Page 56 of The Cinnamon Bun Book Store

His breath was still ragged when he answered. ‘God, yes.’

He could hear her smile rather than see it. ‘Good.’

‘Very good.’

‘So, I think that went well... I mean that was a good first ... um ... experience.’

‘Hazel, please tell me you’ve done that before.’

‘I have. Just not that often... Could you tell?’

He huffed a laugh. ‘No, I couldn’t tell.’

‘I just meant, first experience for us together ... I mean as part of our ... fun.’

‘Right.’ Why did it sting to be reminded that this whole thing happened purely because Hazel was throwing caution to the wind for the next two months? He was just a part of her reckless era.

He shook it off. This was good for him, too. He’d finally get Hazel out of his system and he could move on with his life.

‘Is it always that good?’ she asked quietly, and again he had to wonder about her past sexual experiences. Who were these losers that didn’t properly take care of this woman? But if he was being honest, things were rarelythatgood.

‘No ... that was above and beyond.’

‘Do you want to stay over?’ The question caught him off guard. He was still trying to untangle why everything that just happened was so much better than his usual hook-ups. And trying desperately to ignore the answer the little voice in his head was screaming at him.

‘Um...’

‘You don’t have to.’ Hazel was already pulling away and he found himself pulling her back, tucking her warm, soft body against his. He found himself telling her yes, he wanted to stay.

He found that it was true.

He stuffed the little voice in his head that warned this was a bad idea into a box and followed Hazel’s polka-dotted panty-clad ass into her bedroom because if Hazel was going to be reckless, he was, too.

* * *

It was morning and Hazel was propped up on her elbow staring down at him. They were in her bed. He was in Hazel’s bed. A place he never thought he’d end up but was pretty psyched he was.

It was soft and cozy and had just as many pillows as he’d expect her to have, which was a lot. The sun was filtering in through the gauzy curtains and while this room didn’t have quite as many plants as the living room, there were still a few on the windowsill, cactus and small succulents, which he only knew because Hazel told him last night while they talked in the moonlit darkness.

And then they’d just slept.

And it had been really freaking nice.

She’d even evicted the stuffed frog from her bed and made him sleep with the giant penguin he had won her, which had been perched on an overstuffed chair in the corner.

‘Did you sleep okay?’ She was wearing the Yale T-shirt with an ugly bulldog on the front that she’d slept in and a fresh pair of those cotton panties he was now inexplicably obsessed with.

‘I slept great.’ He crossed his arms behind his head and smiled up at her. He was wearing nothing but his boxers and he loved the way Hazel’s gaze warmed when her eyes flicked to his bare chest.

Her hair hung down into her face and he couldn’t resist pushing it back.

‘Can I kiss you?’

She covered her mouth with her hand. ‘I haven’t brushed.’

‘I don’t care.’

She scrunched up her nose. ‘Really?’