39
A HIGHER POWER AT WORK
MORGAN
She was getting usedto this.
That was her first thought before full consciousness, before the recognition of where she was or the warmth of the man beside her or the pale morning light coming through the Victorian's curtains. Just the simple, slightly alarming awareness that waking up in Patrick Callaghan's bed was becoming a habit she could very easily get used to.
She lay still and waited for her mind to take over, listing all the reasons why this was a problem.
The thing was, it didn't feel like a problem. It felt… right. Like something that had always been going to happen, had finally happened. She'd heard those words last night across a candlelit table and filed them away for later reflection and analysis, not wanting to waste one precious moment of the fantastic dinner orthe beautiful view or—later—the overwhelming desire to finish off the evening in the arms of the man who’d told her she was hisone.
An objective analysis simply wasn’t possible when she lay, warm and boneless and thoroughly satisfied. So she pushed everything back into that file and closed the cabinet, opting instead to snuggle more deeply into his embrace.
That was either very good or absolutely terrifying. She hadn't yet decided which.
Possibly both.
When she openedher eyes again, Patrick’s side of the bed was empty, which was both disappointing and necessary. She was on leave, but he wasn’t. He had his moving company to oversee, and things he had to do to make the security and investigations company he’d told her about a reality—which, she thought, he was perfectly suited for and told him as much.
After taking care of some personal needs, she looked at her beautiful dress draped over the chair and wished she’d had the foresight to pack a change of clothes. Then her eyes snagged on the bed and the items that hadn’t been there when she’d gone into the bathroom.
She picked up the note.Thought these might come in handy -Riley
Morgan smiled and shook her head, pulling on the comfortable jeans and long sleeve cotton tee. Was this what it was like to have a best friend? Or… a sister?
She found Patrick in the kitchen in sweats and a thermal, coffee already made. He looked up when she came in, his eyes warming when he saw her.
She liked that look. A lot. It said,I’m thinking about what I did to you last night and I want to do it again.
“Coffee,” he said, already reaching for a mug.
“Thank you.” She accepted it, wrapped both hands around it, and leaned against the counter. The house was quiet. Morning light shone through the kitchen windows, which meant she’d slept later than she was used to.
Then again, she wasn’t used to having great sex for half the night, either. Her body ached in all the right places.
“Where is everyone?”
“Wade and Garrett left for work already. Declan works late and doesn't surface until closer to lunch time.” He set the coffee pot down. “Why?”
She looked at her mug. “Well, I was all psyched up for the walk of shame but…” She made a waving motion with her hand encompassing her outfit and the room in general.
Patrick laughed. “You sound disappointed.”
“I’m not,” she countered. “Just surprised.”
“Don’t be. They get it.”
“Get what, exactly?”
His answer was a devastating grin.
“I just don’t want it to be awkward.”
“It’s not. And it won’t be.” He leaned down to press a quick kiss to her lips before sitting down at the table. Was it wrong that she wanted to crawl onto his lap and demand more?
“You sound so certain.”