‘But don’t you have a meeting with my mom at the Crystalline?’
Hayley’s eyes sprung open then. ‘What time is it?’ She sat up, looking for the bedside clock.
‘It’s a little before eight.’
Hayley threw off the duvet. ‘I have to get up. I have to go. Dean has work and I need to get Angel and I wanted to call the woman about the flowers and—’ She made to spring from the bed but he held her down.
‘I hear Dean has a very understanding boss.’
‘Who now knows the name of every member of staff thanks to flash cards.’
‘It’s all about the team.’
‘I know. And that’s why I have to get up.’
‘Stop,’ he ordered, moving over her. ‘Take a breath.’
‘I don’t have time to take a breath. If I waste time taking a breath, there won’t be time for coffee.’ She batted her eyelids. ‘Make me coffee?’
‘When you’ve said a proper good morning.’
He looked down at her, waiting for the flicker of understanding to reach her expression. He held himself over her, pausing for her reaction.
‘I thought I spent quite a lot of time last night saying goodnight,’ she responded, grinning.
‘It was the best goodnight I’ve ever had.’
‘I don’t know if I have the energy for good morning too.’ She stretched her body upwards, leaning forward and clasping her arms around his neck, pulling him into her.
‘You could skip coffee,’ he suggested, kissing her lips.
‘Hydration is important,’ she said, dropping the lightest kiss on his mouth.
‘It’s minus five out there, not a thirty degree heat wave.’
‘I’ll be late for your mum.’
‘Blame me.’
He kissed her hard, pushing her back against the sheets until she gave in, matching his passion with her own, her hands reaching over his shoulders, her fingers tracing the contours of his back.
She pulled away and looked at him with suspicion in her eyes. ‘What’s going on?’
‘What?’ he asked.
‘How come you have all this time on your hands? Don’t you need to be sorting out the Regis Software mess and dealing with the firing-the-traitor debacle and protecting the Globe like you have been the rest of the week?’
‘Not this morning.’ He swallowed.
‘You have the morning off?’
‘Not exactly.’ He sighed and shifted his weight from her, turning back to the other side of the bed. He was going to tell her. Of course he was going to tell her. He just knew as soon as he did, it would be the only thing she was focusing on.
‘Well? You have to tell me.’
He settled himself back on the pillows, dragging the duvet up his body a little self-consciously. He let out a sigh as the seriousness of what he was going to do today hit him hard. ‘I’m going to the hospital.’
The air thickened and the seconds seemed to pass by so slowly. Finally, she spoke.
