ve never felt like that before. With anyone. And waking up alone, I just assumed you…didn’t feel the same.”
Luke’s voice is low and deadly serious when he says, “I know you have no reason to believe me, but when I say I’m not going anywhere, I fucking mean it, baby.”
I search his face, seeing nothing but sincerity. “I believe you.”
And I do. Or at least, I want to. Which is close enough for now.
He kisses me softly. “Good. Now, can I interest you in some breakfast or coffee?”
I smile. He really brought me breakfast in bed. No one’s ever done that for me before. And having it come from Luke, the supposed anti-romantic who hates Valentine’s Day, makes it all the more romantic in itself.
I kiss him again, pouring everything I’m feeling into it. Relief, gratitude, desire. My fingers thread through his post-sex hair,tugging gently, and he groans into my mouth. His rough hands slide up my back, one settling between my shoulder blades, the other cupping the back of my neck as he deepens the kiss. His tongue sweeps against mine, slow and thorough, like he has all the time in the world and he’s going to use it learning every way to make me melt.
When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing harder, foreheads pressed together.
“Coffee first,” he says, though his hands are sliding around to cup my bare ass. “Before it gets cold.”
“It’s probably already cold.”
“Then we definitely need to drink it now.” But he’s not moving, and neither am I.
It takes me a moment to regroup and pull away, climbing off his lap and grabbing my robe from the back of the door. Luke’s heavy, heated gaze trailing my every move. “Okay. Coffee, then breakfast, then—”
“Then I’m taking you back to bed,” he finishes, standing and stalking toward me. His eyes dark with promise.
Heat floods through me. “Deal.”
We relocate to my small kitchen, and I watch as Luke unpacks the bag. Two enormous cinnamon rolls, a chocolate croissant, a bear claw, and breakfast sandwiches.
“I got a bit of everything they had that was to-go.” He hands me one of the coffees, suddenly appearing a bit sheepish. “I realized on my way there I didn’t know your, uh, favorites yet.”
Yet?I simply stare at this hunk of a man who is even sweeter than I could have ever imagined. He’s dang near perfect.
“What?” he asks, sounding a tad self-conscious.
I set the coffee down and slide my arms around his waist, peering up at him with a soft smile. “Thank you for coming back. For breakfast, last night… For everything.”
His arms come around me, solid and warm. I melt into him. “You don’t have to thank me for any of that.”
We sit at the breakfast bar, chatting as the sun comes up. It’s comfortable in a way that shouldn’t be possible after only one night together. Luke tells me about his day yesterday repairing the back-up generator for the oceanside resort—the largest tourist attraction on the peninsula. I tell him about my day at the bakery and Danny’s party before he arrived.
“He’s going to be insufferable today, you know,” I say, biting into the bear claw. It’s perfect, flaky and sweet and still a tad warm. “About us.”
