Page 79 of Midnight Secrets

The coffee mug wavered in my hand.

He noticed. After setting his down, he removed it from my fingers and placed it next to his on the table. Giving Pebbles a nudge, he shooed her off the couch, then shifted me, pulling me onto his lap. Those delightful lips continued to tease the sensitive skin by my ear.

I clutched silky strands of dark hair between my fingers and let my head fall back, giving him better access.

The belt around my waist loosened. Cooler air slipped inside my robe. I wasn’t naked, but I didn’t sleep in much, even in the colder months. I had a mountain of blankets on my bed, so I preferred to sleep in a tank top or t-shirt and shorts or thin pants. Last night, I’d been warm thanks to memories of Ozzie, so I put on a tank top and shorts.

Ozzie hummed against my skin. “What will I find?” The sides of my robe parted, then his hand wrapped over my hip beneath the warm fabric. “Hmm… feels like satin. Shame. I was hoping for nothing.”

“It comes off quick,” I muttered, my voice airy.

I felt him smile against my neck. “Good.” With a slow but deliberate pace, he worked his way along my jaw until his mouth covered mine, stealing my breath.

Distant bells reached my ears.

Ozzie growled, but not in a good way.

He pulled back. “I’m going to throw that thing into the ocean.”

My eyelids fluttered open. What? What was he talking about?

Half a second later, I realized the bells weren’t bells, but my ringtone. For Mina.

I groaned. “It’s Mina. She probably heard about the fire.” I pushed him back and swung my legs off his lap. I needed to answer her. She’d never stop calling if I didn’t and would in fact show up here if I failed to answer.

Fumbling with my robe, I got the pocket around and shoved my hand inside. With a quick swipe of my finger, I answered it just before it rolled to voicemail. “Mina?”

“Claire! Girl, what happened? All people can talk about this morning is the fire. Are you okay? Is Savannah? I heard she was there. No one can tell me how badly she’s hurt, though. I’ve gotten everything from not a scratch to she got hit with a beam and is in a coma and paralyzed.”

Shock rounded my eyes. People had vivid imaginations. “She’s fine, as far as I know. Some smoke inhalation.” I glanced at Ozzie, hoping he could confirm my words. He still frowned but nodded once. A little of the worry I’d been holding eased.

“I planned to call her in a little while,” I continued. “Once it was a more decent hour.”

“Sorry.” Mina’s wince came through in her tone. “I was worried, and this is the first moment I’ve had to call since we opened.”

A soft smile lit my face. “It’s okay. I was awake, actually.”

“Are you dressed?”

“Not yet. Why?”

“Because you need to get your butt down here so we can have this conversation in person. I want to know everything, but I just had another wave of customers walk in. Put some clothes on and get over here. I’ll caffeinate you.” She hung up before I could say yes or no.

Offering Ozzie a small smile, I lowered the phone. “Did you hear that?”

He nodded. A wicked smirk hovered on his full lips. He plucked the phone from my fingers and dropped it onto the floor at our feet. “To get dressed you have to getundressedfirst, right?”

An answering smile slipped over my face. I leaned into him, threading my fingers into his hair. “Why, yes. I suppose that’s right.”

“Well, then, I guess it’s a good thing her coffee is made on demand. It won’t get cold while she waits.”

Any reply I planned to make died in my throat as his mouth covered mine once again.

CHAPTER 28

Ozzie

The desk chair whined, creaking in protest as I leaned back and stretched. My neck and shoulders were stiff after being hunched over the computer screen for the last couple of hours.

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