Page 41 of Lemon Cake

Rider awoke first the next morning. Gemma had turned around in the night and was now curled into his chest, with her leg thrown over his. Not wanting to wake her, he closed his eyes again and soaked in the moment. He thought he’d lost her the night before. As he stood at her bedroom door and begged for her to let him in, he thought it was over. Even after she’d let him in, he’d been afraid that he’d pushed her too hard. Laying in Gemma’s bed with her cuddled up to him was a dream come true.

His thoughts took him into the future, painting a picture of her inhisbed. Then his mind drifted to the night before, when he’d noted every single method of accessibility in her home. Although it was crazy, he was already making plans to renovate his home. Though his shower would be easy for her to use he still needed a shower chair, and he might have to rethink his fluffy rugs.

He wanted her to feel comfortable, but at the same time didn’t want to seem overbearing. He promised her that he would go slow, and wanted to honour that.

She wiggled in his arms, her muscles stretching underhis touch. Her eyes fluttered open and found his, a rosy blush forming on her cheeks.

“Good morning,” he greeted her.

“Hi there.” She sat up and rubbed her eyes, lips twitching into a smile. “I might need a bigger bed.”

“Gives me an excuse to hold you closer.”

Gemma dropped her hands into her lap, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. “I’m sorry about last night.”

“I’m not. I meant what I said: I’ll be here for the good and the bad days.”

“I can’t promise I won’t push you away again. I mean, I want you and I enjoy the time we spend together. It’s just—”

“Hard,” he finished for her.

She nodded.

“I assure you, you won’t get rid of me that easily.”

“And I promise that I won’t be too big of a distraction during your season.”

“I might need the distraction after a bad game.”

“I’d like to be that for you.”

“Breakfast?”

“Sounds good. What do you usually do on your days off?”

“Lately?”

Another short bob of her head.

“Spend time with you.”

That made her smile and her eyes sparkle.

“I’ll make breakfast while you decide what you want to do. I still owe you a bookshop date.”

“Are you trying to seduce me?”

He chuckled, propped himself up, and kissed her cheek. “Always.”

To give her some space, Rider jumped out of bed and went to the kitchen. After looking through the fridge and cabinets, he decided to attempt pancakes. He pulled everything he needed and started adding the ingredients to the bowl. Quiet noises came from the bedroom as Gemma got ready and by the time he was plating up, she walked into the kitchen.

“I love pancakes,” she said with a smile.

“Good, let’s hope I didn’t mess them up.”

“I have some instant coffee, but not much else,” she told him, grabbing a carton of orange juice from the fridge.

“I promise I won’t turn into a grumpy monster without my caffeine.”