Page 33 of Faith
“Monty. What are you doing here?”Nina asked as she opened the bedroom door.
Monty looked her up and down, then looked past her into the bedroom. “Did you both sleep in there?”
Nina nodded. “After yesterday… I didn’t want to be alone.”
Monty stared at the disheveled bed and even more disheveled Nina.
She waited for him to call her on it. She didn’t lie, she just didn’t tell the full truth. That if he’d shown up an hour later, she would have known what it was like for a man to truly want her.
Monty pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. “As long as you’re feeling better.”
Nina nodded against his chest. “I am. Thanks for having dinner with me last night. Do you guys have to work today?”
Monty shook his head. “Nope. I thought maybe we could do something together.”
“Just you and me?” Nina asked.
“I was thinking all three of us, but if you’re ready to be away from Zeke, we can get out of here.”
Nina laughed softly and shook her head. “No, I’m good with all three of us. But we just got up. He was about to get in the shower and I was still half-asleep when I heard your voice.”
“That’s why it took you so long to answer.” Monty nodded as if it all made sense.
And not that she was wrapped around his best friend and ready to reclaim sex for herself. “Yep.”
Monty shook his head. “You were always a pain in the ass in the morning.”
“Glad some things haven’t changed. Let’s get food. Do you know how to cook?”
“Not as well as Zeke, but I can fix coffee and bagels.”
Nina snorted. “Well, it’s more than I know how to do, so I can’t say too much.”
“You’ll learn, sis. And you’ll get your life back. We will always be here for you.”
“That’s the best news ever,” Nina said.
Nina closed the bedroom door so Zeke had privacy when he was getting dressed, and Monty led the way down the stairs.
Monty was clearly comfortable in Zeke’s house, making coffee without having to search for it. When that was going, Monty grabbed eggs and bacon from the fridge and popped a bagel in the toaster.
Nina watched him move around the kitchen and knew Monty was selling his skills short. He cracked six eggs into a pan and seasoned them before putting bacon on a cookie sheet and sliding it into the oven.
“You liar. You know how to cook,” Nina said.
Monty flashed her a grin. “I used to cook for us before… Don’t you remember?”
Nina had forgotten a lot about her life before. Self-preservation required it. But with his reminder, she saw the breakfast-for-dinner nights Monty would lead. “I’d forgotten about that. Waffles and eggs and bacon.”
“Every Saturday night,” Monty said.
“We should do that again.”
Monty looked at her and smiled. He nodded. “Good idea.”
“What’s a good idea?” Zeke asked, appearing on the stairs with wet hair, wearing a clean gray tee and dark jeans. His tattoos were on display, decorating his skin and tempting her in a way she hadn’t allowed herself to be before she knew she wasn’t the only one fighting it.
“Breakfast nights on Saturday night,” Monty answered without turning around.
