Page 35 of Into the Dark
“Down here dressed in last night’s clothes. Embarrassing.” He shakes his head.
I fix him with a look, steepling my hands under my chin. “Oh, so you’re embarrassed about spending the night with me.” I pout.
He laughs softly.
“Well, maybe you should have come down naked, given everyone an eyeful, not just Rob.”
“Yeah, I should have.” He sounds serious.
“Wouldn’t that have been more embarrassing?”
He shrugs. “Not for me. I’m fine with being naked, as you know. Embarrassing for you maybe.”
“I’d cope.”
“Really?” He raises an eyebrow
I think about it. “Actually, no, forget it. Every woman in the place ogling you naked?” I shake my head. “I would absolutely not be okay with that.”
“So jealous. So fucking possessive.” He grins, lifting his cup to his mouth.
“Alex’s Jake, remember?”
He smiles deeper. “I remember. So, what do you fancy? Looks like quite the spread she’s put on.” He glances at the center of the room where the massive buffet table is arranged with every kind of breakfast food imaginable, hot and cold. There’s champagne being poured too for the brave ones.
“Hmm. Let’s go see it up close,” I suggest.
At the buffet table he grabs two plates from the warmer and hands one to me then begins to move around the spread. I watch as he fills his plate with bacon, mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, and heaps of scrambled egg before balancing two slices of brown toast on top of it so it looks like some kind of breakfast tower. As he passes the fruit platter he pops a bit of grapefruit into his mouth and grabs a juicy-looking strawberry to bring it to my lips. I open my mouth and he pops it inside, watching me intently as I chew. While I’m still swallowing he leans down to kiss me, stroking his mouth softly against mine, his tongue slipping sensually inside.
“Mmm, you and strawberries. Two of my favorite things.” He licks his lips. “Now, hurry up and get that plate filled. You’re gonna need your energy for what I have planned for you upstairs.” He gives me another wink before practically swaggering back to our table.
I stare after him in a trance for a moment and then look down at my plate. It’s pitiful. So far, I have a croissant, a banana, and a pot of marmalade. Currently, only the marmalade appeals. I feel a nudge at my back, and when I turn around Becca’s smiling at me brightly.
“Morninggg,” she drawls.
I smile back. “Hi.”
“Soooo, you and serious bearded guy, huh?” She nods over my shoulder in Jake’s direction.
“Yes.” I nod. “Jake. He’s my…well, we’re together.”
“Wow. Quick work, Alex.”
I laugh. “I mean, he was my…” What was he? Not my ex—Ben was an ex. Jake was…well, Jake was Jake. “I mean, we kind of weren’t together for a bit, but now we are—again.” Despite the clumsiness of my reply Becca nods, looking impressed as she glances over at Jake.
When I turn, he’s munching neatly on his toast while scrolling through his phone. Sensing my eyes maybe, he twists his neck and smiles at me. God, he looks ridiculously sexy in his white shirt, sleeves rolled up, hair mussed, and his beard tuggable. Why on earth did I convince him to come down for breakfast when we could be feeding each other in bed? Stupid, stupid me. He mouths something at me that I think might be “food,” but I’m not sure. In response, I give him my sweetest smile before turning back around to Becca.
“So…you and Mark?” I raise an eyebrow.
She blushes from her neck to her hairline and giggles in that girly way she does. “Yes, well, much champagne, a day of ‘love is in the air,’ and a dry spell will do that. God, you must think I’m so slutty.” She groans, covering her eyes.
“What? No, of course not. Mark is…” A whole host of words queue up ready to leap from my tongue, but I swallow them away. “Well, I guess handsome in his own way. He has his charms, I’m sure.” It’s as diplomatic as I’m able to be in the moment.
“He does…” She gives me a meaningful look that makes me laugh. Then her expression turns serious. She comes a little closer and lowers her voice. “But listen, there isn’t anything going on between you two, is there? I mean this morning, when you came to the room. You were really pissed off. And kinda confused. I was worried…worried I’d…intruded on something.”
My mouth drops open. “God no, Becca.” I shake my head fervently. “Christ. Yes, I realize how that might have come off. But no, that was nothing to do with you two. It was completely unrelated. It’s not anything like that, I promise you.”
She relaxes immediately. “Oh, good. Good. I wasn’t sure if I’d stepped on your toes or something, you know.”