Page 20

The second Savannah’s door creaks open, I glance over my shoulder, already smiling like an idiot who’s been waiting all night for this moment.

“Morning,” I say, but my voice drops an octave when it’s not her I see first. It’s my damn dog, trotting out of her room with his tail wagging like he just spent the night with his favorite human on the planet.

Traitor. Bet he had a good time in there.

I know I would’ve. The thought alone is enough to make me need another cold shower…

my third since she walked into my apartment.

I turn back to the bacon before I do something stupid, like ask if Stanley kept her warm last night or if she’d prefer a different kind of heat.

She steps out a moment later and thank fuck I had the sense to turn the stove off. Otherwise, I’d be scraping burned bacon out of the pan, too distracted by the sight of her drowning in my clothes.

My shirt is hanging off her shoulder, exposing a collarbone I suddenly want to taste.

My shorts are too damn big and cinch at her waist, brushing the tops of her thighs in a way that’s making coherent thought impossible.

Fuck. Even her hair is braided messily, giving her this just-woke-up-from-a-night-of-earth-shattering-sex vibe.

Yeah, I’ve got to stop thinking like this before my shorts start tenting.

I’m supposed to be a gentleman. She has enough guys trying to get into her pants. I just want to help.

At least that’s what I keep telling myself.

I grip the counter hard enough to leave fingerprints in the granite, forcing myself to focus on plating the food instead of the very obvious problem forming in my sweats.

Gentleman or not, Savannah is one of the hottest women I've ever seen, and her walking around in my clothes is triggering every possessive instinct I didn't know I had.

“Morning, Savannah.” I try again, assuming she didn’t hear me the first time over the sound of my heart trying to punch through my ribcage.

“Morning, Cade,” she murmurs, her voice thick with sleep and shit . That. That right there? That raspy, just-woke-up voice? That’s something I want to hear every damn day for the rest of my life, preferably while she’s wrapped around me in sheets that smell like both of us.

She rubs her eyes with the back of her hand, looking so adorably confused that I have to physically stop myself from crossing the kitchen and tasting those lips that have been haunting me for months.

“What time is it?” I grin, way too happy about how raspy and sexy her voice is, knowing it’s because she had a good sleep and that I was able to provide that for her.

“Eleven-thirty.”

She blinks before her entire body jolts. “Eleven-thirty? I overslept.”

“Yeah, Stanley came out for a walk, and when we got back, you were still passed out. I didn’t want to wake you.”

Her expression falls, embarrassment flickering across her face.

“I missed our class.”

“I got the notes,” I say easily, trying to brush it off, but she shakes her head, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

“It’s not just the notes. My scholarship is contingent on my attendance.”

“So you missed one class.” I shrug, unconcerned. “Pretty sure they won’t revoke it over that.”

“It’s not just one class, though. I’ve missed a bunch—” She stops herself. “With all my apartment issues, I’ve missed a lot.”

Well, isn’t it interesting that she’s never missed a class with me. That’s not the point right now.

“Don’t worry about it,” I say, filling a glass with orange juice and sliding it toward her. “Come eat and we can figure it out.”

Her hesitation lasts only as long as it takes her to eye the spread in front of her. Eggs, avocado, bacon, hash browns, waffles. The works.

She stares at it, dumbfounded. “Do you really think I can eat all this?”

I shrug. “Didn’t know what you liked, so I figured I’d make it all.” The way her eyes track the meal, I suddenly think. “Oh, wait, are you a vegetarian? I can take away the meat.”

She bounces in her seat slightly. “It’s not that. It just… looks incredible.” She pauses, then says softly, “I’ve never had a guy cook for me before.”

“This is the part where I’d usually question what kind of guys you’ve been hanging around with,” I say, arching a brow, “but I already know, and something tells me Luke’s never done a damn thing for you except extort you.”

Her fork hovers in mid-air. Shit. I took that a little too far. I know it. She knows it, and if I don’t say anything, this could get awkward real quick.

“Eat,” I say, pointing to the fork, hoping that changing the subject reduces her chances of bolting.

Lifting her fork, she wastes no time shoveling the food into her mouth, and I feel better than I did last night.

She’s well rested and is eating a good meal.

At least I know she’ll be okay for the rest of the day.

“I put your clothes in the dryer,” I say casually after a few minutes. “It’s all folded in the laundry room when you’re ready.”

Once again, she freezes mid-chew. What did I do this time?

“You folded my laundry?” Ah, the most cardinal of sins. I nod, and her face contorts in horror.

“It was just a few things,” I say quickly, knowing I might’ve gone a little overboard with making her feel at home. “Figured you had a class this afternoon and I didn’t want you worrying about it.”

“Thanks.” The word is quiet. Barely there, but she eats like she means it. I knew she was hungry, which only fuels my next question.

“So how long do you think you’ll be out of your apartment?”

She takes her time to chew and then swallows, glaring down at the plate the entire time.

“Uh, I’m not sure. I’ll need to call them today.”

Lie.

I know she’s lying. It’s obvious from the way she’s pushing her food around her plate, avoiding eye contact with me. It’s going to take longer than a day to fumigate.

“Wanna stay here?” I offer in an attempt to ease her concern, keeping my voice deliberately casual.

“What? No,” she answers so quickly that if I wasn’t a better man, I might be offended. I’m not. She’s pulling the same face as last night, and she’s here now. This is just her reaction when she’s shocked or doesn’t feel like she deserves something.

“Well, if you think I’m going to let you sleep in your car again, then you’re delusional.”

She shakes her head and wipes her mouth with a napkin. “That’s not an everyday thing. That was just because it was an emergency, and I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Well, now you do know what to do. Come here.”

She shifts in her seat uncomfortably as she stares down at the hash browns.

“It’s okay. I’m sure it will be fixed tonight.”

“And if it’s not? Where are you going to go?” Not the kind of guy to back down, I push the point.

“I can get a hotel.”

With what money? I don’t ask that. I know full well she’s broke, and I’m almost certain if I mention that fact, she’ll reject any help I plan on offering her in the future.

“Oh, is that my phone?” she asks with mock surprise in her voice.

“I don’t hear anything.”

“It’s definitely my phone.” She pushes the chair out, looking at the rest of the food on her plate longingly before shuffling back to her room.

I can’t help myself; I watch my shirt flit across her perfectly toned legs as she does.

Fist-bitingly hot. That’s what she is, and it’s taking all of my restraint to hold back from shaking the truth out of her or, worse, backing her against the wall and letting my mouth convince her to stay.

She strolls out of the room with a phone so ancient I’m pretty sure it witnessed the first ever Stanley Cup results. Honestly, I think she’d get better reception with two tin cans and some string. “Ah, the maintenance manager just texted. Everything is good. I can go back today.”

Bullshit.

It's another lie, but I don't call her out on it.

Not now. I need to take my time with Savannah, chip away at her walls brick by fucking brick until she realizes I'm not another Luke waiting to collect.

She hasn't been all in with me like I've been with her since the moment I saw her dancing.

Instead, I lean against the counter, waiting for her to meet my gaze, tapping into a reserve of patience I didn't know existed in my impulsive ass.

“Just know you’re welcome here anytime. Even if it’s two in the morning and you have nowhere else to go. I’d rather you come here and wake me up than sleep in your car ever again.”

She swallows, frozen on the spot.

“Now. Will you have the rest of your breakfast?”

“S-sure.”

I walk over to the front door and grab a lead. “I’m going to take Stanley out for a bathroom break.”

“Okay. I’ll make sure I’m out of your hair by the time you get back.” She jitters. Literally shakes, and I’m beginning to wonder why she feels like such an inconvenience to the world.

“Stay as long as you like. Hell, stay forever, I don’t mind. I’m traveling for a game tonight, but like I said, you’re more than welcome to stay. Stanley would love the company.”

She huffs out a laugh, assuming I’m joking. I’m not.

“Who’s looking after him if you’re gone?”

Before I can answer, my apartment door opens.

“Knock. Knock,” my sister sings as she comes through the door, and I turn to see her holding a bright pink bag, grinning like she’s just won the lottery. “You won’t believe what I got for Stanley.”

Upon hearing his name, Stanley runs to my sister and gives her an equally friendly greeting as the one he gave Savannah last night.

“What are you doing here, Mads?”

She kisses me on the cheek, then walks farther into the kitchen.

“Well, I know you wanted me over tonight, but I saw this at the pet store—” Madison freezes when she sees Savannah. “Oh, I’m sorry, am I interrupting something?”

I turn back, only to realize Savannah isn’t there. All that’s left is her half-eaten plate of food.

“No. You’re not interrupting anything.”