Page 84 of Guarding Over You
“I’m not going to lie. I’m jumpy, but having you here last night, I was completely at peace.” She got on her tiptoes with her lips puckered again. “Give me another kiss and go shower and change. I’ll have breakfast and coffee ready for you. You drink coffee, right?”
“Yes. Black.”
He’d seen the eggs and bread on the counter, even a package of bacon and a few pans out. The thought of a nice filling breakfast was almost as tempting to make him rush, as it was to spend time with her.
He slipped out the front door; no reason to spook his neighbors crossing through the back this early in the morning.Not that he thought anyone might be up other than the mass of birds at the feeders in the front yard next to Arden’s.
After jogging the two units down, he pulled his phone out to unlock his front door and slipped in. He made his way up the stairs to his room, grabbed his clothes and turned the water on while he stripped.
He was back at Arden’s fifteen minutes later, scrubs on, lunch packed along with snacks that he’d grab throughout the day.
Not like he got to sit down for a big lunch, but a sandwich only took about five minutes. The rest were on the go also.
“That was fast,” she said when she opened the door and handed him a cup filled with coffee.
He was glad it was locked after him still, as he’d told her to do.
“I had this waiting for me. I would have been faster if I hadn’t made a lunch.”
“Where is it?”
“In my car along with everything else I need for the day. Smells good in here.”
Sweet and savory.
He took a drink of the hot liquid in his hand, his eyes shutting as the jolt of caffeine shot into his brain. Nice and strong, the way he liked it. Just like the woman in front of him.
Her vulnerability last night was understandable. But now, she was the woman in control once again. He liked that she could be both dependent on him but willing to stand up on her own at the same time.
Stand up for her and her daughter.
“The bacon just finished. Grab a plate and fill up.”
He looked at the dish of bacon, six slices of French toast and a bowl of cut-up fruit. “Geez, I’m not a teen anymore to put away that much.”
“I didn’t know. I wasn’t sure if you loaded up or not in the morning to help get through. It’s good leftover. So anything not eaten Gracie will.”
He put two pieces on his plate, spooned up fruit on top, along with three slices of bacon on the side, then dumped the syrup over the fruit and picked up his fork to dive in.
Arden was putting her plate together just like his, only less.
He bit in, closed his eyes again and chewed while the sweetness bounced off his tongue.
“What time is Gracie coming back? I really hate leaving you alone.”
“She should be here mid-morning. Probably close to ten. I’ll be fine. I mean it. It will give me time to do a thorough cleaning of the house. It needs it.”
“Not sure where you think it does.”
Her place was clean enough to him. Not even cluttered for someone who just moved in.
Even Gracie’s toys were neatly put somewhere out of sight. His house growing up was never like that.
“You’d be surprised where dust collects,” she said. “I’m not a neat freak. I hope you don’t think that. But I do clean my floors on the weekend, scrub the bathrooms down more than just daily wipe them. Things like that. It will occupy my mind.”
Not what he wanted to hear but understood also.
It wasn’t as if he could call in sick. Not for something like this.
