LUKE
I wake up to light shining through a gap in the curtains. Blinking, I try to reach for my phone, but I’m stuck.
Erik and I are tangled up. My arms are around his neck, one of his hands is between my legs, and he’s nestled his head in my chest. I chuckle once it clicks—I have a professional athlete curled up in my arms, sleeping like a baby. He’s a warm, solid mass that smells so fucking good, and damn, the way he feels next to me is on a whole other level.
This is the best way to start a day, hands down.
My stupid alarm interrupts our quiet, cuddly moment, and I groan, trying to shut it off. Wrenching myself away from Erik, I haul myself out of bed, slip a random hoodie on, and lumber to my office down the hall. I wake my computer up, log in, and then I go right back to bed. Nothing is happening today, especially not at eight in the morning.
I slide back under the comforter, taking care not to disturb Erik, but it’s impossible not to look at him. Erik’s body is draped in filtered sunlight—his light hair is mussed up and pressing into the pillow around his head. I trace the lines of his jaw and the light stubble that appeared overnight, moving my gaze acrosshis jacked frame that’s somehow visible under the covers, and I reach for my groin as?—
Ping.
I shut my eyes and roll them behind my eyelids. I should have taken today off. Muttering to myself, I heave my body out of bed, reluctantly leaving Erik behind, and drag my feet to my computer.
Jake White messaged me. While he isn’t my manager, I still send him my reports, and he sometimes asks me questions. I click to open whatever he sent me.
WHITE, JAKE
Hi Luke.
I sigh and gesture expectantly at the screen. “And?” I find myself saying to nobody in particular. “What do you want?”
I slump down and use every ounce of restraint in me to not reply with a thumbs up emoji, and I send something a little more professional instead. Why can’t people say what they need all at once?
God, corporate life has made me bitchy as hell.
“Looking forward to the weekend already?” Erik’s voice calls out from behind me. Turning to face the door of my office, I’m greeted with a view of Erik, all six-feet-whatever of him, wrapped up in my blanket with his head poking out. He’s like a hunky burrito, and I melt a little at the sight. How the hell is he so cute?
I sigh. “A random message came through, and I still don’t know what it’s about.” I pause. “Sorry, did I wake you up?”
Erik shakes his head. “Nope, I’ve been awake for a while. I just didn’t want to disturb you.”
“What’s with the blanket, then?” I ask, letting out an amused huff.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to wear this, but you seem to have taken my sweater.”
I look down. Yup, it’s Erik’s team hoodie.
“Shit! You can have it back.”
“Nah, you can keep it. The sweater suits you.”
We stay silent for a few seconds, and I remember that I need to be a better host.
“You want coffee?” I ask, standing up and heading for the kitchen.
“Sure, that’d be awesome. Black is fine, the stronger the better?—”
My overpriced coffee machine spits out two shots of espresso, cutting his sentence off. “Double Americano okay?”
He nods, and I prepare it.
“This is great, thank you,” he says after taking a sip.
“Roommate applications are open,” I joke. “I don’t need to share my place, but I might make an exception for you.”
Erik raises his eyebrows. “Oh? And what’s different about me?”
