Page 80 of Player For Hire

“Tell me how the writing went today.”

“It went really well, actually. I must have written fifteen pages today.”

I turned with the spoon in my hand. “Really? That’s awesome.”

She was kneeling in the middle of my bed, my shirt huge on her, a huge smile on her face.

I couldn’t resist the urge to cross to her and dragged her close for a kiss. “Amazing.”

She grinned into the kiss and chased me to the end of the bed for another. “I’ll write that every day if that’s the reaction I will get.”

“Good. I’ll be more than happy to reward you.” I went back into the kitchen and finished filling our bowls with pasta, sauce, and a generous helping of meatballs for both of us. I set a fat slice of bread over each of our bowls and returned to her. “Hope you’re hungry.”

“Beyond starving.”

I handed her a bowl, changed the music to a lighter playlist, then sat beside her. It took a little urging to get her to talk about her book, but once she got going, we talked about it for a good hour.

I had another bowl of pasta and she opted for just another piece of garlic bread. Once we were full of carbs, we were more than ready to settle down with a movie. Since I didn’t have much room in my studio, I’d opted for a small projector that worked with my iPad.

Neither one of us made it very long with the movie. I woke to find her curled into my side and the projector had timed out when the movie ended. I got up and blew out the live candles but left the rest before climbing back in with her.

I stayed awake for a while, just listening to her breathe. For the first time in my life, I was looking to the future, and I wasn’t really sure how it was going to work.

I just knew I needed to figure it out.

When morning came, she was a warm rumple of softness in my arms. I sunk my fingers into her tangle of hair while she used my arm for a pillow. I wasn’t used to sleeping with someone, but she didn’t wrap around me like a vine. Instead, she seemed to need space but also wanted to be touching me at the same time.

A light rain drummed on the skylight, the day calling for another rainy April morning. I reached for my iPad and groaned at the time. Too early to think about getting my ass up for anything other than a run.

I didn’t work on Mondays unless Cal called me in for help with inventory.

Restlessly, I eased out from under Naomi, who rolled over and curled around one of my pillows with a sigh.

My kitchen was a disaster from cooking for her, but at least I could make coffee without waking her up. A studio apartment wasn’t made for anyone other than a single person. Another glaring thing that showed I didn’t have a damn plan.

I wanted to be annoyed that getting involved with her had showed the cracks in my life, but I wouldn’t give her up for anything.

Least of all my own shortcomings.

If she wanted to keep me around—which wasn’t a guarantee.

Drink your damn coffee and get over yourself.

I gulped down one full mug and made another before I heard her stirring. I stepped out of the kitchen to find her sitting in the middle of my wrecked bed, looking adorably confused.

“Want some coffee?”

“God, yes.” She pushed her hair out of her face. “I didn’t mean to sleep over.”

“Why not?”

She blinked at me. “Are we at the sleepover stage?”

“Not sure we’ve followed any rules.”

“That’s true.” She slipped out of my bed and padded over to me. She peered into my mug. “Sugar in there?”

“No.”