“Come home with me,” she says spontaneously. “No sex, I swear.”

“Well, that’s no fun.”

She laughs and pinches my arm. “Let’s take a nap and then I’ll cook you breakfast and we can go to a movie or something. Unless you had something else planned for your day off?”

I think of all the things I need to get done today, including the touch up work on my bathroom, and then shove it all aside.

“I don’t have anything more important planned than that nap and catching a movie with you.”

“Let’s go.” She stands and helps me fold the blankets.

“How firm are you on the no sex part of this plan?” I ask her with hope in my eyes.

“Meh.” She shrugs and tilts her hand back and forth, as if to say so-so.

“So you’re saying there’s a chance,” I reply with the most charming smile I can muster.

“I always loved that naughty smile of yours.”

“Oh, baby, just wait until you see all the other naughty things I can do.”

Chapter Four

~Meredith~

I wake slowly and blink at the sunlight falling over my face. I’m warm. Too warm, but I realize it’s not just from the sunshine.

There’s a very big, very warm man pressed up against my back, his arm wrapped around my waist, holding me tightly to him even in sleep. As warm as I am, there’s no way in hell I’m moving out of his arms.

Last night rushes back to me, and all I can do is sigh. It’s as though a heavy burden has been lifted. We’ve put the past behind us and can look forward. He’s a rocket scientist. He’s lived in Alaska and had so many amazing experiences since I last saw him.

He’s grown up. But so have I, and I can’t wait to start getting to know each other all over again.

There were days I would have traded a year of my life to touch you again. My eyes fill with tears again, and I can’t help but turn to face him, waking him up. He inhales deeply, his eyes still closed, and kisses my forehead.

Is he really here?

His chin is covered in stubble, begging for my hands to rub over it. His lips are full and soft, and his blond hair is a riot of mess, even messier than normal.

We’re both still fully dressed. Even as exhausted as we were, I didn’t trust myself to sleep in my skivvies with him. I’m finding it impossible to keep my hands off him. I’ve always been attracted to Mark, from the moment our eyes met across that science classroom all those years ago. But Mark as a grown man is a sight to fucking behold.

I sweep my hand down his neck, over his shoulder and down his arm, pausing where his T-shirt ends over his biceps.

Jesus, the man’s arms should come with a warning label. May cause panties to spontaneously combust.

“Go back to sleep,” he whispers and kisses my forehead again. I lift my eyes to his to see his bright blue gaze peering down at me through heavy eyelids.

“You have great arms.”

He growls and quickly rolls on top of me, resting on his elbows at either side of my head, brushing my hair off my face with his fingertips lazily. He sweeps his nose against mine and kisses me softly, still not quite fully awake.

“You’re gorgeous in the morning,” he says and nibbles his way down my jawline. I feel his dick grow hard against my core through his jeans and I can’t help but wiggle, just a bit, trying to get closer. “And if you keep that up, we won’t leave this bed today.”

“I want to cook you breakfast.” I glance over at my alarm clock. “Make that lunch. And I want to go to the movies.”

“I want to strip you naked and kiss every inch of your incredible body.” My nipples pebble and I bite my lip as he pushes back to look down at me. “I want you, M.”

“I know, and trust me, I want you too.” I bury my fingers through his hair and smile up at him softly. “Let’s just take today and play. I want to laugh with you today. We used to laugh all the time.”

“That’s because you’re silly,” he says and kisses my palm twice before rolling us back to our sides.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I say seriously. His eyes jerk back to mine, and I know that there is doubt there. I drag my fingertips down his rough cheek, over his bottom lip. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m all yours, M.”

“Fuck yes, you are.” He kisses me with dominance, claiming me like he never did before, and it makes my body come alive against him, but he slowly backs away and glides his hand down my neck, to my breast, over my nipple and to my ribcage. “We’d better get out of this bed before I say fuck it and strip you naked, baby.”

I smile wickedly and bite his chin gently. “Yes, sir.”

He slaps my ass playfully as I roll away and step out of bed. I immediately stretch, like I do every morning, reaching my arms up to the sky, then bending to press my palms flat on the ground next to my feet.

“Showing me your perfect ass isn’t helping, Mer.”

I toss a smile over my shoulder and shake my head. “Do you only think of sex?”

“No, sex is not all I think about.” That naughty smile spreads across his handsome face. “I also think about you naked.”

“Come on, horn dog. I’ll make BLT’s.”

“You eat bacon?” he asks in surprise as he pulls himself out of the bed.

“Turkey bacon.”

“What the fuck is turkey bacon?” He wrinkles his nose like I just told him it was tofu bacon.