I rested my head on his chest and listened as his heartbeat slowed. He stroked my back.
"We didn't use a condom," Nate said eventually. "But I'm clean. It's been a while since I was with anyone."
"Me too, and it's okay; I'm protected." This was something we should have discussed before, but I'd been too caught up inthe moment to consider practicalities, and I was sure Nate had been too. "I can't believe we didn't think of that."
"Nor can I." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, Nate. I'm more than okay."
Closing my eyes, I felt the truth of those words deep inside me. For the first time in as long as I could remember, I was not only okay, I was at peace.
Chapter Ten
Nate
Somewhere around six, I gave up on sleep. I slipped out of bed and dressed quietly in the dim light of Juliet's room, trying not to wake her. As I buttoned my shirt, I stood by the bed for a moment, enjoying the sight of her sleeping.
With one hand tucked under her cheek and her hair spread across the pillow, she looked nothing like the woman who graced countless billboards and magazine pages. She appeared young, innocent, her natural beauty for once being given a chance to shine.
As I left the room, I pulled the door closed quietly and headed downstairs. Through the window at the end of the hallway the valley was just visible, the fog lying thick over the vines in the early morning light.
Eileen was already in the kitchen, standing at the stove when I entered. She turned when she heard me, took one look at my face, and smiled in a way that told me she knew exactly where I'd spent the night.
"Not a word, Eileen," I warned.
I didn't want her reading more into the situation than there was. One night together did not mean wedding bells would chime anytime soon. Although, for once, I found I wasn't horrified by the idea of spending my life with a woman. There was something special about Juliet that had me considering a future with her, even though it was early days.
She raised both hands in mock surrender and turned back to the stove. "There's coffee," she said.
I poured myself a cup and leaned against the counter. Juliet appeared ten minutes later in yoga pants and a white t-shirt, her hair loose around her shoulders. She looked at Eileen, then at me, then hoisted herself up onto the counter without a word.
Knowing she enjoyed a strong cup of coffee in the morning, I poured her one and handed it over.
She wrapped both hands around the mug and looked at Eileen. "Can I help with breakfast?"
"You can do the eggs," Eileen said, already taking them from the fridge.
Juliet slid off the counter and moved to the stove. "How do you want them?"
"Scrambled."
Juliet cracked four eggs into a bowl and reached for the milk. Eileen stopped her.
"Cream," she said firmly. "Always cream."
"How much?"
"A splash."
"That's not a measurement," Juliet pointed out.
"It is when you've been cooking for as long as I have."
Juliet caught my eye over Eileen's shoulder and smiled. The easy banter between her and my aunt pleased me. If Juliet was going to be in my life, I wanted her to get along with the woman who'd dedicated her life to making sure I didn't starve as a result of my culinary incompetence.
I finished my coffee, set the cup in the sink, and took myself to the doorway. The fog had already lifted. Out in the valley, Ramon was already moving between the vines, checking the state of things now the harvest was done.
Behind me, Juliet and Eileen argued without malice about the best way to cook eggs. I leaned against the doorframe and listened for a while before forcing myself upstairs to my office.
