My parents loved Mark. He was their star employee and an honorary Judd son. If my mother thought we were seeing each other, she’d go ahead and book the venue for our wedding reception and put together a list of names for her future grandbabies.
I felt an ache at that. Mark would make a great husband and father.
Deliberately pushing those sorts of wistful thoughts away, I turned off the light on the bedside table and snuggled closer to his side. “So, Mom caught me sneaking in the other morning.”
Mark stiffened, his warm body going rigid at my words.
I hurried to add, “She doesn’t know about us.”
“You didn’t tell her?” His voice was cautious, quiet, as if he’d expected me to fold beneath my mother’s early-morning inquisition. Maybe I was reading more into his tone simply because the room was dark and I couldn’t see his facial expressions. Maybe I was hearing accusations where none existed. Maybe I was being too sensitive about all this secrecy because of my past. Chances were high it was all three.
“No, Mark,” I replied evenly. “I know you’re not ready for that. She only wanted to assure me that she didn’t care if I was...seeing someone. She knows I’m a grown woman, and she didn’t want me to feel like I needed to sneak in and out of my own apartment like a rebellious teenager.”
“I see.” His body relaxed on a long, slow exhale.
“So I thought I’d skip the alarm in the morning, go in a little late.”
He pressed a kiss to my temple. “It would be nice to wake up together.”
I breathed a little sigh of relief. Markdidwant me here. “Yeah.”
“And not have to shake your comatose body awake, because you could sleep through a tornado.”
I squawked in mock outrage and pinched his side. The skin was easily accessible since Mark was wearing boxer briefs and nothing else. “It’s not my fault I’m a heavy sleeper!”
He yelped out a laugh and twisted away from my grabby hands. “Honey, there’sbeing a heavy sleeper, and then there’s you. I check your breathing at least once a night.”
Seeking retribution, I pressed my ice-cold feet against his side.
“Holy shit.” He jerked, reaching for my toes to still me and then sandwiching his warm hands on either side of my bare feet. “Are you cold? Why didn’t you tell me? I can turn the heat up.”
His sweetness had me pushing my grinning lips against his shoulder. “I’m fine. My feet just stay cold.”
Mark rubbed my skin as if trying to transfer his body heat to me. “You’re sure?”
“Yep.”
Then he turned on his side to face me, taking my feet and tucking them securely between his muscular calves. Strong arms came around me next, calloused fingers drawing shapes I couldn’t identify on the skin of my back. I nuzzled my face against Mark’s chest, and the last thing I remembered was stubble on my forehead and soft lips telling me he’d keep me warm.
I woke up suddenly the following morning. The kind of disoriented emerging that happens when you lie down for an afternoon catnap and wake up four hours later. I could have been in another country for all I knew. But when my abrupt consciousness started to make sense, I took note of the fact that bright sunlight streamed through the curtains, filling every corner of Mark’s bedroom.
The man himself was seated beside me, fully dressed and freshly showered. He appeared to be holding back laughter, but I forgave him because he also held two cups of steaming coffee. The scent filled my lungs as I groggily pushed up onto one elbow.
Alas, our dreamy wake-up montage complete with slow, sleepy lovemaking in dim early-morning light had not come to pass.
“What time is it?”
“Almost ten,” Mark replied, passing me a mug and making sure I held it securely before releasing his grip on the handle.
“Shit,” I murmured.
He smiled. “I didn’t want you to sleep too late. I didn’t know what you had going on at work today.”
The first sip of caffeine had parts of my brain coming slowly online. “Why didn’t you get me up sooner, when you got up?”
Mark’s grin widened.
I groaned. “You tried and I didn’t budge?”
