Page 22 of After All This Time (A Time For Love #2)

Cooper

I hate mornings. Always have.

I’m the least morning person in existence, which is why I’ve made sure I have employees who take the first shift at the coffee shop. Because it would absolutely kill me to get up that early.

So as I open my eyes on Saturday morning I brace myself for that familiar feeling of God, no, please, five more minutes .

Except it never comes.

Instead, I feel... good, the way you feel when you wake up from a really good dream.

Something tickles my consciousness but it’s not until I hear movement in the kitchen that image after image assaults my barely woken-up brain.

Scorching images full of hot kisses, mind-blowing orgasms and sweet touches.

I get up, wincing when my morning wood presses insistently against the fabric of my shorts.

Did I dress myself? I could swear I was out like a light after Liam cleaned me up.

The memory of his careful, gentle touch makes my cheeks warm.

Jesus, who gets a crush on their very male best friend in their mid-30s’?

Me, that’s who.

A quick visit to the bathroom later, I’m entering the kitchen.

Greeted by the best fucking sight.

Liam cooking breakfast, the smell of eggs and bacon as they sizzle in the pan making me almost dizzy with hunger, and him wearing MY apron over his sweats and T-shirt.

“And here I thought you hated that apron.”

He turns around and the way he looks in the morning—dark gold hair disheveled, green eyes shining in the faint sunlight—makes my pulse race.

His gaze sweeps over me, taking in every detail of my appearance, and he should stop doing that if he doesn’t want to get a front seat ticket to bonerland.

No longer able to stay that far away from him, I step closer and his smile momentarily falters.

“What’s wrong?” I frown.

He shakes his head, returning to the pan on the stove.

“Nothing. How are you feeling today?”

He asks this casually but I know him far too well not to detect the tension behind it.

Moving until I’m right next to him, I park my ass on the counter.

“Pretty fucking great.”

He steals a glance at me before returning his focus to the food.

“Yeah?”

Fuck, the hope in his voice is killing me.

“Yeah,” I tell him.

He simply nods but I notice the way his shoulders relax.

“You thought I would wake up full of regrets, didn’t you?”

Liam freezes, the hand holding the spatula standing still mid-air.

Busted.

This guy, I swear.

“Turn off the stove, Li.”

Eyes that swirl with dozens of emotions meet mine before he takes the pan off the fire and turns it off.

I part my legs slightly in silent invitation. “Come here.”

Now there’s liquid heat in his mossy-green gaze.

Much better.

He slowly steps between my legs and I grip the front of his shirt to pull him flush against me.

His hands find my thighs, before they slide further and squeeze my ass.

I exhale a shuddery breath at the sensation, still awed by the fact that I seem to lose all conscious thought whenever this man touches me.

I slip my arms around his neck until I’m whispering on his lips.

“I still haven’t gotten my good morning kiss.”

He flashes me the sexiest smile in existence.

“Unacceptable. Let me remedy that immediately.” And there’s no time to brace myself before his lips brush mine in a soft, almost tentative touch.

He nibbles on my lips playfully, teasingly and it drives me crazy.

Because I love it. I fucking love it. And it’s not enough.

But he reads me so well, because he parts my lips and slides inside, a hungry noise coming from somewhere.

Probably me.

God, it feels so good.

His tongue in my mouth owning my fucking soul, his hands on my ass shooting electricity straight to my groin, his body caging me in on the counter making me feel so safe, so cherished.

I groan when he takes his mouth away.

I’m also pretty sure I’m panting, which is why there’s a fucking radiant grin on Liam’s face.

“Good morning, baby.”

I groan one more time for good measure, which sets him off, happy laughter spilling from him. I love seeing him like this.

“It was a good morning. About 10 seconds ago.”

“You asked for a good morning kiss.”

“I did and I regret it immensely because I’ll be thinking about it all fucking day at work.”

The bastard has the audacity to look smug.

“Hey!” I smack my hand on his chest. “That is not an attractive look.”

He looks pointedly at my tented shorts.

“Isn’t it?”

It is.

“Nope. For your information, it’s the apron that does it for me.”

Liam is visibly biting his cheek to stop himself from grinning.

“Oh, really? Is this a kink I should know about?”

Peeking at him through my eyelashes, I give him the best coy look I can muster, while I make sure I lean back on my hands putting myself on display for him.

“I guess we’ll have to see.”

Liam’s grin dims as he swallows thickly.

My stomach chooses that particular moment to protest.

We both chuckle as he makes some room for me to jump off the counter.

He prepares a plate for me and I notice that he puts almost twice as much food on my plate as he does on his.

My chest floods with warmth but I say nothing for now.

I just bask in this new feeling and cradle it safely in my chest as we eat our breakfast in my small kitchen table, on a sunny Saturday morning.

***

As expected, work is hell later in the afternoon.

Okay, it’s really not, I love it here—people-watching, interacting with regular customers, suggesting a new coffee / pastry combo order to indecisive ones. It’s my bread and butter.

But today I’m so jittery even Lily has been shooting me puzzled glances.

The thing is, she has no idea why I’m behaving like this.

Because I haven’t told her.

Our earlier conversation with Liam pops into my mind.

The one where we both agreed to take things slow between us.

A brilliant idea.

I sneak out to the small office at the back and fish my phone out of my pocket.

Me : Are we sure this whole ‘slow’ thing is the best way to go?

Li : Yes

Me : But are we REALLY sure?

Li : Are you having second thoughts?

Me : Of course, not.

Me : There’s just a teeny, tiny problem.

Li : What is it?

Me : I get so hard whenever I think about you.

Li : Fuck, Coop…

Me : Yeah... I keep thinking about last night.

Me : Spread naked for you.

Me : Your eyes on me as I got myself off.

Me : Your tongue in my mouth this morning.

Me : Fuck, my mouth is so empty, Li…

It takes several seconds for Liam to answer to the point I’m anxious I’ve pushed it too far.

My phone pings with a new message.

Li : On my way.

I’m grinning from ear to ear as I join the others again, convinced that nothing will spoil this.

Which is why, of course, the universe decides to prove me wrong a few minutes later.

I’m returning to the counter after serving an order when soft, feminine hands wrap around me from the back, startling the fuck out of me.

There’s only one person this could be and my suspicions are confirmed when I come face to face with Katie’s sweet face, smiling up at me.

“Surprise!” she grins and throws her arms around my neck.

And that’s exactly what Liam sees when he swings open the door to the cafe.