arms around her waist, knowing he’d take her from behind, slow and dreamy, almost like they weren’t quite awake. “You’re the one who decided to turn it into round three.”
“I’m a simple man.” He cupped her face and planted a kiss on the tip of her nose. “You put that delicious ass in my vicinity, I’m going to have a physical reaction.”
She made a scoffing sound, but there was no stopping the delighted smile that broke through whenever they teased each other like this. “Such a caveman.”
“Such a great ass.”
She swatted him, laughing. “Is that all I am to you?”
“No.” He looked affronted. “I’m quite partial to your legs, too.”
“Ro!” She squealed when he hauled her toward him, a feeling of rightness bubbling like champagne inside her. Audrey couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so relaxed. So herself. “You’re an animal.”
“You love it. Don’t try to pretend otherwise.”
“I don’t have to rush home this morning, because my neighbor is taking the kids to school.”
Ronan’s eyes lit up. “What time do you have to be at work?”
“Not until eight thirty.”
“Can I take you to breakfast?”
Her heart did a silly little flip. Joke as he might about wanting her for her body, she knew that Ronan enjoyed all the time they spent together. “You can take me anywhere there’s coffee.”
“Give me five minutes to have a quick shower, and then we’ll go.”
She knew that her never staying the night was a disappointment to him—but not once had he pushed her. Truthfully, it was a disappointment to her, too. Of course she wanted to wake up in his arms and get croissants and revel in that post-lovemaking bliss as long as possible. But her life didn’t have time for reveling, unfortunately.
This morning was a rare treat, and she would enjoy every moment of it.
Ronan disappeared into the bathroom, and a second later the sound of running water floated into the apartment’s main area. Audrey gathered up the rest of her things, including the laptop she’d brought over. On the table, where they’d sat and discussed her feedback on Ronan’s latest chapter until well past ten p.m., were the remains of his work.
Audrey decided to gather it up for him, since they’d left the table a bit of a mess, distracted by each other’s lips and hands. He had a box that he kept everything in, since he wrote most of his notes and first concepts by hand—something delightfully old-fashioned that Audrey loved about him. As she went to place the paper she’d scribbled on with red pen from the previous night in the box, something caught her eye. A few pieces of paper stapled together.
High school completion program vs GED.
It was an article with the pros and cons of completing a high school diploma versus taking the equivalency tests. Frowning, Audrey pulled the sheaf of papers out of the box. In the stack was a form to enroll in a high school completion program with an organization based out of Boston. Behind that was information about scholarships for several top universities and colleges. Written in pen with Ronan’s telltale angular script were a phone number and name and the words appointment for Audrey.
Her blood ran cold.
Ronan had been looking into options for her finishing high school and going back to college…after everything she’d told him about her situation. He understood why she stayed in Kissing Creek. Why she’d made sacrifices and why she couldn’t simply disappear off to Boston for something as frivolous as getting her high school diploma.
This wasn’t a simple internet search. This was research.
Of course it was. That’s what Ronan did best. He found something that interested him, and he studied it. Instead of wanting to be happy, like most people, Ronan made it his job. Instead of trying to figure out why people behaved the way they did, Ronan made it his life’s mission. Instead of accepting that Audrey had chosen to sacrifice something for the greater good of her family, he pursued the issue behind her back.
Did he see it as a fault? Was she a project? A fixer-upper?
How could a respected professor with a pedigree like his be confident enough to show off a girlfriend who hadn’t even finished high school?
Her mind flicked back to the meet and greet and how he’d cut in with a lie to stop her from confessing her lack of education to that nosy professor. Her stomach rocked. Was he ashamed of her? From the moment they’d met, he’d made her