I wokeup refreshed and on a mission. Lazy handjobs in Jake’s bed were something else I could get used to.
I lay with my head on his shoulder again, catching my breath. We’d cleaned up with one of Jake’s T-shirts, but neither of us were ready to get up just yet.
“You headed into work with me today?”
He sighed, rubbing at his eyes for a second, and something pinged at the back of my mind. “Yeah, but I need to call my dad first. Check in with him.” Reaching for my hand, he sighed again. “Today’s always hard for him.”
“Shit.” I rolled onto my side to face him. “I forgot. I’m so sorry.”
“I don’t expect you to remember.” He smiled, even if it lacked its usual brightness. “And I’m not sad about it now, not like I used to be. I like to remember how full of life Mum was, not the anniversary of her death. But my dad…”
Even after all these years, I knew Jake’s dad still struggled.
“She would’ve been sixty this year.” His smile was genuine, his scent backing up his words because I only caught a faint wisp of sadness coming off him. “Anyway, I know he usually likes to spend today by himself, but I just want to remind him he’s got options if he decides he doesn’t want to do that this year.”
“Of course.” I got up and stretched, glancing over my shoulder to where Jake still lay down, phone in hand. “Make your call, I’ll be downstairs making breakfast.”
He smiled back at me. “Thank you.” Had that softness in his eyes always been there when he looked at me? I didn’t think so, but maybe I was only just noticing. Either way, I liked it.
I left him to his call and headed down to the kitchen, doing my best not to listen in. I caught the odd few words, but it got easier to block them out once I turned the radio on.
By the time Jake appeared, I had bacon, eggs, and toast plated up and ready to go. Two mugs of tea already on the table. “Everything all right?” I asked, leaning back against the worktop.
“Yeah.” He ran a hand over his short hair. “He was okay, better than I was expecting. He’s going to take some flowers to the cemetery this morning.”
“Did you want to join him?”
“No. He likes to go on his own, spend a few hours there talking to her. I might pop up later.” He seemed to shake off whatever sadness his phone call had dredged up, and his gaze landed on the food I’d prepared. “That looks good. I’m starving.”
“Sit down, then.” If he wanted to change the subject, I was more than happy to go along with it.
Jake sat as instructed, smiling up at me when I set the plate of food in front of him. “You know,” he said, reaching out to grab my hand as I stepped back. “I could get used to mornings like this.”
I laughed. “Orgasms and breakfast?”
“Yep. I hope it’s going to become a regular thing.”
“I’m sure we can come to some arrangement.” I sat opposite him. “Take turns.”
He gave an exaggerated eye-roll. “I suppose. If I have to.”
“It’s only fair.”
His smile was back to full strength, and I relaxed in my chair, feet tangling with his under the table, and that small bit of contact warmed me all the way through.
Yeah. I could get used to mornings like this, too.
I gota lift home with Gabriel and Dathal after work while Jake took the car to go visit his mum. When I’d woken up this morning, I’d had big plans for tonight. With ourtalkout of the way, I was hoping we could both get home from work early enough to finally spend some time together that didn’t involve sleeping.
Of course that was before I remembered what day it was.
A marathon sex session wasn’t what he needed today. Jake would probably disagree at first, but I knew him well enough to give him what he really needed. Comfort food and gentle affection that didn’t require him to do anything other than lie there and relax.
So that’s what I did.
When he walked through the door a few hours later, first thing I did was take off his coat and pull him into a hug. With my arms wrapped tight around him, I held him close as the tightness slowly left his shoulders and he sagged against me. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” He took a deep breath in, then let it out slow and steady, as if letting go of everything. “Mmm,” he mumbled into the side of my neck. “You smell good.” He showed no sign of moving anytime soon, and that was fine by me. I’d hold him up as long as he needed.
