Page 15 of Embraced in Ink

“Breakfast is almost ready. Figured you’d need something in your system after last night.”

Bristol frowned. “I wasn’t drunk.”

“Sure.”

“I wasn’t. I swear.” She paused. “Thank you for making breakfast, though. You know that’s my favorite meal other than something with strudel and cream cheese and lots of calories.”

Marcus huffed.

“Thank you. Really.”

“You’re welcome. Don’t get crabby. Drink your coffee.”

“I’m not the one who’s crabby,” she muttered under her breath before taking a sip of her coffee. It was the ideal temperature and the flavor was spot-on, with the perfect ratio of sugar to cream.

Of course, he got it right. He knew everything about her. He was her best friend.

She held back a wince. Well, he didn’t know everything, because if he did, he would know that she’d had a sex dream about him. Now, here he was, watching her. Had practically seen her naked. In the buff, after she’d had really amazing dream sex with him.

How was she going to get through this day without losing her mind?

“I heard that.”

It took a moment for her to register what he referred to. Sex? No, not naked dreams. He meant the crabby comment.

“I didn’t say it in my head, therefore, I figured you would hear it.”

“Eat your breakfast, drink your coffee, and then we’ll talk.”

Bristol sipped her drink and looked down at the plate that he held out. It was perfectly presented to her, with a little sprig of rosemary on top and everything.

She hadn’t even known she had fresh rosemary in her fridge. Marcus had found it and had made it perfect for her.

If he hadn’t gone to college to be a librarian, followed something he was passionate about and really damn good at, she’d always thought he would have gone to culinary school.

More tasty goodness for her, though...since he’d always be in her life. That was the reason for the engagement, after all. She wouldn’t complain.

Right?

“Thank you,” she said, taking the plate from him.

“You’re welcome. You could have set the table.”

“I just woke up. I’m sorry. Let me have my coffee, and I’ll stop being such a bitch.”

“Stop calling yourself a bitch. You know I hate when you do that.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled. He hated any woman being called a bitch, including if you called yourself one.

She didn’t always do a good job of that.

“Seriously, though, thank you for breakfast. I guess we need to talk through the events of last night.”

He grunted and started shoveling food into his mouth.

He didn’t always eat like that, but she figured it was because he didn’t want to talk. Not that she really wanted to talk either. It was already awkward. It was only going to get worse as the day went on.

They finished their meals in silence, another of those awkward silences that she wasn’t used to when it came to him. She ate as quickly as he did, drinking a glass of water he had set down on the table for her.