Casanova(92)

“It’s seven a.m. in California,” I argued. Lamely. I’d been in Florida long enough that it was no issue, and he knew it.

“If you’re still on California time, you need to start waking up earlier.”

I yanked the covers down and moved onto my back. I huffed. I sounded like an angry teenager, but I didn’t care much. “Why are you being mean to me?”

He turned his head to the side to look at me. “Because it’s ten a.m. and you just punched me in the face.”

“I did not punch you in the face. I was trying to get a human octopus off me.” I faced him and met his eyes.

“I kissed your shoulder. I wasn’t climbing on top of you.”

“I’m sorry, I’ll remember to tell that to my subconscious in future.”

He grinned. “That would be helpful, thanks.”

I shook my head and stood up, throwing the sheets to the side.

Brett launched himself at me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I squealed when he pulled me backwards and looked down at me. “Where are you going?” he asked.

“To pee!” I squeaked, squeezing my legs together. “I need to pee!”

“Good thing I wasn’t climbing on top of you,” he muttered, releasing me.

Thank god. My bladder was bursting at its seams, and I needed to go so badly. I couldn’t cope with his grabbing before a morning pee. Or coffee.

It should be a morning rule: No touching before peeing and no talking until coffee.

Brett, it seemed, wasn’t good at either of those things.

I flushed the toilet and grabbed one of the toothbrushes from the holder on the sink. “These toothbrushes are clean, right?” I yelled.

“Yep,” he shouted right back. “Do you want breakfast?”

I grabbed the brush and paste and opened the bathroom door. “Yeah, just get whatever. I want to call Connie and check on her.” I shoved the toothbrush into my mouth.

Brett came into my line of sight wearing nothing but a pair of electric blue boxer briefs. I slowly brushed my teeth and cast my gaze over his toned body and inked arms.

Hot damn, he was hot.

“Is she all right?”

“Hm?” I blinked and looked up, toothbrush stuck in my cheek.

“Connie.” His smile was slow and lazy. “Is she all right? You said you were gonna check on her.”

I walked back to the sink and spat. “Right.”

“Well, is she all right?”

“Goddamn it, Brett, put some freaking clothes on. I can’t concentrate when you flaunt yourself like that.”

His laughter followed him out. “Flaunting myself.”

He was. He couldn’t even see it. Men like that should be required to wear shirts to preserve our concentration.

I was totally objectifying him right now and I didn’t even care. He should wear a shirt if he didn’t want that when I’d just woken up.

Ugh. I was one of those people.

Then again, so was he.

“And I don’t know,” I answered, joining him in the bedroom. I perched on the edge of the bed, still wearing the panties and strap top I’d slept in. “She left a little early last night. She said she wasn’t feeling well and didn’t call me back last night.”

“Here.” Brett handed me my phone from the living room.

“Thanks.” I hit the home button, but the screen didn’t turn on, so I held in the power button.

Nothing.

“Shit.” I dropped it on the bed. “You don’t have a charger, do you?”

“Only if you have an iPhone.”

“You have terrible taste in cellphones.” I sighed. “Crap. Skip breakfast. I’m gonna have to go home.”

Brett held out his phone. “Or you could borrow mine.”

I stared at the iPhone. “Can you call it for me? I don’t know how to use that thing.”

He rolled his eyes and tapped at the screen. A few seconds later, he held it out to me. “Here.”

“Thank you.” I pressed the phone to my ear and stared at the blank TV screen as the low hum of each ring echoed.

It clicked off.

“Hello?” Connie answered tiredly.

“It’s Lani,” I said softly. “Are you okay?”

“No. I’m sick. I’ve been throwing up since I woke up and my tummy hurts.”

My skin prickled. “I’m going to come over, okay? Do you need anything?”

“To stop being sick. Or someone to kill me.”

“Drama queen. I’ll be there within an hour. I’ll stop at the drugstore and see if I can get you anything to help, okay?”

“Sure. See you then. I’m going to sleep now. And by sleep now, I mean die now.” She hung up before I could say goodbye.

I was not going to be in the labor room with her unless someone gave her strong drugs, that was for sure.

“She all right?” Brett asked when I handed him his phone.

I shook my head. “She’s sick. Sounds like a stomach bug or something. I need to go look after her.”

“Where’s your mom?”

I shrugged. “Don’t ask me. I haven’t seen her or spoken to her since Grandma’s funeral. She avoids me and it works.”