double take when I see it’s after nine. “Holy cow.”
I rest my head back against the headboard, not believing I spent all night with Tide obviously sleeping next to me. When I was with my ex-husband, I would wake up off and on all night, and every time I did, I would find it more and more difficult to get back to sleep. It wasn’t that he did something to wake me; he didn’t snore, and we slept apart, him on his side and me on mine. I never knew what it was that kept waking me up, but I guessed it was just having him in bed with me. The only thing good about those times was I would eventually give up on sleep all together and get out of bed to go write.
Unsure if I should try to dissect why I was able to sleep last night with Tide, I toss back the covers, go right into the bathroom, and start the shower. Once the water’s warm, I get in and wash my hair. As my fingers dig into my scalp, a movie starts to play behind my closed eyes, and I shout, “Finally!” I rip open the shower curtain and jump out of the tub, soaking wet. I wrap a towel around myself but still end up dripping water and soap on the floor. I run into my room, right for my bedside table, to grab the notebook and pen I keep there. Franticly, I jot down the series idea that just came to me and end up filling three pages with notes, before I go get back into the shower to finish up, doing it with an excited smile on my lips.
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Sitting on my front porch, with one of my thicker sweaters wrapped around me, I go back and forth between the notes I wrote this morning and the document I have open on my computer. Since I didn’t have a chance to work on my new series pitch this morning and spent the afternoon with Gia and Gino, who is way more adorable in person, I’m doing it now as I wait for Tide to get here. When I hear the rumble of his engine coming up the driveway, I look up, and my eyes lock with his through the windshield, causing a nervous smile to lift my lips.
Today, he sent me a couple of texts just to check in, something I wasn’t expecting him to do, but really liked more than I probably should have. As he shuts down the engine, I see him reach over to the passenger seat to grab something, then a moment later, his door swings open, and he gets out. How a man can make boots, jeans, and a thermal look so good is a news to me, but on him, it looks better than even the most expensive suit hanging in my dad’s closet.
I lick my lips as he comes up the steps and watch his eyes darken in a way that sends my pulse skittering. “I know I might have made a mistake not calling to ask what you wanted to eat for dinner, but I figured there aren’t many people who grow up in the south who don’t like fried chicken, corn, and mac and cheese.”
“You’d be right about that.” I shut my laptop and hold my breath as he bends to kiss me.
“What were you working on?” he asks, the question and the kiss both catching me off guard. “Aria.”
“Sorry.” I clear my throat. “A new series.”
“Yeah? You came up with something?”
“Yes, in the shower this morning, actually,” I admit, and he smiles a smile that makes my heart flutter.
“That’s great, babe. I’m sure your agent will be happy,” he says while we head into the house.
“She was.” I get down plates while he unloads food from the bag he brought. “I sent her a text this morning and gave her a rough idea of the story. She wants to pitch it Tuesday, so I have to get the outline to her by tomorrow evening.”
“I’m happy for you.” His hand rests against my back as his lips brush my temple.
“Thanks,” I say quietly, knowing without a doubt that I’m in trouble, because with him, I don’t think casual is going to work. Not when I could get used to the way he makes me feel.
Chapter 9
Tide
WHEN THE DOORBELL rings, I look over to where Olivia is hanging half on, half off the chair in the