Page 54 of Forbidden Dreams
She snuggled into my side, her head resting on my shoulder, her palm flat on my chest. If this was the only time I'd get something like this, I would enjoy it. I'd never had the urge to cuddle a woman before, and now I didn't want to let her go.
In the morning, I turned over in bed, reaching for Aspen, but there was nothing but cool sheets. My eyes popped open. The bed was empty.
She'd left at some point. I knew she worked hard, but I had no idea what time she went to work in the morning. I rolled over. The alarm clock read seven.
That was late for me. Usually, I kept construction hours, being in my chair at work by this time. I couldn't feel bad about the night I just had. But I felt a little dismayed that she'd snuck out without waking me.
I wasn't nearly done with her. But how could we go on like this? I'd already fallen deeper last night. We shouldn't be alone together for long periods of time. It was making me feel things. Things I had no business feeling.
I couldn't believe she'd shown up on my doorstep, wanting me. It was outside the bounds of the relationship we'd established. Not that we'd talked about what we were doing, but I thought it was understood. Instead, she'd taken me by surprise.
Now I was all mixed up. I'd never felt much of anything for a woman I was seeing. It was nice to have company, and sure, the sex was good. But this thing with Aspen was so different from anything I'd ever experienced.
I was so screwed because I wasn't willing to put a stop to it. Not now. Not when I finally felt something for someone. Even the risk that came with it wasn't deterring me. I couldn't feel anything but happy about last night.
When was the last time I felt happy about something in my personal life?
My bedroom smelled like Aspen and sex, and I never wanted to wash the sheets. Feeling lighter, I went into the shower, remembering everything we'd done last night. I wouldn't be able to forget her. She'd imprinted on every part of my life.
After getting dressed, I cooked a quick batch of eggs and headed to work, hoping no one would notice that I wasn't at my post.
I walked in, saying hello to Shayla, then continued toward my office. I stopped when I saw Hudson sitting at my desk. "What are you doing here?"
He smirked. "I think the better question is, where were you?"
"At home," I said casually, dropping into the guest chair.
He raised a brow. "You're never late to work."
I shrugged. "I've been helping with demo at the inn."
He rested his elbows on the desk. "Is that all this is, or are you seeing someone?"
I laughed without any humor. "You know I work too much for that. Besides, I don't allow women to stay overnight."
He nodded. "I was just hoping you'd found someone like the rest of us. We'd all be in the same stage of life."
I'd worried about this. Everyone was starting their own families, and I was still single. Would that affect our relationship? It had never bothered me before. "Someone has to hold down the fort."
"Of course. The all-important business. But you know, if you need time, we'd support you."
I shook my head. "I don't need time away from work."
"Right. But if you do—" Hudson persisted.
I stood. "I appreciate the offer. Now get out of my chair."
He chuckled and stood, moving out of my way.
I sank into my seat. "Why are you here?"
He sat across from me. "I wanted to talk about the schedule for the bathrooms."
I powered on my laptop. "Let's get to it."
We talked about the timeline. It was tight but doable, especially if we added another crew and I kept a close eye on it. "Nothing is more important than this job. A lot of people go in and out of that ballroom every year, and they'll know that we did the renovation."
Hudson looked out the window. "Anything would have been an improvement. It was shockingly out of date compared to the venue."
