Chasing Shadows (First Wives #3)(46)
He took the towel from her hands, set it aside, and grabbed a brush. With slow strokes, he brushed her hair without so much as a tug.
“You’re good at this.”
“I have a niece who doesn’t sit still unless I’m brushing her hair.”
“You’re too much.”
He nodded without shame. “I am.”
“Humble, too.”
Moving her hair to the side, he kissed the back of her neck. “Tell me something.”
Avery tilted her head to the side and encouraged him to kiss her again. “Yes.”
“Do you ever let men spend the night?” Lips on her neck, a tiny lick.
She shivered.
“No. I kick you all out once I’m done.”
He untucked her towel and ran the bristles of the brush gently over her back.
Her sex fluttered.
“What side of the bed do I get?”
Avery stretched like a cat waking up in the sunlight streaming through a window. Her eyes blinked open and the previous night rushed in. She closed them again and smiled. They’d made love until she cried uncle and then proceeded to curl into a ball at Liam’s side and fall fast asleep.
With one hand, she patted the space beside her, searching him out.
Not there.
Damn it.
On her way to rolling over and pounding the pillow beside her, she heard whistling coming from her kitchen. And coffee. She smelled coffee.
She left her bed naked and searched out a robe. When she couldn’t find it, she pulled on an oversize T-shirt she often wore as a nightgown.
In the kitchen, with his back to her, Liam sported her white, fluffy bathrobe. She swam in it. On Liam, it came up short on his arms and just hit his knees.
He looked ridiculous.
“Perfect fit,” she teased.
Without looking her way, he lifted a hand in the air to ward her off. “Desperate times deserve desperate measures. Don’t judge.”
He stopped chopping whatever he was cutting up, turned, and crossed to her side.
After dropping a kiss, he said, “Good morning.”
“Morning.”
His gaze lowered. “I’d offer you your robe, but then I’d be naked and you’d be dressed. And I like this ensemble you have going. The only thing that would make it better is if that were my shirt.”
Liam turned back to what he was doing.
“Are you cooking?”
“I am. But first thing, you don’t snore. And the second thing . . . there is nothing but rabbit food in here.”
“Organic rabbit food.”
He traversed her kitchen and poured her a cup of coffee. “What do you take in it?”
“Raw sugar. It’s in the—”
“Got it.” He had the lid off her sugar container before she could finish her sentence.
“Are you always this awake first thing in the morning?”
He paused, looked at her, then turned to the clock on the wall. It was almost nine thirty.
“Oh.”
“I am. After last night, I could take on the world.” He handed her the cup and kissed her forehead. “I hope you like omelets.”
“I can’t believe you’re cooking.”
“We need to eat. Don’t you cook?”
“Not if I can avoid it.”
He put oil in a hot pan and added the egg mixture. The man looked like he knew what he was doing.
“I don’t mind it. Most days I don’t have time.”
She sat at the kitchen counter and watched him channel his best impression of a short order cook. It was hot, even while he was wearing her bathrobe.
A few minutes later Liam placed a plate full of food in front of her.
“This looks amazing.”
“Taste it and tell me if it needs anything so I get mine right.” He winked.
There were onions, feta, spinach, and a spice she didn’t recognize. “Heaven.”
Before she could butter her toast, he had managed a second omelet for himself and was taking a place beside her.
“This is really good, Liam. Thank you.”
He took a bite, nodded. “A little bacon would round it off perfectly.”
“Love bacon, just hate cooking it.”
“Bake it in the oven. No mess.”
“Really?”
“Yup. The way my mom always did.”
“I’ll have to try that.”
Avery sipped her coffee and watched him finish.
He glanced over. “You’re done?”
She wasn’t about to tell him her normal breakfast was java alone. “I’m stuffed.”
He pulled her plate over and dug into the last few bites. “You drained me.”
She leaned back and placed her foot in his lap. “Worth it?”
“Just need to fuel up so we can do it again.”
“First you won’t, now you don’t want to stop.”
He wiped his mouth with his napkin and sat back. “Need to make up for lost time.”
Avery laughed.
“What is on your agenda today?” he asked.
“I was going to stop by the Lankford property for a couple hours.”
“Working on Saturday?”
“Don’t look at me like that. I’ve heard your phone buzzing constantly.”