Page 54 of Unexpected Company
“How long have you been awake?”
I shimmy my body over his until I’m lying flat out on top of him. His arms wrap around me, engulfing me in a crushing embrace.
I grunt, but melt. Loving the pressure and feel of being held so securely. “No idea. Maybe half an hour?”
“And you’ve been watching me sleep the whole time? That’s a little creepy.” His smile is warm, his tone playful.
“As much as I love watching you – and will admit I watched you sleep for a bit – I also got up to make a cup of tea because it’s already after eleven.”
Garrett groans when I scratch my nails over his skin, tiptoeing my fingers up to pinch his nipple. His big hands shift from my back to my hips and in one swift move, he flips us so that he’s crowding me into the mattress.
“I haven’t slept in this late in years. Must be all the extra energy I’ve burnt lately.”
“Hmm,” I hum, shifting my hips so he can feel what I think about all those energy burning activities. “Happy to help tire you out any day.”
Garrett peppers my face with kisses, his beard rasping over my skin and making me chuckle.
“What was your idea?” he asks, with a subtle deliberate shift of his hips.
I stare up at him, my mouth parting but my mind blank.
“Umm…” He bites the soft patch beneath my ear.
“Your idea, sweet thing. What was it?” Garrett continues teasing my neck, my blood heating and pooling south with every twist of his hips.
“Oh, yeah that. I thought we could –fuck –hmmm, do that again,” I say when he licks the shell of my ear, blowing on the damp skin and making me shiver.
“You thought we could fuck?”
“No, I mean, yes, definitely yes. But,urghquit distracting me.” I swat his back playfully and he pulls up to look into my eyes. “I thought we could walk into the village and pick up some groceries. And then you could show me how to make that cottage pie you baked the night I arrived.”
His smile is huge, and my own lips quirk in response.
“Yeah. I like that idea,” he starts. “Maybe I could take you to the pub too. For our second date?” Garrett looks away, his gaze drifting to the swaying trees outside, before landing back on me. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “I actually have something I wanted to talk to you about.” He sucks in a breath, releasing it with awhooshbefore he says, “I know we haven’t –”
His words are cut off by a banging at the front of the house.
“What was that?” I ask, shooting up onto my elbows.Bang. Bang.
It sounds like someone at the front door, but with no neighbours around and no reason for anyone to be out here, I have no idea who it could be.
“Someone who urgently wants us to open the door,” Garrett grumbles as the knocking continues. He climbs off the bed, shrugging on a pair of boxers.
The knocking grows louder and more insistent and I hastily follow Garrett out of the room, and down the corridor.
“Ro!” a voice calls between knocks. “Dude, open up!”
“Liam?” I say, stepping around Garrett and opening the front door to find my best friend, wrapped in a yellow beanie, matching scarf, and a black funnel coat. He looks as stylish as ever, with only a tuft of blond hair falling out of place where it peeks out from beneath his hat.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, pulling him into a hug. He wraps me in his tight grip before he pulls back, his attention falling over my shoulder.
“Um, Ro? Who is the scantily dressed man in your cottage?” I spin on my heel, watching the blush creep up Garrett’s neck. He lifts a hand in an awkward wave.
“This is Garrett.” I point to him and then to my best friend. “And Gare Bare, this is Liam.”
Liam raises an eyebrow, mouthing the words ‘Gare’ and ‘Bear’ at me before extending his hand to Garrett.
“It’s nice to meet you, Garrett. I’m sorry to interrupt and I am aching to know how you came to be here with Ro, but I have important news and –” Liam turns to me. “We have a flight to catch.”
