For the second time since reconnecting with Jason, I wake up and find that he’s not in bed with me.

Disappointing. As I fell asleep last night, I was looking forward to using my mouth to wake him up. I really should tell him about my messed-up plans. That’ll teach him to leave me all alone in this big, lonely bed.

Surely whatever he’s doing right now can’t compare to what we could be doing together…

I stretch and discover several stiff muscles, each one a reminder of the various things Jason and I did last night. Crimson heat floods my face and I bury it in the pillow. I never would have guessed I was even capable of doing such things, much less enjoying them. Seven years ago I was a virgin. And then? Nothing. Nothing for year after year. It’s no surprise I’m all worn out. I’ve been like a kid in a candy shop.

I won’t be disappointed if Jason wants to try out a few of those moves again, just to make sure we did them right.

Chuckling softly to myself, I throw the covers back and ease out of the bed. I need to find him, but before I do that, maybe a quick pit stop to brush my teeth.

I stop at Jason’s closet and open the doors. I rummage through it, pushing aside one shirt after another, mostly T-shirts, but with a few sweaters and button-downs mixed in, until I find a huge orange and white sweatshirt bearing the University of Tennessee logo, Jason’s alma mater, on the front.

I press my nose to the soft fabric, inhaling its scent. Beneath the smell of detergent and fabric softener, I detect a trace of Jason’s unique musk.

Twenty minutes later, teeth brushed, freshly showered, and wearing nothing but the over-sized, age-worn sweatshirt, I follow the smell of frying bacon to the kitchen.

I find Jason standing in front of the stove, a spatula in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other while he keeps an eye on the strips of bacon sizzling on the built-in griddle.

I prop my shoulder against the door jamb and allow myself a moment to drink in his appearance. The sweatpants he’s wearing low on his hips are worn, even threadbare in some places, but I don’t care since they’re doing an excellent job of showcasing his ass.

Jason's long, perfectly straight, bare toes tap against the floor, keeping time to whatever song he has blaring through his Bluetooth headphones. The towel draped over his left shoulder gently sways to the same rhythm, drawing my attention to the hard, corded muscles that make up his back and shoulders.

Nerves tingle in my palms as I eye those muscles and remember how they felt beneath my hands as I clutched him while he came inside of me. I’m already itching for a repeat performance.

Riding instinct, I tiptoe across the span of space separating us, ignoring how cold the linoleum is against my bare skin. I slide my arms around Jason’s waist and press my cheek to his spine. “Good morning,” I coo before lightly biting the back of his shoulder.

Startled, he starts to lurch forward, steadies himself, and cranes his head around to look at me. “Good morning to you too.” Happiness resonates in his voice.

I touch the tip of my tongue to his skin, soothing the place I bit. He shudders and lets out a low moan. Pleasure explodes in my chest, warming me. I love how much my smallest touch turns him on.

He directs his attention back to the stove. “If you’d waited just a little longer, I would have served you breakfast in bed.”

Placing his coffee cup on the counter, he picks up a plate that has a paper towel spread out over it. I rest my cheek on the warm spot between his shoulder blades while he transfers the crispy bacon from the griddle to the plate.

“I got lonely,” I murmur against his skin.

“Mmm hmm,” Jason hums. “Coffee?”

“No thank you.” I use the pad of my thumb to trace his waistband. His abdominal muscles jerk and contract. “You didn’t have to make me breakfast.” I slip my thumb beneath the elastic, taking my exploration a little lower, into even more interesting territory.

Jason gasps and quickly sets the plate of fragrant bacon down so he can catch hold of my wrist.

“I wanted to,” he says. “If you care to think back to our first morning together, I invited you out for omelets, but you ran off rather than taking me up on my offer.”

If I had stuck around then, my life, both of our lives, would have turned out very differently.

I don’t want to think about the what might have beens or the what could have happeneds. I’ve been down that road too many times to count. It doesn’t accomplish anything.

“I’m here now,” I murmur in my best sultry voice.

Jason turns and wraps his arms around me, his hands resting on the curve of my ass. “Yes, you are.” He dips his head and kisses the tip of my nose, making me giggle.

I channel my best inner Marilyn Monroe and caress his leg with my bare foot, hoping it feels as sexy to him as it does to me. “The question,” I purr, “is now that you have me, what are you going to do with me?”

“That,” Jason ducks his head and catches my mouth with his in a kiss that leaves me breathless, “sounds like a dare.”

I slowly exhale while an interested grin spreads across my face. “C’mon, big guy,” I tease, my tone equal parts flirtatious and challenging, “show me what you got.”