dressed. Then I smooth out my skirt and look at him. “Are we doing this? We’re not dating, but we keep accidentally-on-purpose boinking? What happens when I start dating the janitor?”
“You want to date the janitor?” His eyes blaze with fury. “I knew it!” He reaches for his night table, where his phone lies next to the charger. Then he snatches his hand back. Was he actually going to call up and fire the guy?
I burst into laughter. “No, he’s like seventy years old! I was just giving you a hard time. But you’re jealous. Admit it. What are we even doing?”
“We’re dating. You and me. In an exclusive fashion. I will put you in my schedule, every single freaking day.”
My heart leaps in my chest and does a goofy little happy-dance. Blake Hudson is my boyfriend. Me. Blake. Together. The things that happened last night, that made my lady bits sing the hallelujah chorus, will keep happening. Blake and Winona, sitting in a tree…
And not just that. I just love hanging out with him. I love the two of us. We spark off each other perfectly. I feel like I could maybe be good for him, making him take some time to enjoy life and be less scary to his employees.
I am not going to freak out and go all crazy-crush-girl on him. At least not right here. When I get home, after I walk Xena, I plan to jump up and down and squee until my throat is raw. But right here, in front of Blake, I am cool, calm, confident, not-Weird Winona. “It doesn’t have to be every day. You need to do what you need to do.”
“We’ll go on dates every week, we’ll eat midnight sundaes any time you want, and I will be a good boyfriend.” His mouth curls up in a slow, sensual grin. “I will be a very good boyfriend. And by the way, I’ve always wanted to hire an all-female cleaning staff.”
“You are not firing the janitor, you lunatic. Leave Peter alone!”
“Oh, so you’re on a first-name basis with him now.” He pouts. “Who’s his favorite baseball team? What does he eat for breakfast? What color boxers does he wear? You’d better not know the answer to that last one.”
“For the love of God. What have I gotten myself into?” But I smile as I go to kiss my boyfriend goodbye. And I smile even harder as he pulls me back into bed.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Blake
I can’t believe I fell back asleep after Winona left, but I’m not going to kick my own ass about it either. I haven’t taken half a day off just to relax since…ever. Normally I rush to the shower the moment my eyes open, anxious to start checking off my to-do list, but today I hold off. I’m drenched in the scent of our lovemaking, and I want to luxuriate in it for a little while longer. I even hold up my arm to my nose and sniff myself.
Love makes you weird.
Did I just think the L-word? Even though it was just in my head, it scares me a little. But not that much, now that I think about it. Because that’s where this is going, isn’t it? I think about her constantly. And it’s not just me picturing her naked – or in her nerdy pajamas. Although that happens a lot.
I think about the warmth of her smile and the music of her laugh. When I’m about to snap at one of my employees, I imagine how Winona would look at me if she were in the room, and I maybe tone it down a little bit, and damned if the people who work directly under me aren’t actually smiling more.
With a sigh, I sit up and head for the kitchen.
As I walk down the hall, past the Grecian columns topped with Ming vases, I can’t help but wince. Seeing it the way Winona must have, I can imagine it feels like moving through a museum. Like there should be velvet ropes strung in front of the furniture. I could bring in some decorators, modernize the areas I spend the most time in, move the first-floor furniture upstairs to the rooms I haven’t set foot in for years.
Thinking about it, I move through the house with a strange and wonderful feeling of lightness.
I’m infatuated, enchanted, and I’m enjoying every second of it. This is like a drug without the nasty side effects, and I’m going to mainline it