Page 64 of Where You Left Me

“Glad to hear it.”

“I need to go upstairs and get you some money, give me just a minute, will you?”

“Take your time.”

“Let me get Mia to cover the register.” She hurries off and I’m left to wander around.

I rummage through the sales racks that weave through the register line. The ones that are stuffed with unnecessary shit and yet you feel pressured into buying it.

“Are you here spying on me?”

I turn around, and when I do, the sight of her here, standing in Base Camp, with her dark hair hanging over her shoulders, sucks the very air from my lungs. It steals my words and my thoughts.

Clearing my throat, I try to find my voice. “I’d love to have the excuse to spy on you, to stare at you, to fucking admire you, and that infectious smile. But I’m only here on business today.”

“Bummer,” she says with a pout. “Because I’m sure I could kick Paloma out of the storage room.”

At the mere thought of dry-humping Mia, my dick twitches. “Well, isn’t someone just a damn tease.”

She snorts and now I’m full-blown hard from her laugh and ready to go. With an adorable shrug to her shoulder, she says, “What business?”

“Despite me telling her no, your mom wants to pay me for the peaches.”

She nods. “There’s no use in arguing with the woman, she’s stubborn. Take the money.”

“Her daughter sounds an awful lot like her,” I say, grinning, and grabbing at her waist.

Mrs. C. rushes toward us. “Okay, here you go. Thanks again for the peaches. I made four pies and still had plenty leftover to freeze.”

“You’re welcome.” I nod.

Ellis calls her and she hurries to assist. “Don’t be a stranger,” she calls.

Mia steps up close to me, so close I can feel her breath on my face. “What she said. I kinda like seeing you in here. I’m the one always going to your work.”

I lean into her and press a kiss to her temple, and whisper, “I’m not picky where I see you. Though we do get more privacy at my work. And it’s so convenient having my apartment right upstairs.”

She snorts a laugh, and the sound sets fire to my skin. I wish I could hear her laugh every day for the rest of my life.

We sleep late,curled into each other, my morning hard-on straining against Mia’s bare back. This skin-to-skin sleeping arrangement is fucking torture. It’s a rare day off for her and I don’t start work until tonight. After shutting down the bar last night, we crawled into my bed and crashed. It feels like a waste of our time together. One missed opportunity to fuck her.

But by the way her chest rises and falls rhythmically with each long breath, I’d say she needed the rest. We both did. And I’ll take any time spent with her that I can get. Even if we’re just sleeping.

Mia stirs in my embrace, but I don’t want to loosen my hold on her, not even if it is just so she can stretch. The thought of letting her go causes anxiety to stir in my gut. I don’t know how many more mornings we’ll get like this.

“Jones,” she whispers, her voice scratchy. “I gotta get up and pee.”

I pull her in closer, squeezing her body against me, and exhale. “Fine. But hurry back to bed. We’re gonna have a lazy morning.”

Pulling away from me, she scoots off the bed. “A lazy morning with you sounds perfect.” She shoots me a sleepy smile over her shoulder and some of my anxiety slips away.

I get a glimpse of her bare ass as she saunters away. Her cheeks play peek-a-boo with me before she slips out of the room. If I wasn’t already hard, that little bonus gift this morning would’ve done the trick.

When she comes back, she looks more awake. She’s pulled her hair up and her lips are already less puffy. Looking this damn beautiful first thing in the morning should be illegal.

She clutches back the covers and crawls in bed. One glance at me and I’m caught. “Seriously, Jones,” she barks out. “We just woke up and you’re hard already?”

I yank her down on top of me. “My cock is always hard when you’re around.”

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