I furrowed my brow as I heard Rae’s soft humming filtering through the door. The smell of coffee flooded my nose, filling the room with its presence. I smiled as my bedroom door closed, and then another scent caught my nose.
Were those pastries?
“What are you still doing here?”
I went to prop myself up on my elbow just as Rae yelped. And when I shot up from bed, I saw her stumble with the coffees. The brown paper bag from underneath her arm dropped to the ground, revealing several warm danishes and pastries. She cursed under her breath as the drink carrier tilted. Some of the coffee went spilling onto my carpet as she righted herself, refusing to let the drinks fall. I watched with a grin on my face, feeling bad that I’d scared her. But also incredibly happy she was still here.
“The hell’s wrong with you? I almost peed myself!”
I chuckled. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t know you were still here.”
“I mean, I wasn’t for a bit. But I didn’t want to wake you up.”
I watched her dip down, scooping the paper bag up under her arm again. I grunted as I sat myself up, trying to shake the morning stiffness so I could help her. By the time I got a pillow behind my back, she was already at my side. Sitting the coffees down, rearranging the food, then reaching for more pillows.
“Here, lean up.”
“Rae, you don’t—”
“I said, lean up, you stubborn boy.”
She fluffed my pillows as I did what she asked. I couldn't take my eyes off her. She had her hair piled on top of her head and she had picked her way through my drawers. She had on a shirt of mine. And a pair of sweatpants. I looked over at my dresser drawer, seeing two of them pulled out and hanging on by a thread.
“Sorry, I was tired this morning.”
I shook my head. “Don’t you dare be sorry. You’re welcome to anything in here.”
She snickered. “Thanks.”
I kept running my eyes over her, because she looked fucking fantastic in my clothes. They hung off her, completely covering her form. And yet, she’d never been sexier. She’d never been more beautiful. I licked my lips as she handed my coffee to me. The black liquid still steamed from the to-go lid, and I smelled hints of rosewater and caramel.
“I know it’s a bit fancy, but trust me. I tried a sample of it. It’s damn delicious.”
I grinned. “I trust you. What’d you get?”
Rae shrugged. “The usual. Iced caramel macchiato with an extra shot.”
“I’ll have to remember that.”
I took a sip of the coffee and was stunned at how good it tasted. I took another sip. Then another. And soon, I was chugging the damn thing down.
Rae giggled. “Good thing I got a large.”
I nodded as I continued drinking, not wanting to let go of the lid. But the coffee burned my throat. So I slowed down in order to savor the taste a bit.
“What’d you say was in this again?”
Rae smiled. “Regular caffeinated coffee with a shot of rosewater and two pumps of caramel.”
I grinned. “Damn, that’s good.”
“There’s this cute little coffee shop not too far up the road. I got Michael to drive me up there.”
“Buckheads Brews?”
“That’s the one.”
“You know, I always thought that place was a bar until I walked in there one day. I smelled lemon bars in the damn place and got confused.”