and obediently opened my mouth when Byron pressed the fork on my lower lip. I chewed the pasta slowly, blinking in the light.
“How long was I asleep?”
He smiled gently at me as he chewed his pasta. “Not long.” He lifted up another mouthful for me. “You’re tired, my girl.”
“I’m not used to being a waitress. It’s a lot of work—and I know I had it easy tonight.” I wiggled my toes. “My feet hurt.”
He nodded. “Working in a restaurant is a lot of work for everyone—from the busboys to the waitstaff and the chefs.”
I shook my head when he tried to give me more pasta. “I’m too tired.”
“I’ll make you a good breakfast before you go tomorrow,” he promised, not forcing the issue. He finished off the pasta and set down the bowl beside him. He grinned at me as he scooped me up in his arms. “I can’t have you stopping back at McDonald’s again. One McMuffin this week was enough.”
I rolled my eyes at him. I never should have mentioned it.
“I can walk,” I protested weakly, even as I snuggled into his chest. I loved it when he carried me—I always felt so safe and loved when he cradled me protectively.
“Be good, and I’ll give you a foot massage when we get home. Maybe even a back rub.”
“I thought you were gonna get on top of me?” I breathed into his neck, letting my tongue flick his warm skin.
He growled low in his throat, his chest rumbling against me. “Since you’ll no doubt sleep all the way home in the car, we’ll be doing that in the morning, Julia.”
I sighed and snuggled in deeper as the cool night air hit me. I realized he had bypassed the kitchen totally, giving Gerard and Lila their privacy. “I’m looking forward to the morning, then.”
He lowered me into the passenger seat, cupping my face. He kissed me until I was breathless.
“Me too.”
I knocked on Lila’s door, stifling another yawn. It had been a long day. Byron had been right, and I’d slept in the car all the way home. I was barely awake to walk into the house. He was sweet enough to give me the promised foot and back rubs—although I did fall asleep while he was working on my back. This morning, he let me sleep as long as possible before waking me up and driving me back to the restaurant to get my car. Just as Byron parked the car, Gerard pulled in behind us. He got out of his car, beaming. The sun couldn’t compete with the brilliance of his smile.
I giggled at the look of happiness on his face and smiled widely when he handed me a small bag.
“You’ve already been cooking?”
“I was hungry in the night, so I got up and did some cooking,” he stated. “I made you a snack for later today—I know it’s a long one.”
I opened my backpack and slipped it inside, chuckling. Byron had already made me breakfast, packed me a lunch, and now Gerard looked after dinner for later. Between the two of them, I would never starve.
Gerard clapped Byron on the shoulder and walked over to the back of the restaurant, entering through the door. He whistled the whole time. Byron smirked as he watched him and turned to me. “Ten to one, he’s tapping that before the weekend is out. If he hasn’t already.”
“Byron!”
“What? He has that same blitzed-out expression on his face I did after we made love the first time. And after the meal I made them—he was hungry in the night? He must have worked up an appetite somehow!”
I shook my head. “They were probably up late talking. And you know how Gerard is… When he’s excited over something, he has trouble sleeping.”
Byron waggled his eyebrows at me. “He was excited, all right.”
I slapped his arm and walked over to my car, yanking the door open and muttering about men and thinking only one thing. I gasped when Byron’s arms wrapped around me, pulling me against his chest. He nudged my hair out of the way and ran his lips over my neck.
“All I’m saying is, I think your plan worked, my little matchmaker.”
“I didn’t plan on them…” I groaned. “I think you’re wrong anyway. He’s just happy.”
“Care to make a little wager?”
I turned in his arms. “And how are you gonna find out? You can’t just ask him.”
“I’ll figure it out. You want that bet?”
“What’s the wager?”
“Winner gets whatever they want…anything…for a week.”
I