Find Me (The Found Duet #2)(50)
Author: Laurelin Paige

Then he was kissing my temple. “Good morning, sleeping beauty. Or should I say afternoon?”

My smile turned into a yawn as I rolled to nuzzle into him. “You’re here.”

“You thought I would sneak out?” He wrapped an arm around me, drawing me even closer.

“Mm,” I said, which was more of a response to the feel of his bare chest against my cheek than it was to his question. “I thought I might have dreamed you.”

“Nope.” He ran his fingers lazily up and down my back. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

I lay pressed against him like that, enjoying his warmth and musky scent while I wrestled off the last remaining remnants of sleep. If I had ever felt this relaxed and free in my life, I couldn’t remember it.

After a few minutes, I may not have been all the way awake, but my arousal was, and I found myself wondering if we had time for another round before I had to get up and shower. I shifted but couldn’t see the alarm clock behind me without moving out of his arms, and I wasn’t doing that.

Instead, I tilted my head up and kissed the underside of his jaw. “What time is it? Have you been awake long?”

“Almost four.” His throat vibrated as he spoke, tickling my chin with his scruff. “And no, not long.”

“Wow. It’s late.” I stretched, and my muscles complained, reminding me of all the ways we’d fucked before surrendering to sleep. Nope, definitely not a dream. “You’re probably all screwed up on your sleep now. Welcome to the life of a woman of the night. This is my normal wake up time.”

JC scooted down so we were face-to-face. “Then I’ll just have to make it my normal wake up time.” He pushed a piece of hair behind my ear. “I’m not officially back to work yet, but even once I am, I make my own hours.”

After the events of the night before and that morning, it was surprising that such a simple statement could make me giddy, but it did. He wanted to adjust his life to fit with mine. That felt huge. That felt like commitment. And, for once, commitment didn’t feel so scary. JC and I had only been back together one day, and already he’d knocked down most of my walls. So much for my go-slow plan. His method of jumping back in was a much better one.

“You’re glowing,” he said, a smirk on his lips. “I haven’t even had my way with you yet.”

“Must still be from this morning. But I think I feel it wearing off.” I blinked at him coyly.

“Do you have to go to the club tonight?” His subtext was clear—how much time do we have?

“No club. I always have dinner with Hudson and Laynie on Thursdays, though.” Maybe it was because we’d been so long apart, but I didn’t like the idea of leaving him for my weekly date with the Pierces. “Should I cancel? Or would you want to go with me? I’m supposed to be there at seven-thirty.” I hoped my subtext was clear too—we have plenty of time to fool around before then.

His eyes genuinely brightened at the invitation. “I’d love to meet your friends. Will they mind if I intrude?”

I shook my head. “Alayna has heard me talk about you so much, I’m sure she’s dying to finally meet you.”

“She’s heard about me, has she? What exactly has she heard?”

“Good things. Mostly. She was with me when I watched your wedding video.”

“Ah, fuck.” He fell onto his back, a hand covering his face.

I laughed. “No, she’s a fan. I promise.” She was also a fan of Chandler, but I didn’t mention that. Laynie would love whoever made me happiest, and my gut said that was definitely JC.

He moved his hand from his face to behind his head. “Okay. Then we’ll go. I’ll have to stop by the Ritz for a change of clothes first.”

“You’re not staying at the Four Seasons?” It felt strange to think of him staying anywhere other than the room that we’d spent almost the entirety of our affair.

“I couldn’t be there without you.” He swiveled his head toward me, his gaze bold and challenging, as if he thought I might have gotten cold feet again while we’d slept and that his statements of affection would cause me to withdraw.

The joke was on him because I hadn’t gotten cold feet. In fact, I was feeling particularly brazen myself. I propped my head up with my hand, eager to test my newfound courage with an idea that had suddenly popped into my head. “Hey. Where are you going to live?”

He rolled to his side, mirroring my position. “In New York. If you want me.”

A thrill shot through my body. “I want you.”