Page 43 of Then Came You

Sam was the first man she’d kissed since Owen, and it had been fine. No—fine wasn’t a strong enough word. Good—still not right. Wonderful—that was more like it. Instead of feeling guilty like she’d expected, all she could think about was wanting to do it again. Maybe even this morning, if he was still there.

She used the bathroom, washed her hands, and ran a comb through her hair. She recalled Sam running his hands over her hair last night and kissing the top of her head. He was so warm, big, and masculine, and she’d felt so safe nestled in his arms.

Well, mostly. When she’d nudged against his erection, she’d almost panicked. While she’d liked kissing him and having his arms around her, she hadn’t been ready for that! Like the true gentleman that he was, he hadn’t tried to go further. He’d seemed content to hold her like she’d asked, and she’d been so warm and cocooned that she must have fallen asleep in his arms.

She stepped out of the bathroom and listened for noises but didn’t hear any. Maybe he was still sleeping. She started to walk out of the bedroom without her robe but changed her mind and slipped it on. Her nipples were perky this morning even if she wasn’t, and there was no reason he needed to see them right away. Maybe later, though…

She opened the bedroom door and peered down the hall. A set of big brown eyes peered back at her, but they weren’t Sam’s.

Cocoa greeted her as she came into the kitchen, his tail wagging enthusiastically. She petted him while glancing around for Sam, but there was no sign of him. However, she’d been right about the coffee. He must have set it up to brew before he’d left last night, and now a warm pot awaited her.

When she went to pour herself a cup, she noticed her phone was lying face up near the coffee pot. The last she remembered, she’d had it in the living room when Sam had called to tell her he was there. He must have set it here for her.

She figured he might have left her a message, so she checked, and sure enough, he’d left her not one, but several text messages. Leaning against the kitchen counter, she opened the thread and began to read.

Call me when you get up.

Please.

I made you some coffee.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already drinking it.

Hope it’s not too strong.

Oh, that’s right. You take cream with yours.

Sorry for rambling. It’s late, and I’m tired.

Call me in the morning, or did I already write that?

Good night, Gillian.

She was smiling when she placed the call.

“Good morning,” he answered gruffly.

“Did I wake you?”

“No. Well, sort of, but that’s okay.”

“Thanks for the coffee and the nine text messages.”

“Nine? Did I really leave that many?”

She chuckled. “Yes, you really did.”

“I was kind of out of it when I sent them, but I wanted to make sure you were okay this morning.”

“I’m okay. Better than okay, actually.”

“Yeah?”

She heard a smile in his voice and wished she could see it in person. “Um-hmm. What time did you leave?”

“A little after four.”

“You could have stayed, you know.”