Isabelle

I woke up to find myself naked in Slater’s arms as Winston slept above my head, hogging the pillow.

Slater…

I still couldn’t quite believe it. I’d finally been with a man, the subtle ache between my legs proof that I hadn’t just imagined it all, as if Slater’s naked body pressed against mine wasn’t evidence enough.

I’d been so incredibly nervous—and yet he’d been nothing but sweet and caring. Not that I’d expected any less from him. He’d been my rock these last few weeks. I wasn’t sure I’d have gotten through these dark days without him.

Letting him sleep, I slipped out of his arms, threw on a pair of warm sweats and a button-down flannel pajama top to ward against the cold as I let Lola out—yet another surprise I hadn’t been expecting. I had always wanted to have pets in my life, and now, overnight, it felt like the things I’d pined for were finally mine.

My life suddenly felt like it was changing rapidly, and in so many ways.

All for the good.

Except for the fact that I’d lost my mother.

It was impossible to ignore the guilt I felt, knowing that my recent happiness and the changes in my life would never have happened if she had still been alive.

I squeezed my eyes shut against the tears that wanted to fall, and told myself that I had a right to be happy. I had a right to live my life the way I wanted to. And just because I wanted to be happy didn’t mean I loved my mother any less. I just wished it didn’t hurt so much.

Instead, I focused on the good things I now had in my life. Like Lola and Winston—and most of all, Slater. I knew it was silly to get so attached to him, and that there was a good chance he’d break my heart, but I had always been a bit of an optimist, hoping for the best outcome even if my world was crumbling around me. And until I had a reason to think that this thing was Slater was just a one-sided thing, I’d hold onto my delusional fairy tale just a little while longer.

Standing on the back deck of my home as I waited for Lola, I wrapped my arms around myself to ward off the bone-chilling cold, my body still acclimating to Seattle after the warmer temperatures of England.

I heard the door open and close behind me, and soon found myself enveloped in the warmth and safety of Slater’s arms as he held me from behind and kissed my neck. “You snuck out of bed.”

“I didn’t want to wake you. And I figured Lola probably needed to go out.” Of course, the moment Lola spotted Slater, she came running up the stairs in a full body wiggle, mirroring the way I felt inside from the moment I saw him too.

We headed inside and I quickly checked Winston and Lola’s food and water bowls to make sure they had plenty to eat, and then checked the fridge to make sure I had something to feed Slater. It wasn’t much, but hopefully it’d do, and at some point, I’d have to go grocery shopping.

I put the kettle to boil for tea when it occurred to me that Slater was probably more of a coffee drinker, especially given the fact that we were in Seattle, where coffee reigned supreme and had been perfected to an art form. “I’m putting on a pot of tea, though I have coffee if you prefer. And I’m not sure what you usually have for breakfast but I can make us some eggs and sausages. Might even manage a bit of toast.”

He slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me close, tilting my chin up so he could kiss me. “Sounds perfect. How about I make the coffee and tea while you cook?”

It all felt very domestic with me standing at the stove, while he played around with the coffee pot and kettle, though he made sure to distract me with teasing kisses while we worked, building more than one sort of appetite. Luckily I had the food plated up in no time at all, and by the time we sat down at the breakfast bar in my kitchen, not only was I starving, but anxious to see what the rest of the day held for us.

“I was thinking I might skip going into the lab today.” Especially since work hadn’t even popped up on my radar until just now. And with breakfast out of the way, what I was really hoping for was that Slater would drag me back to bed and would be willing to teach me a few more things.

“I’m glad you’re not going in to work this morning, since I have plans for you, baby girl.” He shifted in his seat to face me, turning me toward him as he bent his head to mine, nuzzling me as he brushed his lips against mine, even as his hands slipped up my thighs with a firm touch that felt so good.

I moaned as I deepened our kiss, especially when he ran his thumb over my clit, my sweatpants dulling the sensation just enough to have me squirming, desperate for more. “Slater…”

“I love the need in your voice, but you must still be sore.” His words were spoken as he trailed kisses and bites down my neck and slipped his hands under my flannel shirt, gliding them over my skin. “Probably best we wait. Maybe go for a ride up the coast? Or we could head into the city?”

“Or head back to bed and get naked—or go for a dip in the hot tub?” It seemed like a lazy way to spend the day, but I was seldom lazy, and if I wanted to make the most of my day off—though it then occurred to me that Slater might have to work, or at the very least check in, especially now that I no longer had Blackthorn Security watching over me. “Unless you have some other client to protect.”

“I have no one to protect but you. And you, baby girl, are no longer a client, which means I will be fucking you again, soon enough.” Yet before I could take him up on his offer, his phone was ringing. “Sorry, love… I have to get this. It’s my brother.”

I waved him off. “No worries. I’ll be right here.”