The Hookup (Moonlight and Motor Oil #1)(26)

I grinned, the nerves beginning to glide away.

I also shrugged.

“Am I gonna walk outta your house tomorrow morning coated in glitter dust?” he asked.

My heart sang and the nerves took flight.

He was spending the night.

“I don’t think so,” I answered.

“Best get to fucking you before I turn into a unicorn or something,” he muttered.

I burst out laughing.

I stopped doing this when Johnny charged me with a purpose, this purpose ending in us both bouncing on my bed, him on top.

And then he got to fucking me.

I’d find he’d brought a string of five condoms.

But before I passed out naked in his arms in my bed, we’d used only three.

Still, it was good he came prepared.



“Iz.”

I turned from the sink and looked to Johnny.

He was standing in the kitchen doorway, his hair a mess, his jeans on, done up, belt not done up, shirt on, not buttoned up, feet bare, boots in his hand.

His eyes were drowsy and they were on my shoulder.

“You’re awake,” I said.

“Babe,” he replied.

“What?” I asked.

“What the fuck is on your shoulder?”

I looked down at the orange canary perched on my shoulder.

That canary sang.

I looked back at Johnny. “That’s Wesley.”

He stared at me.

I gestured to the yellow canary hopping on the countertop. “That’s Buttercup.”

“Jesus,” Johnny muttered.

“They keep me company while I make breakfast,” I told him, moving to the coffeemaker. “You want coffee?”

“Babe,” he said.

“What?” I asked, looking to him again to see his eyes aimed to the floor.

“What’s on your feet?”

I turned my attention to my feet then back to him.

“Wellies.”

“Why?” he queried.

“Why?” I repeated after him.

“Why do you got boots on with your pajama bottoms?”

“I had to go feed the horses and then let them out.”

His gaze slid down my fitted T-shirt to my pajama bottoms, which I had rolled at the waist, to my wellies and back up.

“I’m here, you get my ass up to go turn out the horses.”

My belly flip-flopped.

“Okay,” I whispered.

“I don’t know what time it is but I know I don’t want to know what time it is. You get up this early every day?”

“I have a lot to do in the mornings and a long commute.”

He dropped his boots on the floor, strolled into the room and came right to me.

He didn’t kiss me or touch me.

What he did do was lift a finger.

Wesley hopped on it.

Johnny turned his hand to his shoulder and Wesley hopped there.

My whole world trembled, because although it was arguable, that might be better than a morning kiss.

I felt it, as I would.

I also ignored it.

Then Johnny grabbed the pot out of the coffeemaker at the same time he took one of the cups hanging on hooks under the cupboards.

“Go do what you do to morph into working girl. I’ll make breakfast.”

“Working woman,” I corrected.

His still sleepy, beautiful eyes cut to me.

“Don’t bust my chops at three o’clock in the morning.”

“It’s five thirty, Johnny.”

His attractive and sometimes ominous thick brows shot up.

“What’d I say about not busting my chops?”

I grinned up at him.

“Go,” he rumbled.

I kept grinning, turned on a Wellington-clad foot and headed to the back door.

I took the boots off, tossed them on the back porch and headed out of the kitchen but stopped at the door and turned back.

Johnny, with Wesley still perched on his shoulder, was peering into the open fridge, one hand on the handle, the other hand held up to his side with his long, strong fingers wrapped around one of my heavy cream coffee cups.

“Johnny?” I called.

He twisted to me but didn’t close the refrigerator door.

“You didn’t turn into a unicorn,” I pointed out.

“I still got the equipment to drill you so if you don’t wanna be late to work, you best stop being cute at the same time you’re being a smartass and get on with morphing into working woman.”

“Message received,” I returned, smiling hugely at him.

“Izzy, no human on earth who’s normal smiles that big at three o’clock in the morning,” he growled.

“It’s five thirty,” I repeated.

“Baby?” he called.

“Yes,” I answered.

“Get the fuck upstairs.”

I kept smiling at him.

After I did that for as long as I thought he could take it, I turned and dashed up my stairs.





Ghostrider

Johnny

HE TOOK THE call even though he didn’t know who was behind the number that showed on his screen.

He shouldn’t have.

After answering, she spoke in his ear.