“So,” Blake says, tracing my shoulder, “what’re we going to do today?”
Sleepily, I rub my eyes. Between the night of sex, the jet lag, and the stress, I’m still thoroughly wrecked. But reality encroaches, even so.
“I need to see what Gemma’s done to the shop,” I blurt instantly, sitting up.
Blake laughs, grinning up at me. He traces my spine, giving me shivers.
“Probably a shower first,” I concede.
“Probably for the best.” Blake kisses me and it’s so tempting to go back to bed with him and pretend everything else doesn’t exist.
“You’re really here? You won’t disappear?”
“I promise I won’t disappear.” His mouth yields against mine.
Contented, I sigh. “’Kay.”
With reluctance, I get up and go to the shower and start the familiar rituals of getting ready for the day. Blake takes his turn and I’ll never tire of the sight of him clad only in a towel, the thrill of his fine physique.
When I come back upstairs with two cups of tea—made the proper way—I see Blake browsing the poetry book that he returned those weeks ago in the height of summer. He gives me a bemused look, glancing up.
“I see you found my note. Secret’s out.” Blake’s smile spreads like a thrill across his lips.
“You’re a rotten man, messing up my system like that,” I chastise Blake affectionately, setting the mugs down on the desk beside him. “Misfiling books. Putting them face down to crack their spines. You probably fold over corners and roll softcovers too.”
He grins shamelessly and pulls me onto his lap. I shift to straddle him, my arms around his neck. Blake leans his forehead against mine, then kisses me thoroughly.
I forget my complaints. Forget everything as he draws me down to the bed, and we start over again.
It’s some time later when we drink cold tea.
…
Eventually, we get downstairs, a bit too giddy and happy. The shop’s warm. Something smells of cinnamon, and I spot Gemma’s tea on the counter. There’s a couple of customers browsing in the shop, which still looks amazing after our hard work restoring it after the filming.
Gemma grins at us.
“So, you found each other, then?” she teases.
We gaze at each other. Our smiles are too broad to hide. What is this light-hearted feeling that’s taken over me? Unthinkable.
“We did,” I say when I come back to my senses. Blake squeezes my hand. “How’s the shop?”
“Still standing, as you can see.” Gemma waves a hand around. It looks as it did when I left, all the boxes gone, the shelves full and in order. It looks better than ever, to be honest.
“Are you fine to stay on today and help? We were just going to go out for brunch.” It’s late in the day for breakfast, practically lunchtime. My stomach rumbles a bitter complaint.
“Yes. Now shoo.”
Laughing, we head out and down to Charlie’s café for some brioches and coffee. If we stay long enough, we could hit up their lunch special too.
“Welcome to our new reality,” I say softly to Blake once we’re seated by the windows of the café, bustling with customers. Crockery clatters behind us, the shriek of the steamer. I’m holding a flat white. Blake got us a buffet of pastries to work through.
“A fantastic reality,” he says affectionately. It’s surreal, seeing him here. Together with me. His blue eyes are warm, his hair still slightly damp from the shower.
Blake gazes at me, expression soft. What’s he thinking? Feeling? “I can’t believe I’m here with you,” he murmurs. “It’s like a dream.”
“I can’t believe it either.” A thrill runs down the length of my spine. I’m afraid I’ll never be able to stop smiling, but that’s a tiny price to pay compared to the idea of life without Blake.
