Something was shifting, changing within her, and maybe once she got some sleep to recover from today’s marathon of sex, she’d be able to pinpoint what it was.
Justin didn’t respond, but she wasn’t awake long enough to question why.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Justin lay awake staring at the ceiling the next morning while Erin continued to sleep deeply next to him. After the vigorous day he’d spent with Erin the day before, he should have been sleeping for a solid twenty-four hours. But his racing thoughts had kept him awake long after she’d fallen asleep and awakened him at first light. The same question kept playing over and over in his mind — how was he going to make it the rest of the week with her?
Oh, the sex he could do, and gladly. But it was the part of him that no one on the ranch ever saw that was in danger. Working here was supposed to help him forget. Instead, each moment he spent with Erin was making him remember more and more what it felt like to truly be alive. He loved having sex with her, yes, but there was something else about her that was worming its way past the stone wall he’d built around his heart. He couldn’t even really put a finger on it. Some potent combination of beauty, vulnerability, strength, laughter, and caring that had him thinking of her as more than a client. And that was a dangerous way to think.
But God help him, he couldn’t seem to stop his thoughts from racing down that path.
He’d thought to remind himself of her status as a client, someone he’d never see again after a few more days, by taking her from behind. Yes, he’d been telling the truth when he’d told her that he thought it would help her get over her ex, but he’d made the suggestion for himself to. If he didn’t have to look into her eyes as he took her, it’d be easier to deal with the fact their time together was ticking away.
It shouldn’t matter anyway, but it did. Sometime in the past couple of days, she’d started meaning something to him, no matter how crazy that sounded. He wanted to beat the guy who’d cheated on her, wanted to help her find a life that made her truly happy, where she could be who she was meant to be.
Erin stirred next to him and he placed a soft kiss on her forehead as she came awake.
"Good morning," she said.
"Good morning."
Her phone beeped at an incoming text message, so she rolled away toward the nightstand. Justin took the opportunity to snag some clean clothes and head for the bathroom. As he brushed his teeth and hair and got dressed, a plan for the day formed in his head. Erin had seemed to really appreciate the scenery, so maybe she’d like to explore beyond the ranch. He tried not to think about how he’d never taken any other client anywhere not on the ranch or why he might feel the urge to do so with Erin.
He ran cold water over his face and back through his close-cropped hair. As he stared at himself in the mirror, he took a deep, fortifying breath.
By the time he left the bathroom, Erin had vacated the bedroom. He followed the sounds of her banging around to the kitchen. Already, she was pouring pancakes onto a griddle.
"We could have ordered breakfast," he said as he leaned his shoulder against the doorway to the kitchen.
"Yes, but they wouldn’t be my mom’s famous apple cinnamon pancakes."
She was cooking a treasured family dish for him? That caused his heart to squeeze a little, reminding him too much of other family dishes, other breakfasts with a beautiful woman.
He pushed those thoughts aside as he watched Erin cook then as they ate and talked about things like the books they liked to read, their favorite movies, even football.
"I’m not sure I can live down that I’ve been spending so much intimate time with a Redskins fan," he said, teasing her.
"Hey, I can’t help it. My dad is a huge fan, even has a Redskins room where he watches the games," she said. "He didn’t have any boys, so I had what I called Tomboy Sundays with my dad.
Justin didn’t respond, but she wasn’t awake long enough to question why.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Justin lay awake staring at the ceiling the next morning while Erin continued to sleep deeply next to him. After the vigorous day he’d spent with Erin the day before, he should have been sleeping for a solid twenty-four hours. But his racing thoughts had kept him awake long after she’d fallen asleep and awakened him at first light. The same question kept playing over and over in his mind — how was he going to make it the rest of the week with her?
Oh, the sex he could do, and gladly. But it was the part of him that no one on the ranch ever saw that was in danger. Working here was supposed to help him forget. Instead, each moment he spent with Erin was making him remember more and more what it felt like to truly be alive. He loved having sex with her, yes, but there was something else about her that was worming its way past the stone wall he’d built around his heart. He couldn’t even really put a finger on it. Some potent combination of beauty, vulnerability, strength, laughter, and caring that had him thinking of her as more than a client. And that was a dangerous way to think.
But God help him, he couldn’t seem to stop his thoughts from racing down that path.
He’d thought to remind himself of her status as a client, someone he’d never see again after a few more days, by taking her from behind. Yes, he’d been telling the truth when he’d told her that he thought it would help her get over her ex, but he’d made the suggestion for himself to. If he didn’t have to look into her eyes as he took her, it’d be easier to deal with the fact their time together was ticking away.
It shouldn’t matter anyway, but it did. Sometime in the past couple of days, she’d started meaning something to him, no matter how crazy that sounded. He wanted to beat the guy who’d cheated on her, wanted to help her find a life that made her truly happy, where she could be who she was meant to be.
Erin stirred next to him and he placed a soft kiss on her forehead as she came awake.
"Good morning," she said.
"Good morning."
Her phone beeped at an incoming text message, so she rolled away toward the nightstand. Justin took the opportunity to snag some clean clothes and head for the bathroom. As he brushed his teeth and hair and got dressed, a plan for the day formed in his head. Erin had seemed to really appreciate the scenery, so maybe she’d like to explore beyond the ranch. He tried not to think about how he’d never taken any other client anywhere not on the ranch or why he might feel the urge to do so with Erin.
He ran cold water over his face and back through his close-cropped hair. As he stared at himself in the mirror, he took a deep, fortifying breath.
By the time he left the bathroom, Erin had vacated the bedroom. He followed the sounds of her banging around to the kitchen. Already, she was pouring pancakes onto a griddle.
"We could have ordered breakfast," he said as he leaned his shoulder against the doorway to the kitchen.
"Yes, but they wouldn’t be my mom’s famous apple cinnamon pancakes."
She was cooking a treasured family dish for him? That caused his heart to squeeze a little, reminding him too much of other family dishes, other breakfasts with a beautiful woman.
He pushed those thoughts aside as he watched Erin cook then as they ate and talked about things like the books they liked to read, their favorite movies, even football.
"I’m not sure I can live down that I’ve been spending so much intimate time with a Redskins fan," he said, teasing her.
"Hey, I can’t help it. My dad is a huge fan, even has a Redskins room where he watches the games," she said. "He didn’t have any boys, so I had what I called Tomboy Sundays with my dad.
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