“But not anymore?” she asked, breathless.
“Don’t provoke me when you’re sore,” he said. But when he leaned over to pick a steaming mug off the nightstand, she caught a brief glimpse of tented mesh between his legs before he sat down at the foot of the bed. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?”
Jay accepted the drink, collapsing back against his bed. All the blood rushing back into her brain was making her heady. “I think . . . I already did.”
“Jay.” He laughed, his smile approving and a little wicked. “You bad girl.”
“Only with you.” She took a long sip of coffee. He’d made it perfectly, creamed with oat milk and only lightly sweetened. “I’m still impressed that you figured out the machine.”
“I just read the French instructions, Jay—or are we talking about your pussy?”
Jay made a face and kicked out at him. “I was talking about yourcoffee machine.”
“C'est ça. Je n'ai qu'une seule douce machine.” He caught her by the ankle and gave her foot a squeeze. Running his thumb over the arch, his eyes held hers, and Jay felt another dull throb between her legs.
“Did you just call me a douche machine in French?”
“You’ll never know.” His smile widened, dimples popping out on either side of his mouth. “What do you want to do when I get back from my run?”
“Um.” Flustered, she leaned over to set the mug on his nightstand, drawing her legs away. “Well, I was going to wash these sheets, but we could do something together afterwards.”
“Here? Or in town?”
“Whatever you want.”
A flicker went through his eyes, disappearing before she could identify it. “Think about it. But if you have some extra time on your hands—”
He paused, turning away.
“You could bring down my mother’s dress from the attic. I’d like to see it on you.”
“I think that’s bad luck.” Jay tried to keep her voice light so he wouldn’t hear the swell of emotion in it. “I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to be a surprise.”
“I make my own luck. And I’ll never get tired of seeing you in a pretty dress.”
Nicholas reached over and flicked her nose before rising to leave, making her wonder if she had imagined the shadow that had briefly darkened his features. “By the way, I fed the dog and the cat, so take your time getting up,” he tossed over his shoulder, before closing the door behind him.
Wow, okay.
Still buzzing pleasantly from her orgasm, Jay finished her coffee as she watched the shadows shift on the other side of the curtains from the mulberry tree outside. Light reflecting off his pool made ripples on the voile as the breeze stirred the fabric.He’d left the window open and she could smell roses. She sighed and stretched leisurely.
If this is what he meant by spoiling me, I could get used to this.
She finished the last drop and took the empty mug with her down to the kitchen, where she was immediately greeted by Maynard. “Hello, baby,” she said, leaning down to ruffle the dogs ears. The sound of claws skittering on hardwood followed her all the way to the sink, which was empty for once. He’d even taken the time to wipe the counters down.
Jay washed her mug and took a long shower, and then changed into loose jogging pants and an old off-the-shoulder top she’d brought back with her from San Francisco. After popping the sheets in the wash, she decided to call herself an Uber and pick up some pastries for Nicholas as a surprise. He didn’t eat before his runs and the thought of his eyes lighting up at some surprise sugary treats made her smile.
It was too early for the brunch rush and she was on main street within ten minutes, walking into a boutique bakery called 24 Karat Cakes.What a ridiculous name, Jay thought, as she walked in through the doors. Everything within those four pink walls was covered in rhinestones, and there was a custom neon sign on the wall that saidBYOC (bling your own cake).
“Hi there! Can I get you something? We have samples of our bake of the day.”
Jay glanced at the tray of purple frosted somethings and shook her head. “I’ll take some of the guava jam rolls, a maple bar, and one of those donuts if they’re vegan.”
“I’ll check for you,” the girl said agreeably before disappearing into the back.
Jay arranged her pick-up Uber as she waited. Another customer walked in just as she was slipping her phone back into her purse, talking into his phone. She recognized the voice and looked up sharply, just as Michael glanced over.
“They’re vegan,” the cashier said cheerfully. “Do you want one?”
