CHAPTER NINE
For the second time in two days, Anna woke to find Skylar’s grandmother hovering over her with a food tray in her hands. The woman wore an apron and a huge smile. Anna smelled coffee and maple syrup. Lying on her stomach, she had to push up on her elbows to see the woman clearly. An arm tightened around her waist as a masculine groan startled her. It took a moment for her to remember she’d slept next to Skylar last night.
Somehow they’d managed to kick the sheet out of the way. Their legs were tangled beneath the top cover, and one of his hands rested just below her breast. If he moved half an inch upward, he’d be cupping the soft mound. The idea stirred desire deep within her lower region. She wanted to spring from the bed as if it was on fire, but she couldn’t panic in front of his grandmother.
“I am so happy I was wrong about you two,” Dottie said with a huge smile in place. She set the tray on the nightstand. “Enjoy your breakfast in bed, dears.”
The woman left, and Skylar groaned again. “Sorry about her.”
Anna smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m getting used to it.”
She tried to sit up, tried to escape the sexual heat building between them, but Skylar’s arm tightened. His warm lips nuzzled her ear. He lightly chuckled. “I could get used to this, waking up next to you.” He sucked in a breath. “And you smellsogood.”
A ripple of pleasure traveled through her body. Pure happiness filled her to the point of spontaneous combustion, and she wanted to revel in it even though she knew it wasn’t real. He could whisper sweet things to her day and night, and it wouldn’t change anything. A guy like Skylar could never love a girl like her.
Besides, she had the inescapable feeling he was still in love with his dead wife.
Warm breath tickled her ear. She simultaneously laughed and tried to scold him. “Stop that. In case you’ve forgotten, this whole thing is fake. We are not really together.”
“You are hard to resist.”
A nervous laugh bubbled up her throat. “Bet you say that to all the women you share a bed with.”
“I know how much you hate lying.” His hand slid down her waist to her hip in a disturbing caress that had her heart palpitating. “I have a solution if you want to hear it.”
“If I can stop deceiving the nicest people I’ve ever met, I would love to hear this new plan of yours.”
He got out of bed and grabbed his discarded jeans. While he pulled them on, she stared at his well-defined abs. Her mouth went dry. Golden skin that shimmered in a flawless kind of way covered his lean muscles. Logic told her to invite him back to bed for a little morning fun. After all, they were both consenting adults.
“I’ll take you on a date when we get back to Boston,” he said. “If we’re in a relationship, we won’t be lying.”
Relationship? She almost swallowed her tongue. “You want to be in a relationship with me?”
He held a hand up. “I am not talking about anything serious. Relax. Let’s just go on a date or two and see what happens. No pressure.”
Anna wasn’t quite sure how she felt about his new plan. She already felt vulnerable after last night’s confession about her family. Perhaps she shouldn’t make any important decisions until she had time to find her bearings again. “I don’t know,” she said. “Sounds like it would just complicate things.”
She sat up and pulled the tray onto her lap. Steam rose from the fresh coffee. There were two cups this time, and Dottie had brought them a large stack of pancakes with melted butter and genuine maple syrup. All of a sudden, Anna was starving. She poured the syrup, grabbed a fork, and dug into the delicious homemade breakfast.
“It’s the fresh air,” Skylar said.
Her hand went up to cover her mouth while she tried to speak around the food. “Huh?”
“That’s why you’re so hungry. It happens to me every time I come up here. The fresh air helps you develop a healthy appetite.”
She gestured to the food. “Want to join me? There’s enough for two.”
“The way you’re devouring it I would say there’s just enough for you.”
She glanced down and realized she had already made a huge dent in the food. Almost half of the pancakes were gone. Embarrassed, she set the fork down. “Sorry.”
He crossed the room and leaned down to place a quick kiss on her forehead. “I was joking. Eat as much as you want. I need to go downstairs to give my mother the bad news.”
Anna’s eyes widened. “Bad news?”
Had she missed something?
He held his cell phone up. “I just received an urgent call from a former client who desperately needs my help. So you and I will be leaving for Boston as soon as you get dressed and packed.”