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Forty-Nine
Tina
The faint glowof the morning light streaming through a gap in luxurious curtains should have alerted me to the fact that something wasn’t right.
Still half-asleep, I went to roll out of bed, and promptly fell on my ass when the floor ended up being nearly a foot lower than expected.
Stunned and disoriented, I surveyed my surroundings.
Then reality hit. I’d agreed to come to James’ place after being in my office for a couple of hours. I must have fallen asleep on his couch last night.
Tears stung my eyes. I dashed them away, telling myself it was from the fall. I am getting better at lying to myself these days.
I huffed out a breath and climbed to my feet. James wasn’t in the room. Well, at least he hadn’t witnessed my graceless tumble. But the calm feeling disappeared as soon as my eyes landed on the clock.
Shit.
Hissing out a breath, I strode into the bathroom and jumped in the shower.
Damn it.
Why did he let me sleep in? I had calls to make. There were two inspections coming up this week. Deliveries. And I was here sleeping the day away.
What the fuck?
After a quick shower, I towel dried my hair and styled it with the styling cream I had in my toiletry bag. I whipped out the moisturizer and applied it, but there was no time for makeup. The next question was what to wear.
I’d have to go to the Biscayne later today, so jeans would work. But most of the clothes I’d brought from my house for the weekend were t-shirts. I had the pantsuit James had bought me, but I needed something other than a t-shirt.
After tidying up the bathroom, I went into the bedroom and tugged out my clothes. Jeans, panties, and bra—both new and got dressed. Now, a shirt…
My gaze landed on James’ closet, which was almost the size of my bedroom—or what my bedroomusedto be.
“Stop.” I couldn’t think about that right now. I had too much to do today, and I was already running behind.
I shook it off and went in search of a shirt in his closet. A flash of blue caught my eyes. A dress shirt, the cotton so fine it felt like silk.
I didn’t look at the label. I’d be too scared to wear it if I knew.
I pulled it on, my fingers working the buttons on my way out of the bedroom.
The smell of coffee and bacon greeted me before I made it halfway down the stairs. Belly rumbling, I walked into the kitchen and found James cracking eggs.
“Wow.”
He glanced back at me and smiled, though he didn’t look surprised to see me there, showered, dressed…wearing one of his shirts.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” I asked. “It’s almost ten.”
“I didn’t know what time you usually got up.” He shrugged and turned back to the task at hand. “And you were worn out. I figured you needed the rest.”
“Worn out or not, I still have a job to do.”
“Since I’m the one paying for the job, I figure it won’t be the end of the world if you take a day to rest and recover.”
He didn’t look away from the eggs he was now beating into submission.
I narrowed my eyes at the back of his head. I considered his words, debating my response.