“But Berlin…” I say. “This place… you said you have so many plans to bring me here.”
His expression shifts.
“Do you want me to stay working away? Is that what you’re saying?”
“No, of course not.” I smile. “I’m over the moon, I just thought… I thought you liked it here... a lot. I thought this part of your career and your team were so important to you.”
His smile comes back, like a light switch. On, off, on, off, on, off.
This Ant is the loving Ant. The one who owns my heart, not just my pussy. The adoration in his eyes is enough to light up my soul.
“Berlin can get fucked, Cass, no matter how much I like it here and no matter how important my team are,” he says. “All I want is to be with you.”
Cass
I wake up early, smiling as I roll over. My gorgeous boyfriend is still fast asleep. He doesn’t shift when I move, even though his arms usually grab me on instinct.
If I didn’t need a drink I’d snuggle down next to him, but I do need a drink, and preferably a caffeinated one, so I ease myself from under the bedcovers as gently as I can.
Since it’s not just us here in the apartment I opt for the safe option of my cosy PJs. This pair has a silly unicorn on the front, but I don’t care. I’m sure Gerwyn won’t be judging me on how good I look first thing in the morning. He doesn’t seem the kind of guy for that.
I close the door behind me as quietly as possible and pad out in bare feet. I’m not expecting Gerwyn to be up and dressed in the kitchen already, but he is, looking as fresh as a daisy as he sips his coffee, leaning on the breakfast counter with a mass of paperwork sprawled out in front of him.
He really must be a workaholic.
“Hey,” he says, bright and happy when he sees me, then nods towards my PJs. “Those look comfy enough I could fancy a pair myself.”
Somehow I can’t imagine Gerwyn in PJs. He’s already dressed in chinos and a checked shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Casual but still smart as hell.
His arms are a bit more toned than I’d have thought they’d be on first sight of him, but that’s far less of a surprise than the fact he has a tattoo on his left forearm, just up from his wrist.
I wouldn’t have imagined a guy like Gerwyn having a tattoo, which is a dumb assumption on my part. His is a stark, dark outline, but his wrist is angled so I can’t see the detail.
I perch on the stool opposite him, aware that my hair must be a mess. I must look quite the opposite of how he saw me last night.
“Fancy a coffee?” he asks.
“Yes, please.” I look over and see his mug is almost empty. “Although I should be asking you that question, since you were the one who catered for a De Chante tipsy me last night. That machine looks pretty intense though. I wouldn’t know where to start.”
I’m not over exaggerating. The one at the house is posh, sure, but this one looks like the kind of complex, industrial treasure you’d see in an upmarket coffee shop.
Gerwyn flashes me a proud grin.
“Yeah, this is mine. It’s one of the few contributions I’ve made to this place, since Ant likes to be the lord of interior design as well as everything else in creation. I’m surprised he doesn’t refurbish every single hotel room he stays in, just to make sure they fit his tastes.”
He laughs like it’s obvious. Like I should know that side of Ant as well as he does, only I don’t. I’ve never seen it. I guess I’ve only stayed in a few hotels with him, so maybe I’ll find out for myself when we stay in some more.
I give Gerwyn a grateful thanks, this is amazing when I take the first sip of coffee. It’s different from the one he made me last night. It tastes delicious, an incredible blend. I feel like I’m in Harrods.
“They’re liberica coffee beans,” he says in explanation, and shows me the jar. “The one I made you last night was more of a standard arabica.”
The beans look a distinctive mixture, just like him.
“Nice,” I reply. “I should up my game a bit. I’m a coffee lover who stocks up on crappy instant from the local store, hardly the best of the best.”
“I’m sure that will change now you’re with Ant, since he only likes the very best of everything.” Gerwyn’s smile is sweet and genuine as he continues. “That includes the woman he would choose to settle down with, so there you go. Take it as your affirmation. You must be the best of the best.”