Sinjin was gone, but Hera lay there, warming her feet. At the first sign Breanna was awake, the dog moved up on the bed, nudging her with her nose for a morning cuddle. She rubbed her thick winter coat, gazing out the window. There was nothing to see there. The world had disappeared, towering pines and grand mountain vistas obscured by streams of billowing white.
She sighed. “Guess we won’t be seeing our man anytime soon, will we, girl?”
Hera blinked her ice-blue eyes, then proceeded to lick her paws.
Breanna forced herself to sit up. The room smelled of sex and Sinjin. And she missed him. The warmth of his body, his breath on her neck, his fingers tangled up in her hair.
Once upon a time, she laughed at all those lovesick girls who made decisions with their vaginas. She’d been wrong, though. Her brain might be bruised—okay, and her vagina, too—but her heart worked just fine, and there was no mistaking its message. I love him.
Sinjin was her only constant, an anchor amidst this churning maelstrom of uncertainty. He told her to listen to her gut, and she was. And with all of her decision-making organs in agreement, including her addled brain, Breanna got out of bed to take a shower.
The bruise on her forehead was all but gone now, only a trace of sickly yellow remained. Easy fix. As much as she loved experimenting with the latest makeup trends, Breanna preferred a natural look and went minimal with it.
Ready to get dressed, she came out of the ensuite in her underwear to find Sinjin sitting on her bed, a tray with breakfast beside him. “Goddamn, you’re beautiful.”
He reached for her hand, and dragging her to his lap, he kissed her.
His hair was still damp, the long ends hanging in his eyes. Wearing old, faded jeans and an everyday Henley, this was the Sinjin she loved best.
Breanna lifted the lid off the food—omelets, pancakes, and crispy hash browns. “Mm, it smells so good.”
“It does, but you smell even better.” Nuzzling his nose into her neck, he nipped at her skin. “Let’s eat. Then you’re going to finish getting dressed so we can call your mom.”
“It’s not like she can see if I have clothes on or not.” She giggled.
He smirked. “We’re going to FaceTime her.”
“Jesus, Sinjin.” She got up from his lap, dragging her fingers through her hair. “I don’t want to do this.”
“Why? Because you think she’ll be mad at you?”
“Because I’m mad at her!” Breanna clapped her hand to her mouth. “I’m sorry.”
“Never apologize to anyone for the way you feel, least of all to me.”
“But I screamed at you. I didn’t mean—”
“I like it when you scream.” His head tipped to the side, and he smirked. “Course, I’d rather be naked and inside you while you’re doing it.”
“I’d rather you were,” she said, worrying her lip. “I hate confrontation.”
“No one likes it.”
Right. Pursing her lips to the side, she shot him a look.
“That’s different. I’m an attorney. I get paid to like it.” Sinjin reached for her, pulling her to stand between his legs.
“Secrets and lies,” she muttered, mostly to herself.
He glanced up at her, rubbing his fingers over the back of her hand. “Maybe she had good reason.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know, baby, but it’s well past time to find out, don’t you think?” With a gentle squeeze of her fingers, he tugged on her arm. “Come on, it’s your mom.”
“Okay.”
“There’s my girl,” Sinjin praised, as Breanna settled back on his lap. “Now, eat your pancakes.”
