I lifted my chin in greeting as I stepped into the hall and quietly shut the door behind me. Nova responded in kind, then canted his head to the right and murmured, “Dom’s got fresh coffee in the room, but the diner across the street is twenty-four hours if you want to get some breakfast for your woman.” I hesitated, my eyes drifting toward the door. I didn’t want to leave in case Paisley woke before I returned, but I also wanted her to have a decent meal. “I’ve got this, man,” Nova insisted.
After another second of indecision, feeding my woman won out. She was going to need her strength when all of this was over because I fully intended to lock us in my room at the clubhouse for several days. If I was lucky, that’s all it would take to convince her to marry me and let me put a baby in her belly. It was ridiculous how many times I’d pictured her round and swollen with our child, considering we hadn’t even met.
I stopped by the front desk and checked Paisley out, then hustled over to the diner to pick up some grub. I must have been wearing my mood in my expression because when the waitress behind the counter saw my cut, then looked at my face, she paled. Then she stuttered through taking my order and practically ran away.
Normally, I would go out of my way not to intimidate a woman, but at the moment, my sole focus was Paisley, so this worked in my favor. A man came out with my order in less than ten minutes, and I left cash on the counter with a very generous tip before rushing out of there.
Nova grinned and wiggled his eyebrows as I approached the door to Paisley’s room. “Best to face the awkward morning after with something to soothe things over. Especially if she found your performance lacking.”
“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered as I rolled my eyes. “If my hands weren’t full of my girl’s breakfast, I’d be breaking your nose right now. Shut the fuck up and open the door.”
Nova kept grinning, and I scowled at him as he grabbed the key card that was held precariously in my full hands and swiped it over the pad. The lock clicked, and he pushed the door back enough from me to get inside, then shut it quietly behind me.
Paisley was sitting up in bed, looking adorable with mussed hair and sleepy eyes. She looked back over her shoulder when she heard me enter and gave me a soft smile. Then her gaze locked onto the food in my hands, and her stomach growled loudly. I laughed, and her cheeks turned a pretty shade of crimson. “When is the last time you ate, baby?” I asked as I took our meals across the room to a small table and chairs set in front of the window.
“Um. I’m not sure.”
I frowned and turned back to look her over as though I was going to see signs of extended weight loss from starvation. When my gaze landed on her bare legs, I sucked in a breath as my cock hardened. Damn, she was gorgeous.
Paisley’s eyes followed my line of sight, and she blushed even harder as she pulled the sheets over her lap. I gave her a disappointed, puppy dog expression, and she giggled. “Where are my pants?” She looked around the room, and her eyes began to slowly widen. “What happened to my things?” Her tone was full of panic, and she threw the covers off her and jumped to her feet. Before she could go racing to every nook and cranny for her stuff, I put my hand on her shoulder.
“Relax, babe. It’s all in my room.” I urged her over to one of the chairs and gently pushed her down into it. All the while ignoring the way she was staring at me like I had two heads. “Eat,” I commanded as I set a cup of coffee in front of her and unwrapped the foil from her breakfast. “I know French toast is your favorite, so I got that,” I explained as I took the seat opposite of her. “Wasn't sure how hungry you’d be, though, so you’ve got eggs, bacon, and toast, too.”
A night of holding back from sinking inside my girl must have taken a lot out of me because I was suddenly famished. I picked up my toasted egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich and was about to bite into it when I caught the expression on her face. She appeared to be stunned by something. “What’s wrong?”
Paisley swallowed hard and cocked her head to the side, her gaze turning inquisitive. “How did you know my favorite breakfast is French toast?”
Shit. I knew I’d have to come clean about watching her eventually, but I was hoping it would be further in the future. Like after I’d put a ring on her finger and our kid in her belly. “I’m very thorough when I do research,” I hedged.