‘Aye. What can I help you with, Paradise?’
Cherry’s eyes flew open and shot to the location of the voice, where – what did you know? – there was her husband, leaning on the doorframe all scrubbed up in jeansand charcoal t-shirt. Oh, holy shit! He was meant to be on his way to London.
Sean ran his hand through his clean, shower-damp hair. Amusement teased her while he waited for an answer. But what could she say? Cherry had styled out a lot of embarrassing situations, and this was going to be difficult to troubleshoot.
Nothing would wash.
Nothing.
So, honestly, why bother?
‘Morning, Butler.’ She threw him a smile, still holding onto the pillow as if all she’d been doing was changing the pillowcase. ‘How goes it?’
‘Aye.’ Sean nodded, swimming into her flow and moving into the room. ‘It goes pretty great, thanks. Forgot my phone, but don’t let me disturb whatever it is you’re doing.’ Retrieving the handset from the top of the chest of drawers, where she should have seen it, Sean slid it into his pocket and stood facing her. ‘You missing your teddy bear?’
Cherry stifled amusement. ‘By teddy bear, do you mean an actual teddy bear or is the teddy bear in this instance you?’
He laughed that joyous laugh that she loved. ‘I’m not sure. I’d say it’s you who needs to clarify that to me, seeing as you’re the one inmybedroom cuddling my pillow.’
‘I’m not “cuddling” your pillow.’
‘No? My bad. What are you doing? Taking its pulse? Checking the thread count?’
‘Don’t be daft. I mean, “cuddling” is a bit much. I’d say I’m hugging it.’ Cherry held steadfast to the pillow as if shame was never an option.
‘Aah, okay, hugging. Fine. Listen, Jamie’s giving me a lift so I’ve got to go, but I have to ask before I head off… Are you okay?’ Sean tapped at his temple, sparkle in his eyes. He was humouring her.
‘Yes, of course. I’m absolutely fine.’ Cherry blew her fringe up and hopefully her cares away with it. ‘I’m going to get going in a minute.’ Extracting the pillow, she placed it back where it came from, raising her arms above her head before remembering her lack of underwear and stretching the t-shirt down her thighs. ‘So stiff today.’ She deflected a bit more with some twists.
Sean watched with the same subtle amusement as before, biting his bottom lip. Damn, he was a sight and a half for morning eyes.
‘Anyway, I’d best get on and get a shower,’ she announced as if he were the one delaying her.
He reached down. ‘Need a hand up, seeing as you’re a bit stiff?’
‘Thank you.’ She slipped her palms into his – large and calloused with strong, thick fingers that had explored the most intimate parts of her body – gaze darting to the corded muscle of forearms flexing under his tattoos as he hauled her towards him. She could smell him from here – so clean and fresh.
So fuckable.
As she rose, something flickered in Sean’s eyes before he raised that summer-rock-pool-gaze to meet hers. It dawned on Cherry immediately. No bra + white t-shirt + morning breeze + sexy-as-fuck-husband = tight little nipples poking through the fabric for sexy-as-fuck-husband to see. She’d been so worried about her pussy being on show she’d forgotten about the other stuff.
‘Oops.’ She didn’t move a muscle, in an ever-ludicrous attempt to style this asnothing out of the ordinary.
Sean smiled. ‘I’ve had worse oopses.’
‘Glad to get things off to a perky start for you.’
She could have sworn that, as he was about to leave the room, Sean stopped for a moment, deliberating over coming right back to her and slamming that gorgeous mouth into hers.
And if she was honest with herself, she was half hoping that he would.
But all he said was: ‘Aye, anyway, I’d better get going. Have a good few days without me. And behave yourself.’
Cherry sipped her coffee and regarded the jungle that was Sean’s garden. The grass was so long it was doubling back under its own weight; wild foxgloves danced unchallenged with stinging nettles and gangs of rebellious weeds. It was wild and rich and teeming with life.
And a complete state.
But it was a project that Cherry relished. Visions of how she could change it were already bubbling in her brain. About what could go where. And if she worked really hard, she could have it done by the time he got back from London.
