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“Because you’re in Europe.”
“Ugh.”
“How long did it take you to clean up Lou’s mess?” Grace asked, hands on her hips.
Anton waved his hand and turned over onto his side. “I don’t want to talk about it. I thought it would never end.” He rubbed his eyes and fixed a bleary gaze on Lou. “How did you manage to make the mess you did? You’re so small. I swear to god, the things I found stuck to the ceiling were indescribable.”
Lou rolled her eyes and began to unpack the coffee and bagels she had picked up that morning.
“You’re being dramatic,” she told him, handing a container of fruit to Grace when the other woman went to snag a bagel.
“But carbs…” Grace whined.
“You need antioxidants.” Lou thrust the fruit into Grace’s hands.
“She’s right,” Anton muttered, pushing himself away from the table and almost tripping over the mop as he went. “Eat the fruit.”
“But I had fever dreams of warm carbs. That’s what I want.”
“I don’t have it in me to clean the labs again, which means you are getting rest and vitamins and water and sunlight. You’re like a very sexy houseplant that we need to keep alive.” He pushed her down into a chair. “Now eat the damn fruit.”
“He’s right.” Lou joined her with a little smile. “We need our Gracie in tip-top health, and besides, I kind of scared myself yesterday with how deep I got with everything.”
Grace speared a bit of melon with her fork and groaned. “Please tell me you didn’t try to mind meld with anything otherworldly.”
Lou laughed. “I didn’t.” She paused and then blinked. “I mean, I don’t think-wait a second…”
“I’m going to pretend that you didn’t just look unsure about that,” Grace said as she sipped another mouthful of watery tea. She sniffed the air with a barely restrained moan of frustration. It wasn’t right. She hadn’t risen like Lazarus only to be force-fed fruit and tea when the smell of coffee and carbs was heavy in the air.
“You’re bullies, the both of you,” she accused, jabbing a grape so hard it split in two.
Anton came to stand beside her with a yawn. “Oh yes, because we want to take care of you, the horror of it all,” he deadpanned before dropping a kiss on her head. “Eat your fruit and stuff it, sweetheart.”
Grace flushed at the casual touch and endearment. “Thank you,” she said, catching his hand when he moved to step away. “For everything, for just, you know. You didn’t have to put the labs back together again for me.”
“No problem.” He winked at her and then surprised her when he moved close, fingers warm on her as he raised her hand to his lips. “No problem at all for you.” His breath was warm on her skin and a second later he brushed his lips against her knuckles, once, twice, and then finally a third time.
“Oh, her lady bits like that,” Lou crowed as she handed out coffees to the physicists who had begun a wary shuffle into the labs.
Grace’s eyes squeezed shut in exasperation. “Shut your adorable face, Lou.”
“Well, I can tell, you know.”
Grace’s cheeks flushed bright red at Lou’s peanut gallery comments. While Anton laughed, he hadn’t let go of her hand. His breath came out warm and soft over her skin, making her fingertips itch with anticipation over what it might feel like to have her hands on his body without so many clothes involved.
“Lady bits,” Lou sang as she breezed by with a coffee in each hand.
“I’m going to murder her,” Grace said.
Anton’s eyes dropped from her hand to her mouth. “I, for one, am interested in the accuracy of the information she’s proclaiming.”
“Oh.”
He nodded at her, dark eyes moving in a slow lazy path down her neck and chest. “Oh,” he agreed, reaching out to rest a hand against her hip. “Now, I seem to remember talk of a slumber party when you were feeling better.”
She licked her lips, leaning into his touch with a sigh. “That’s right.”
“Tonight?” he asked, lifting a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. His fingers skimmed down along the curve of her jaw. “After I get a nap, but tonight?”
