Page 55 of Captivating Anika
I get rid of the condom, relieve myself, and hop in the shower.
What a great way to start the day.
I’m glad, because last night was a bit stressful, and by the time we got back here, both of us were pretty beat.
It was a lot of talking, something that never really happened in our family. A bit of a free-for-all, with everyone ready with their opinion. I mostly stayed quiet, only jumping in when I felt Anika was ganged up on, or when asked a direct question.
Everyone seemed butt hurt, even Trin and Chuck, which surprised me a little. In the end, it was a combination of concern and hurt feelings which made for the somewhat explosive reaction, but I think Anika did a good job explaining her motivations for keeping the information to herself.
It had been close to eleven when we left. Everyone hugged it out. Even Bodhi and Nira gave Anika a hug, but those were a bit reserved. Especially Anika’s mother had taken it quite personally, and I’m guessing there’s some work to do in that relationship.
Anika made it clear she was done talking when we drove home, so I didn’t ask how she was feeling. I’m thinking I’m not going to broach the subject this morning and ruin a good start to the day either.
A good day, getting even better when I get a whiff of coffee. I turn off the shower, wrap a towel around my hips, and brush my teeth. Then I get dressed and follow my nose downstairs.
“I probably won’t make it back before you leave,” I inform Anika twenty minutes later as she trails me to the front door.
“I wasn’t really expecting you to. You don’t have to rush; I’ll see you tonight. Are you okay with salmon for dinner? I have a nice filet in the freezer I can take out, and we have plenty of vegetables to go with it.”
I turn, take her face in my hands, and claim an all-too-brief taste of her lips.
“Sounds great.”
I’ll be doing the cooking, but I’ll let her find that out when she comes home. I have a feeling she’ll have a thing or two to say about that, and Franco just messaged he’s waiting for me out front.
I drop another kiss on her mouth.
“Let me know when you get to the salon,” I tell her as I step out the door.
I catch her rolling her eyes and grin.
“Indulge me. Please,” I add.
“Fine.”
The faint smile on her lips negates her snippy tone.
“Morning, Boss,” Franco greets me when I get into his truck. “How are you feeling?”
“Pretty much as usual.”
Not quite, my body still feels kind of banged up, and this low-grade headache is persistent, but I’m getting there.
“I may actually come back to the farm after, pack a few boxes,” I announce.
Yesterday, when I was grabbing a few of my things, I noticed the half-full box I’d started packing beside the dresser in my bedroom. A reminder I’m supposed to get the key to my new place the end of next week. Obviously, I hadn’t planned on getting hurt on the job, but maybe—rather than sitting on Anika’s couch twiddling my thumbs—I can use my recuperation time a bit more productively by getting my shit packed up.
“Still moving into that rental place?” Franco wants to know.
“What do you mean, still? Yeah, of course.”
He grins and raises his hand defensively.
“Just wondering if maybe you’d had a better offer.”
“Our arrangement is temporary,” I enlighten him.
It’s none of his business. I wouldn’t mind eventually making our arrangement permanent.