Page 21 of Watch Me

He grinned. “Yeah?”

I snorted. “We’re not kids anymore, honey. I can handle meeting—well, re-meeting—your family.” Even if they faulted me for hurting their son, it had all worked out, right? I mean, he’d met Jessica and had kids. It wasn’t as though he’d been mourning the loss of me for twenty-threeyears.

Ethan kissed me again. “Okay. I’ll set it up and let you know.”

Everything was falling into place. At least, I assumed so. “Then, there’s one more thing to do.”

“What’s that?”

I rolled us so I was straddling him again, and then I reached for my purse on the nightstand. “You should have a key to my place.” I pulled out my keys and slipped oneoff.

He took it from me. “It’s about time.”

It wasn’t that I hadn’t wanted him to have a key to my place. I still had his key, and I trusted him with my life. I just hadn’t had one to give him because Maddison had my spare, so I had an extra one cut on Wednesday while he was with hisboys.

“Yep. Now, shut up and kiss me.”

Every morning, before I started my first class, I’d swing by the coffee shop on campus for a latte even though I’d have a cup of coffee as I got ready each morning. I needed extra caffeine to get me through the day. While in some ways I felt as though I was in my twenties, I wasn’t, and getting little sleep was starting to get to me. I wasn’t going to stop anything, though, because I loved my mornings withEthan.

“Good morning, Reagan. The usual?” Krystal, the barista, asked.

I smiled. It was clear I came here five mornings a week. “Yes, thank you.” I handed her my credit card. When I turned around, I ran into someone. “Sorry,” Imuttered.

“It’s okay,” a manreplied.

I looked up, meeting the dark gaze of Whiskey Neat, and smiled warmly. “Oh.”

There was a slight pause as though he was trying to place me as well. “You’re the bartender from Judy’s, right?”

I grinned and nodded. “I am.”

“I thought you looked familiar when I walked in.”

“Do you—go here?” I didn’t want to assume he worked at the college since I was a student myself. Maybe he was getting a degree for his dream jobtoo.

“Actually, I work here.”

“Of course.” I smiledagain.

“Doyougo here?”

“I do.” I bobbed myhead.

“Oh? What’s your major?”

“For now, getting my certificate in crime scene investigation.”

He balked as though that wasn’t what he expected me to say. “You like murder or something?”

I chuckled. “It’s always been something that interested me.”

He stepped closer to me and lowered his voice. “So, are you a murderer?”

“What?” I laughed. “No! I want to solve them, not commit them.”

“Not to be too forward, but I wouldn’t mind you tying me up.”

What?