The sun is coming up. I watch as Austin pulls on his jeans. I can barely make out the hard lines of his muscled body in the darkness, but I stare just the same. He turns and catches me watching, so I snap my eyes away. Hearing Austin laugh at me, I pull my knees up to my chest protectively. I’m so exposed. He notices.

“I’ll be back tonight. Think you can survive the next twelve hours without me, Goose?”

“Oh, are you still here? I hadn’t noticed,” I deadpan, rolling away from him. The bed sinks down as he crawls over to me, laughing lightly. His touch tingles my neck as he brushes aside my hair before he places a kiss below my ear. It’s becoming his new favorite spot. I’m a fan too.

“Admit it, you’re gonna miss me,” he demands. He traces his hand along my side and grips my hip firmly.

“Parts of you,” I quip. He laughs out loud. The rich, deep, sexy sound makes my heart beat faster. I love Austin Jacobs’ laugh. And many, many other parts of him. How many individual parts of a person can you love before you just love them? Maybe I should start counting, just to be on the safe side.

Thing number one I love about Austin—his laugh.

“Smartass. Rest up, Goose. I’ve got a date with that pretty little pussy of yours in a few hours.” He couples his naughty words with a chaste kiss to my temple. The combination has me desperate for him to stay. The words are in my throat, ready to beg him to come back to bed, but I can’t make them come out. I don’t move. I don’t speak. I lie there and listen to the sound of Austin getting ready to leave.

I listen to him pull his shirt on.

Say something sexy.

I can’t. I listen to him open my bedroom door and step into the living room.

Say something clever.

I don’t. I listen to him put on his shoes and open the front door.

Say anything!

I’ve got absolutely nothing. I even hold my breath. Then he’s gone. I miss him already.

How weird is that?

I have a couple of hours before my first class at ten, but it’s impossible to get back to sleep. I roll around in bed, growing irritated and frustrated for no reason. My queen-sized bed is ridiculously huge with just me in it.