Chapter 17
Zane
The scent of roses and cinnamon tickled my nose, and I thought it was still the incredible dream I was having about taking a vacation to Knott’s Berry Farm. But I realized that a stream of light fell across my face, warming it and making the aroma rise from something beside me. I opened my eyes just a slit and smiled to myself. Even if this was just another dream, it was a good one. Kathryn was so at peace in her sleep, she looked like an angel.
And she was wrapped in my arms.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, reveling in her scent, and I closed my eyes again. If this was a dream, I didn’t want to wake up yet. And if it was real, I was going to enjoy every last second of it, just in case Kathryn woke up with regrets.
I thought I’d heard her say she loved me last night, but I’d been spent and half asleep, so I couldn’t be sure if that was my subconscious mind playing tricks on me or not. Either way, it was a pleasant memory, and as more and more of the actions last night came to mind, I knew I was awake, and the warmth and curves and smoothness of Kathryn’s body against mine was very real.
And so was the tightness now growing and hardening in my groin.
I wanted her again, with a fierce need, but my mind battled with my instinct. I didn’t want to wake her from whatever dream put the hint of a smile on her lips. With infinitely slow movements, cautious not to disturb her in any way, I unraveled myself from her. It was no small feat, our bodies intertwined in several places, but I knew she had to be exhausted after everything that happened yesterday and the extremely late hour we’d finally fallen asleep. A glance at the clock told me it was only 7:45, and I couldn’t believe I was so alert.
And in such an incredible mood.
I’d never taken so long to crawl out of bed, but I succeeded in not shifting Kathryn the slightest bit, and it was worth it. I sat on the edge of the bed and watched her sleep for a few more minutes before my bladder got the best of me. So as quietly as I could, I stood and grabbed my pants.
I hadn’t thought about it at first, but I realized we were not the only two people in the apartment, and now that I listened, I could hear Crystal moving around in the living room. I wasn’t exactly shy, but it was courtesy to avoid running around nude in front of my girlfriend’s roommate.
Girlfriend? I might have been taking liberties with that. Before we’d slept together last night, Kathryn had been dead set on needing time to think things over, and she’d definitely been leaning toward ending things. I knew that sex, mutual attraction, and desire didn’t add up to a reconciliation. At the same time, I felt so good right now I couldn’t drag myself down with those thoughts. I was elated! I thought about how things had literally changed overnight as I tugged the jeans on, not even bothering with the fly, and rushed to the bathroom.
I was a free man, and it was something to celebrate. I hardly remembered life before I’d committed myself to Sam, but I felt good, like a man walking out of prison, exonerated after a false conviction that landed him life without parole. I smiled broadly at my reflection. It was the start of something new, and even though I was starting life over at 32 years old, I still had a lot of time ahead of me. I was in my prime, and I was in love. I would fight for Kathryn, and I would win.
Stepping back into the hallway, I could hear grease crackling in a frying pan, and the smell of bacon and brewing coffee assaulted my senses. I had planned to go back to Kathryn’s room to finish dressing, but I found myself following the aroma to the kitchen, where Crystal was dancing around as she cooked.
“Good morning,” I said, sneaking a tiny piece of bacon from the plate that was already starting to fill up.
She smacked my hand as I reached for a second and gave me a warning look before smiling brightly. “Good morning to you, too, stud.”
I scowled at her. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb, Zane. It doesn’t suit you at all. I heard you came to the rescue last night and saved Kitty-Kat’s life. Aren’t you just the tall, dark, and handsome hero?” As she said it, her eyes fixated on my abs, and I blushed hard. I knew Crystal was mostly teasing, but something about the look in her eyes made me a bit self-conscious.
“I couldn’t let Sam hurt her,” I said in a gruff voice.
“Mmm,” she said quietly, still staring. “I see why Kathryn has nothing but good things to say about you now. You know, in your other studly actions. I’m looking at one reason, and I heard the other last night, loud and clear.”
Now, I was truly embarrassed. While I wasn’t shy, I wasn’t particularly an exhibitionist, and it got to me thinking that Crystal had heard us in the bedroom last night. We’d left the living room to avoid that. Of course, Kathryn tended to get loud and wild when she was truly satisfied, and I’m sure I made a little noise of my own.
I changed the subject to keep things from getting awkward. “So, are you working today?” I asked. Small talk was best, and I walked over to the cupboard, pouring us each some coffee. It meant I could distract myself slightly and avoid eye contact.
“I was supposed to,” she said in a sing-song voice. “But I called my boss this morning and told her we’d had a break-in last night, and I was still reeling from the incident. She insisted I take the weekend off.” I could hear the smile in her voice, and I shook my head at her sneaky – and successful – attempt at getting out of a day’s work. “Anyway, she’s paying me for a day’s work, and I get to give you a hard time about your aptitude in the bedroom, take care of my roommate, and demand to know where the two of you are headed.”
I eventually wanted Kathryn to move in with me, assuming we were back together. That would take time, but at some point, Crystal would need to find another roommate or a smaller place. “I guess we still need to talk about that. But we have plenty of time,” I said casually, handing her one mug.
She emptied the frying pan and turned off the burner, checked what appeared to be biscuits in the oven, and came to sit across the table from me. “It’s supposed to be gorgeous today. The high is only something like 89, and the forecast is mostly sunny with a few clouds. No rain,” she said.
That did sound nice, and I hoped I could convince Kathryn to come do something outdoors with me. As I thought it, she came out of her room, groggy and yawning, wrapped in a satin robe that came to her knees. I had a knee-jerk reaction and had to stop myself from getting up and pushing her right back through the door and back onto the bed.
Instead, I smiled at the sparkle in her eyes, even though one was swollen and the other was still a bit droopy. I would have gotten her coffee, but Crystal was already on it. I watched her walk toward me with a secretive smile, and I found the irony funny. I’d have to tell her what Crystal said about hearing us. It would wipe the conspiratorial smirk off her face in an instant.
Then again, maybe I’d just let her go on in ignorance.
Either way, I thought about the pretty day that was already seeping in through the windows, the weather that Crystal had described. I wanted to take advantage of it, but I couldn’t believe how beautiful Kathryn was in that light. Nothing held a candle to her, especially in that moment.
Apparently, though, her mind was elsewhere. She sniffed the air and came closer, squinting into the kitchen past Crystal.
“Do I smell bacon?” she asked, her voice hoarse, as she accepted a mug from Crystal, who motioned her toward the chair she’d vacated. Crystal sat on the arm of the couch instead.
“Yep. Lots and lots of it. And the biscuits are in the oven, should be done in about three minutes,” Crystal told her. “I thought I’d treat the man of the hour, since his heroics saved my roommate’s life. And, I wanted crispy, greasy bacon.” She winked and added, “Now, if you want eggs or gravy or anything else, you’ll have to make it yourselves. I am going to spend the rest of my day being lazy and enjoying the free time off.”
Kathryn snorted and gave me the most seductive look I’d ever seen in her eyes over her coffee mug. She was going to be the death of me yet.
But I knew what that was about. It was her way of telling me that we weren’t over. She was ready to explore what we had together, now that we could move forward with nothing standing in our way.
Kathryn and I were in new territory now. We were on a level playing field for the first time since we’d met. I didn’t have anything to hide, and she didn’t have anything to fear. It amazed me how strange it was to think that, but I liked it. I felt incredible, capable of anything, and as I met her gaze with a promising one of my own, I knew without a doubt that I was ready to start my new life.