Page 56 of From Grumpy to Forever

The only thing better was waking up with her in my arms.

Something had shifted between us the night before, and it was so much more than sex. Although, that had been a very welcome development in our relationship. Very welcome indeed.

My arm was slung around her waist, her bare skin soft beneath my rough palm. When was the last time I’d felt this…settled? Hell, had I ever?

Without wanting to wake her, I moved my hand so I could stroke her soft skin. She stirred in my arms, but her eyes remained closed, giving me a few more minutes of holding her.

Would she feel the same way when she woke up? As if there was more to this—to us—than just an arrangement? And what if she didn’t?

I couldn’t think about it. It wasn’t an option. For better or worse, Avery was mine.

We’d shared vows.

Shitty vows, but vows nonetheless.

She shifted under my touch. A moment later, her eyes fluttered open. I waited while she woke fully, her eyes finally focusing on me.

“Morning.” Her voice was husky, still full of sleep.

“Good morning.”

I pressed my lips to hers gently and kissed her until she moaned against my mouth.

“Um.” Avery touched her finger to her lips. “It certainly is.”

Under the covers, her hands found my chest and slid lower down my body until she found the evidence of the arousal I’d woken up with. “Oh yes,” she said. “It certainly is a good morning, isn’t it?”

I sucked in a breath when she wrapped her hand around me and squeezed. As much as I’d love nothing more than to entertain exactly how good the morning could be, I’d already heard noises in the kitchen, and the reminder that Avery’s cousin was still in our inn.

Our inn.

“It is a very good morning, sweetheart.” My hand found hers, and reluctantly, I moved it. “And as much as I’d love for you to make it even better…”

“Jacob?” she groaned.

“Jacob,” I agreed. “I’ll admit, I forgot about him last night. Then again, I was distracted.”

In the very best way.

The trace of a smile crossed her lips, and I hoped she was remembering just how enjoyable our little distraction had been. After a moment, the smile faded and Avery rolled onto her back.

I shifted to my side and propped myself up on one elbow to watch her. Her eyes were closed, as if she could will her cousin away just by pretending he didn’t exist.

She was quiet for so long, that I wondered whether she’d fallen asleep again. But finally, she exhaled a big breath and her eyes opened again. “Okay,” she said. “I suppose he’s not just going to go away, is he?”

“I’m not sure we’re that lucky.” I reached for her and brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek.

She turned to me and gave me such a tender look, I wished in that moment I could take all the stress and worry away from her. I’d do anything to make this better for her.

Anything.

Including going to the stupid Sprout n’ Shout and showing off our relationship in front of the entire town if that’s what it took for Jacob to get the point—accept that we were not only together, we were married and he didn’t have a hope in hell in succeeding in his efforts to take the inn away from us.

Us.

It was getting too easy to forget that it wasn’t ours. The inn was Avery’s. Our marriage wasn’t real. When all this was over—no.

Not today. Not now.

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