“Probably an easy transaction, considering the one bank account.”

She tilted her head adorably and gazed up at me.

“Mm?”

I smiled, choosing not to elaborate, then turned into her, grabbed her waist, and lifted, hoisting her up onto the island and pushing her knees apart, shoving between them.

“You hungry?” I asked, lips moving over her cheek.

I felt her nod.

“Eggs?”

“Yummy,” she replied softly.

“Bacon?”

“Oh, my God, yes!” she whispered excitedly. “I knew I smelled bacon.”

I leaned back, grinning.

She was all dimples and bright eager eyes with fingers dancing on my neck.

“Get you set up.”

“Okay.”

I left her on the counter to pull the plates out of the oven, grabbed some forks, napkins, an extra plate, asked if she wanted ketchup or anything for her eggs and laughed at the face she gave me, nose wrinkling in disgust, then moved back to the island and set everything beside her hip, handed her a fork and the extra plate which she set aside, we were sharing, then gripping my own fork and digging into the eggs while she went straight for the bacon.

“How’d you sleep?” I asked.

Her eyes smiled.

“Perfect. You’re a very comfy pillow,” she replied, snapping into her bacon and moaning while she chewed.

I shoveled eggs into my mouth.

“Pillows are soft, babe. I ain’t soft.”

She smirked. Heat bloomed in her cheeks.

She was thinking about my cock.

Fucking loved that.

I’d show it to her right now if I didn’t think there was a slim chance Jamie would walk back in here after kicking out his trio.

“No, but you’re cozy and snuggly and warm. And you smell really nice,” she clarified. “Think I might like you better than Tori’s Christmas quilt.”

I didn’t know what that meant but it sounded like a good thing, so I didn’t question it.

“What time you gotta work today?” I asked, snagging a piece of bacon off the plate.

She chewed up a bite of eggs and forked some more.

“Eleven. So I should probably get home no later than ten thirty. I need to shower.”

I nodded.

“Gives us forty-five minutes to eat and fool around,” I said, popping the rest of the bacon in my mouth.

Syd’s eyes slowly lifted from the plate, then she shrugged nonchalantly and looked back down.

“Think I can make that work,” she replied, voice even and accommodating.

“Glad to hear it.”

She looked up again, this time doing it smiling.

I gave her one back.

Then we finished eating and left the dishes, making it halfway up the stairs before we got started.

* * *

After dropping Syd off at Tori’s house, which was a mere ten minutes away from mine, go fucking figure, she’d been this close to me the entire time, close enough to walk to and I never knew it, I pulled my phone out of my pocket after I slid back into my seat and shot Mike a text.

Done working for you. Don’t expect to see me again.

His response came seconds later, and I’d predicted it.

FUCK. YOU.

I didn’t reply. There was no need to.

It was over.

I slide my phone away and headed home to get that figure for Jamie.

Chapter Fourteen

SYDNEY

After breakfast with Brian followed by an even yummier dose of morning sex, including him eating me out from behind then taking me hard and fast up against a wall, a rough fucking that ended in me leading in orgasms for the day 3–1, Brian dropped me off at Tori’s with two minutes to spare and a promise of later.

I loved his laters. I’d loved them when they’d consisted only of phone calls or texts, but now his laters were different.

Better.

Because they consisted of him.

And knowing I’d get Brian with that later had me in one of the best moods of my life, two hours into my shift and smiling so much the patrons were starting to give me odd looks because who smiled when they lagged on getting refills for a table?

This girl.

I couldn’t help it and I didn’t care.

I was over the moon happy and nothing, not one thing, was ruining that.

Plus, I had put the signed separation papers in the mail before I left Tori’s house so I wouldn’t forget to do it tomorrow. Another reason for my elation.

Bacon. Multiple orgasms. Sweet kisses and legally freeing myself from Marcus.

This day just kept getting better and better.

I was in the middle of explaining the reason for my elation to Stitch through the window that separated us, figuring he’d want to know why I’d been absent from work and the amazing coincidental sequence of events that followed, not that he’d asked, and I’d just gotten past the part where I’d overheard Brian talking to Cole about me on the beach when Shay came up beside me and nudged my hip.

“You have someone requesting you,” she said in my ear, then turned her head, looked at Stitch through the window, which he must’ve sensed because he chose that exact moment to finally look up after I’d been talking his ear off for the past ten minutes and he didn’t so much as lift his head once.

He locked his hard gaze onto hers with so much heat, I felt it on my skin.

Shay broke that connection immediately, saying nothing before she quickly cut her eyes away.

Apparently she was a little upset at him for bailing on their plans last night.

A harsh banging noise turned both Shay’s and my heads again.

Stitch stalked out of the kitchen with a cigarette tucked in his mouth, lighter poised at the ready, but waited until he’d kicked the back door open with his black boot and stepped outside before he lit up.

The door slammed shut behind him.

Apparently he was a little pissed at Shay for being upset with him.

Shay muttered something but I didn’t hear it because I was busy turning around and scanning the restaurant with curious eyes now that I was remembering what she’d interrupted me for, looking for who was requesting me, then I stopped paying attention to everyone else in Whitecaps.

The flip and twist happened. It was quite possibly my favorite feeling in the entire world.

Brian sat at a booth next to the window by himself. He was smiling at me warmly in a teal blue shirt with a pair of sunglasses hanging on the collar, and he looked good, let me tell you, better than any other man I’d ever seen sitting at that booth.

Or in this restaurant.

Or walking around the state of North Carolina.

I was about to sprint across the room and launch myself into his arms like Baby from Dirty Dancing when Shay took a hold of my elbow.

“He’s, like, unfairly hot, Syd,” she commented appreciatively. “Who is he? He came in here looking for you yesterday but acted a little weird about it. Said you two weren’t friends when I asked.”

I looked from Brian to Shay.

That puzzled me but only for a moment. It was understandable he didn’t tell Shay we were friends. For two days we weren’t anything.

I gave Shay a reassuring smile.

“It was complicated but now it’s not. He’s …well, I guess he’s my boyfriend. We’re dating.” My brows pulled together while hers slid behind the bangs she had tickling her forehead. “At least I think we are. Hold that thought.”