Page 62 of Fierce-Jax

The toast popped, he buttered it, put it on a plate, and slid it into the warming oven, then did the same with the eggs he’d been scrambling.

When he heard the water shut off above him, he started a cup of coffee for her.

He heard her feet come pounding down the stairs much louder than when she’d snuck up on him the first time, so he gathered breakfast and put it all on the island for her.

“Still here,” she said, smiling.

“You told me not to leave,” he said. “But I hadn’t planned on it anyway.”

“Good,” she said. “And I’m starving. Is this for me?”

She had the cup of coffee in her hand. “It is,” he said. “I assumed you used creamer but didn’t want to make it for you.”

He’d seen it in the fridge, but for all he knew, her mother used it.

“I do,” she said, walking over to get it and pouring some in. He’d make a note for next time.

Because he knew damn well there’d be a lot of times in the future.

How could there not be with the connection the two of them had?

He’d worried for absolutely nothing!

“I’ll get out of here once I clean up breakfast,” he said. “Not sure when you have to get Gianna. This wasn’t planned. Or was it?”

He was smirking at her over the rim of his coffee when he asked the last part.

“I was trying not to plan anything out,” she said. “I was hopeful. Let’s be honest, we were both burning the other up waiting for this. I had already anticipated I was going to have to make the move again.”

He closed one eye at her grin while she shoveled eggs into her mouth.

He reached over to wipe a piece off that she missed.

“You eat like Eli when you’re hungry,” he said. “Open mouth, push it in, not everything making it.”

She laughed. “I feel like I burned as many calories as a kid does last night. How about you?”

“Oh, I was ready to cry defeat if you asked me for a fourth time.”

She laughed. “I don’t know if I would have had another in me,” she said. “I would have tried, that is for sure. I’m all refreshed and energized now. Better watch out.”

He laughed. “I think I could handle it,” he said. “If there was time.”

“I’ll make the time,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

They’d been sitting at the island next to each other, but she had her chin in her hand, elbow bent, and was grinning at him.

“Are your parents bringing Gianna here?”

“No,” she said, going back to her food. “I have to pick her up when I’m ready. No rush. What about you? Do you have plans today? I know having you spend the night wasn’t planned, but it sounds as if you didn’t have the energy to leave even if you wanted to.”

“I didn’t want to,” he said. “But as you said, I’m not sure I could have done it.”

“It was wonderful, wasn’t it?” she asked quietly. “Or am I making more out of it? You can be honest and tell me that.”

He ran one finger down the side of her cheek, tucking her hair behind her ear. Her face was scrubbed clean. He never thought she wore much makeup but had to be something since she’d looked so fresh right now.

More stunning to him than when she was all dressed up going to work.

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