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Instead of answering her, I opened the book and started reading. My eyes flicked up to find Hunter watching me with a bemused look on her face. I paused.

“Drink your tea,” I said, just to watch her get annoyed. It was so damn cute.

Hunter narrowed her eyes at me but did drink her tea. I also saw her fingers reach for the plate of crackers and she munched on one quietly. Having a little snack in bed was one of life’s simple pleasures, in my opinion.

So I read. I turned the pages and spoke the words and every now and then looked at Hunter. She finished her tea and snack and went to brush her teeth before coming back to lay on her side facing me, one hand propping her head up.

Buck had fallen asleep and snored softly.

This wasn’t how I expected to spend my night but here I was, and I wouldn’t change anything that had happened. Well, I might have added some kissing. A good horizontal makeout session. Fuck, I loved kissing so much.

I stumbled over the words and looked up to make sure that Hunter hadn’t noticed to find that her eyes were closed.

She was asleep. Mission accomplished.

Pleased with myself, I closed the book and left it on the nightstand as I took the cup and plate to the kitchen and put them in the dishwasher. I called Buck and helped him off the bed, hoping it wouldn’t wake Hunter. She stirred briefly but went back to sleep.

“Good boy,” I told him, stroking his head. He’d done so well.

I gathered up his things and set them by the door, making him stay. There was one last thing I needed to do before I left. Scratch that, two things.

Firstly, I found a notepad and pen and wrote her a note and left it on her nightstand before leaning over and giving her a soft kiss on her forehead. Her inhales were deep and she looked at peace.

Goddamn she was beautiful. So beautiful.

In my fantasy, I would pull back the comforter and climb into bed with her and hold her all night. And if I took the fantasy further, she would wake me in the middle of the night with a kiss and I’d strip her slowly and we’d fuck for hours and hours.

No, that wasn’t going to happen tonight. She needed more time. I wanted her to trust me. To open up to me. To want me and reach for me.

Right now, she was still holding herself back. I could see it in her eyes. I could see the way she looked at me. Part of the teasing was to provoke her. To get a response. To see the heat flare between us as it always did.

Buck and I left and went back to my place and got ready for bed myself. I kept my phone with me in case Hunter woke up and realized I was gone. Would she panic? I had left the note where she would find it.

It took me a long time to fall asleep that night, even with Buck laying on my feet like he always did.

My mind was miles away, still in bed with Hunter.

I don’t know what to say to you after last night. But thank you. It was unexpected, but in a good way.

Her message came in when I was yanking myself out of bed. I had picked up a shift later, but I had some time before I had to be ready to run errands and clean and get shit done since I was off from the animal shelter today.

I wished I could lay in bed all day, but that wasn’t going to happen.

“Come on, let’s go,” I said to Buck. He yawned and then lay back down. My dog wasn’t a morning person.

Lazy animal.

I got up and made myself some breakfast and tried to figure out what to say to Hunter. Last night I was all confident and in the light of day I was feeling a little too exposed. Like I’d shown her too much. I kept doing that.

You’re welcome. It was my pleasure. Truly. How did you sleep?

That didn’t sound too clingy or desperate, I thought.

Better than I have in a long time. You didn’t put anything in my tea, did you? she sent.

I laughed as I cleaned the kitchen.

No, promise. I guess my voice can be used as a sedative, good to know. I responded.