“I got up and got ready for work,” she retorted, without looking up from the device in her hand. With effort, I reined in the urge to walk up to her and tip her chin up for a kiss and focused on getting caffeinated instead. If she was being cool about the fact that I’d come on her tits the night before, then I didn’t need to make it a thing. I also was very aware that pushing her right now would be a mistake. She’d been so hot and responsive last night, but I knew she was skittish. She didn’t want anything to jeopardize her job and me getting all possessive was going to scare her off. And if there was something I understood well, it was boundaries. The only way she’d keep the door open for more of what we did last night was if I kept my head and didn’t get too demanding. We wanted each other, that was clear. We were fucking explosive in bed, and I wanted a repeat of last night. But I had to take it slow. Ease her into giving me everything. That was what I wanted, all of her.

I thought she’d fight me on sleeping in the same bed, but she’d been surprisingly pliable. I’d woken up a few times through the night and still had her clutched tight to me.

Which was why I hadn’t expected to find her side empty when I woke up. Without asking I started making her coffee and moved around the kitchen as she read in silence. Once the coffee was done I went to the fridge and pulled out the creamer she liked, setting it on the counter by her, then slid her favorite mug in her direction.

“Thank you.” She tipped her head up and offered me a sweet smile that made my gut clench. “You didn’t have to do that,” she told me as I poured the dark liquid into her cup.

“Paying you back for all those 6:00 a.m. macchiatos,” I told her hoarsely, disoriented by the way taking care of her like this warmed me up inside. She went back to focusing on what she was reading while she sipped her coffee, and the ghost of that smile stayed on her lips the entire time. I suppressed a shudder as she desecrated perfectly good caffeine with such a massive amount of French vanilla half-and-half I almost retched. I was obsessed with the woman, but her taste in hot drinks was appalling.

“You got enough fake milk substance in there, Alba Divina?” The moment those brown eyes landed on me, my dick got hard.