Page 25 of Midnight Lessons

“If you say so. You want romantic and sensitive or smutty and dirty?”

“Uh, both?”

“Okay, check your phone in a few. I’ll send you a couple of links.”

“You’re not sending me porno vids, are you?” I ask suspiciously.

Mark laughs. “No. Links to a couple of books. Don’t panic, they’re only short books, but very educational. You can thank me later.”

“Educational. Right.”

We say goodbye and hang up. While waiting for Mark to send me the links, I fill the coffee maker with water and scoop in coffee from a brand I’ve never seen before but smells amazing. The rich scent fills the kitchen as it brews, a promise of comfort to come. I know Willow likes her coffee strong and slightly sweet, no milk.

My phone pings, and I open it to see Mark has texted me two links. Pulling up a chair, I click on the first one.How to Seduce Your Partner.It’smore of an instructional guide, and Mark’s right, it’s not a long book. I quickly scan it for tips before clicking on the second link. This one is an explicit erotica story, and ten minutes later, my cock is straining against my jeans, reading about the antics the two characters get up to. Fuck, I can’t wait to try all of it with Willow, although I’ll need to work on my flexibility.

I hear her stirring in the bedroom, followed by the shower running. Pocketing my phone, I rummage through her fridge. Eggs, bacon, and some leftover veggies; it’ll do for an omelet.

I crack eggs into a bowl, whisk them with a quiet vigor, and turn on the stove. The sizzle of bacon joins the chorus of morning sounds. I chop vegetables with practiced ease, focused on creating something worthy of the smile I hope to see on Willow’s face when she joins me.

I set the table with mismatched plates and mugs, each holding a story of flea market finds and impromptu shopping trips. It’s all so Willow, quirky, warm, inviting. As I spread butter over toast, I realize this is exactly where I want to be.Right here in Midnight Falls, making breakfast for the woman I love.

I glance toward the bedroom door, happy to see her walking out, her hair still wet from her shower.

“Good morning.” I greet.

She gives me a pleased smile as she wraps her arms around my waist. “Is that coffee I smell?”

I kiss the top of her head, inhaling her unique scent. “Yep. How are you feeling? Sore?”

“A little,” she mumbles, and I don’t need to see her face to know she’s blushing.

“Need some painkillers?”

She shakes her head. “No. The hot shower helped.”

“Hungry?”

Willow tips her head back to look at me. “Starving.”

I drop a kiss on her lips, which are swollen from last night. “Good. Sit, and I’llfeed you.”

Willow sits at the table, her right foot hooked on the chair beside her. I slide her omelet onto her plate from the pan and place her mug of coffee in front of her.

“Thanks, O. You’re spoiling me.” She looks at me, her green eyes sparkling with some undefined emotion. Could it be… love? I want it to be more than anything.

The want is so strong I turn away, not wanting to pressure her. I’m afraid of pushing things too fast.

“Did I hear you talking to someone?” Willow asks, taking a bite of her omelet.

“Mark. I wanted to check-in. See if he’d found anything about the online betting pool,” I reply, filling her in on our conversation.

“Wow. Someone is going to a lot of trouble to make my life miserable,” she says, looking a little hurt. “It’s not like I have any enemies in Midnight Falls. Or I thought I didn’t.”

“Whoever it is, we’ll find them and report them to the sheriff,”I promise.

Willow grins. “Well, the bet is null and void now. Probably some stupid stunt that got out of hand.”

“Yeah, but still inappropriate at best and fucking immoral and disgusting at worst.” I scowl as I sit opposite her with my omelet and coffee.

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