Page 51 of Beneath the Midnight Sky
“I can’t go back to my apartment,” I replied.
When he realized I wasn’t going to elaborate beyond that, his eyebrows scrunched together. “Aspen, I’m going to need more than that, and you know it. Where are your clothes?” he asked, a bit firmer this time, and I shifted awkwardly between my feet. But he didn’t release me. His arms stayed securely around my waist.
I was unsure if it was to keep me from trying to bolt again, or if it was just his way of making sure I felt secure and safe with him. I wasn’t sure yet how I felt about either option.
“I got back to my apartment last night after our…fight?—”
“Misunderstanding and slight disagreement,” he interrupted.
I rolled my eyes and tried to bite back the smile growing on my face. “Whatever you’d like to call it. Anyway, when I got back to my apartment, someone had broken in and trashed the place. The bathroom was flooded, my clothes were trashed, paint dumped everywhere, canvas’ slit.” I felt his arms tighten around me, and his jaw clenched, but I continued anyway. I was finally speaking about it without wanting to vomit, so I might as well finish. “Thankfully, Ivy was with me. We called the police and filed a report. They took photos and said they’d contact Damienwith the information for the insurance company. I had her bring me here, and here I am.”
He pulled me in closer and hugged me tightly, which I happily returned. His face was buried in the crook of my neck, and I felt him slowly release a breath. “I’ll take care of it, little angel. Let’s eat,” he said.
I pulled away enough to look into his deep, ocean blue eyes. “What do you mean you’ll take care of it, Rowan?” I asked. He shook his head, effectively ending that line of thought when he suddenly picked me up; my legs instinctively wrapped around his waist as I let out a quick yelp.
“So, breakfast,” he stated as he carried me over to the island, sitting me atop the counter beside where he’d put all the food. He walked over, grabbed two plates from the cabinet, and came back. “Whatcha want?” he asked, staring at me expectantly.
I looked around at everything he’d put together, and I was suddenly torn between whether I wanted food orhim. No one had ever treated me like this before, and I knew that deep down my bar was pretty damn low. The man had started me a bath and made breakfast, and I was acting as if it was some sort of marriage proposal.
“Pancakes, fruit, bacon, and coffee. Please,” I replied.
“Got it.” He made me a plate, setting it beside me on the counter. He then went to the fridge, pulled out a couple of things, and set them beside me before he went to grab my coffee. It took me a moment to realize what I was looking at, but it was chocolate coffee creamer, whipped cream, and he set the cinnamon down beside my cup of coffee. “I’m not sure how much of everything you like in there, so that part is up to you for now, angel,” he said before turning away to make his plate.
I stared at the countertop filled with my favorite coffee ingredients, and this time, I couldn’t stop the tears that cascaded down my cheeks. When he walked back over toward me withhis plate, he stopped and stared for a moment like a deer in headlights.
“What’s wrong?” he asked quickly, setting his plate next to mine and setting his hands on top of my thighs.
“You just…how did you even know what I like in my coffee?” I asked, wiping the tears from my now-wet cheeks.
He stared at me, eyes wide. “Is that really why you’re crying, Aspen?” he asked gently. I rolled my eyes and nodded. “I just paid attention when you ordered it at Buns of Delight before, and I texted Ivy a few days ago when I went shopping to confirm I had the right stuff. It wasn’t that big of a deal, especially not enough to make you cry.” He reached up and wiped my cheeks clean for me again, and his hand cupped the back of my neck, pulling me down to kiss him. It was a sweet and loving action, which just made me want to cry even more.
Why was this man so damn perfect? Even things he did that should be a huge red flag just made me want him more.
“No more crying, beautiful girl. Let’s eat,” he said as he stepped beside me and handed over my plate.
I nodded and we ate in silence for a few moments, but I truly couldn’t take my eyes off the man. It was in the middle of him scooping a pile of pancakes into his mouth that I noticed his hand. I sat for a moment, my head tilted slightly as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing across his knuckles.
“Uhm…Rowan? Did you get a new tattoo?” I asked quietly, trying to keep myself calm and collected while he stared back at me.
I loved his tattoos, and I’d taken the last damn near month to enjoy and run my tongue and lips over almost every bit of ink he had on his body. So I knew the sunflower on the top of his left hand and the letters across his knuckles were new. Especially the letters because I was damn sure I knew what they spelled.
A-S-P-E-N
25
SILK AND SPICE
Rowan
She was staring at me,wide-eyed, but she wasn’t bolting for the door while wearing my underwear. So that had to be a good sign, right?
Did I mention she was wearing my underwear? Because…fuck me.
I hadn’t fully planned this out yet. I knew she’d notice it eventually, but I was hoping I’d have more time. I’d purposely done my best to keep my hand hidden or turned upside down or anything else while I figured out the best way to tell her that “hey, yeah, so I got your name across my knuckles because I need everyone to know that you’re it for me. You’re mine.”or something of that sort.
Of course, my girl was smart, and she gave a shit, so she noticed.
“So, I know what you’re probably thinking,” I started.
