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Laughing, Alex runs a hand through his hair, and every muscle in my body stiffens. “Gorgeous, why would I do that when you’re looking at me the way you are?”
“Because, I… Please?” I beg, feeling like an idiot.
“Alright, fine. But only because you asked so nicely.” He smiles, walking back into his room and pulling a t-shirt from his dresser by the bed. I notice another tattoo on his left shoulder blade, but he’s too far away now to see what it is clearly.
Coming back in, he hands me a sweatshirt. “But only if you cover up, too.” His eyes bore into mine, and my head starts to spin a little. My hungover brain isn’t able to handle this all right now.
“Cover up?” Looking down, I realize my low-cut tank top is showing some cleavage, but I’m not practically naked like he is.
“Gorgeous, you have no idea what’s going through my mind right now. So, yeah, cover up.”
“Fine.” Taking the sweatshirt from his hands, I pull it over my head and stick my arms through it. It’s big, but warm, and mmm, it smells like him. “Better?” I ask, holding my arms out. I’m practically swimming in it.
“Yes.” He smiles, throwing his t-shirt on now that I’m ‘covered’. Damn it, I miss his chest already.
Grabbing two mugs from the cabinet above him, he pours us both coffee, and slides one towards me. “There’s milk in the fridge, and sugar is on top.”
“I’m good with it black.”
Nodding, he leaves the kitchen and walks towards the door, but turns around with his hand on the handle. “You coming?”
Uh, okay?
Following him, we go outside and sit on the deck, our feet dangling over the edge. The chilly early morning air makes me shiver, and I’m glad Alex gave me his sweatshirt.
Leaning forward on the wooden railing, I breathe in the steam of my coffee and take a sip – the hot, strong liquid waking my tired brain. He makes really good coffee.
The back of the bar looks a lot less creepy in the morning light than I remember from last night. A large gravel parking lot is surrounded by grass, and then lined by a forest of tall pine trees. To the right, the rising sun peeks through the trees, and I rest my chin on my arm, watching the hazy rays beam through the branches towards us.
“Thank you for letting me sleep here last night. I can’t believe they left me.”
“No problem, gorgeous.”
“Why were you in bed with me? Shirtless?” I ask after a beat, still facing the sun.
“I started out on the couch, but I’m too tall for it. And that’s how I always sleep. You didn’t seem to mind, though.”
Turning to look at him, he’s wearing a soft smile as he sips his coffee. Does he know that I was curled up against him like a koala on a tree branch? Shit, did I do it right when he got in bed? How long were we sleeping together like that?
Because truthfully, I haven’t slept that well in a long time. And it wasn’t just because I was drunk and passed out. I’ve done that to go to sleep before, and I still tossed and turned.
But sleeping next to Alex had me blissfully asleep, without interruption.
“I didn’t mind,” I admit softly, looking away before I can see his reaction.
“What’re you doing here, Mel?”
“What do you mean?”
“In Maine. Pine Cove. Why did you move here?”
I take a sip of coffee and let the caffeine pulse through my veins before tackling that question. Why am I here?
“For a lot of reasons,” I start, taking a deep breath. “I became a nurse because I love helping people. I love the feeling of being a bright spot in someone’s day when all they may be hearing is bad news. I like making a difference.
“But lately–and by lately, I mean the past couple of years–I’ve been running myself into the ground. The hospital I worked at was so big and busy that I barely had the chance to learn my patient’s names. I was always exhausted, and living off of coffee to stay sane. I was just…not good.” I take another deep breath. “And the only time I ever felt at ease was when I was here. Last summer, and last month.”
He’s quiet for a minute, but then asks, “How do you feel now that you’re here?”
