The warmth of her body snuggled against mine and the exhaustion from our activities see me quickly falling into a blissful, uninterrupted sleep.
* * *
The next morning, I wake up feeling fresh. This is the first time I’ve woken without a hangover in nearly three years. My nostrils flare when they detect Jenni’s floral perfume lingering in the air. Our rigorous activities infused her scent deep within my skin.
Smirking like a cat staring at an empty fish bowl, I stretch out my arm, eager to mix more of her scent with mine. My eyes snap open when my hunt comes up empty. Excluding me, my bed is void of a living thing.
I scan my room, seeking any evidence Jenni is still here. Her purse, shoes, and dress have been collected from my floor, and her phone is no longer on my bedside table.
A smile etches onto my mouth when reality dawns:this player just got played.
After yanking my cell phone off my bedside table, I send Jenni a text.
Me:Great ditch and run. You must have been taught by a pro?
My laugh echoes around my room when she replies:
Jenni:Only the best. . .
Still smiling, I jump out of bed and throw on a pair of boxer shorts. When I walk into the kitchen, I spot my dad standing near the coffee pot, waiting for it to finish its latest brew.
“Morning.” My voice relays my excitement. Last night was soout of this fucking worldgood, my mood can’t help but reflect my happiness. I grab an empty mug and place it next to my dad’s. His gaze lifts from the coffee pot to me. After screwing up his nose, he returns his focus to the brown goop dribbling out of the machine.
“What’s wrong with you?”
He watches me put two slices of bread into the toaster before grumbling, “I thought I taught my boys better than that.”
“Better than what?”
I spin around to face him head on. He doesn’t speak, but he doesn’t need to. His lowered lids reveal everything.
“Please don’t tell me you thought I was saving myself for marriage?” I ask with a laugh. “That ship sailed a long time ago.”
My chuckles are cut in half when my dad snaps, “Don’t get smart with me, Nicholas.”
Oh shit.He only calls me Nicholas when I’m in trouble.
While I rack my brain about what I could have done, Dad fills our mugs with coffee. After adding sugar and milk to mine, he hands my mug to me. I nearly drop it when he mumbles, “Next time, be man enough to drive the girl you kept up half the night home.” After a final snarl, he leaves the kitchen.
I stare at the doorway for several long minutes, utterly baffled. It's only once a hefty dose of caffeine hits my senses does the fog in my mind lift. I brought Jenni here in my truck, meaning she didn’t have access to her car.
Fuck.
A taxi to Erkinsvale must have cost her a small fortune.
Lucky I made the expense worthwhile.
* * *
I’m halfway through breakfast when my eyes catch sight of the time on the kitchen clock. Without a second thought, I guzzle down my recently refilled coffee. It scorches my throat, but I’ve got places to visit and people to see. I don’t have time to dawdle.
I hadn’t planned on going to Emily and Noah’s gathering today, but after the events of last night, nothing could keep me away.
* * *
When I pull into Jacob’s driveway, I spot Jenni’s BMW parked next to Slater’s motorbike. I slot my truck behind her car, ensuring she can’t leave before me. The first thing my gaze zooms in on when I enter the sprawling backyard is Jenni. Her back is facing me as she talks to Emily. Noah and Slater are manning the open-fire BBQ, and Jacob is chatting to Marcus near an unlit fire pit.
I barely take two feet toward Jenni when Slater detects my approach. Smirking like the smug fuck he is, he quickly spans the distance between Jenni and himself.
