Chapter 24: : Chapter 24

I sigh happily as Archer’s arm wraps around my waist, his lips pressing against the back of my neck as he spoons me. “Wake up, darling,” he murmurs, kissing me over and over again. “You need to get ready for work.”

“I don’t wanna go to work,” I complain, still half-asleep.

Archer chuckles, and I blink lazily, only to freeze when I remember where I am. I fell asleep in Archer’s bed again. It’s been happening far more often than it should, but he doesn’t look remotely annoyed to have me here. “So beautiful,” he murmurs, his gaze darkening.

I sit up and reach for my hair self-consciously, the sheet falling away in the process. “Oh God,” I murmur. “What time is it? I’m going to be late.”

“It’s still early, baby. Don’t rush out just yet.” Archer visibly struggles to tear his gaze off me, but eventually, he manages to nod at my nightstand. “Made you coffee,” he tells me. “I’ve got your lunch packed and waiting for you in the kitchen too.”

I pull the sheet up and reach for the mug, my stomach fluttering as I take a sip. “Archer,” I whisper. “The silk sheets, coffee in the morning… Don’t you…um, don’t you think you’re treating me a bit too well? I don’t want to be an inconvenience to you, so please don’t think you need to do these kinds of things for me. I’m well aware of what we are and what we aren’t.”

His expression hardens, something akin to anger crossing his face. “What do you take me for?” he asks, running a hand through his hair as he sits up to face me, the sheet bunching around his waist, his muscular torso and the waistband of his black boxer shorts on display for me. “You can’t truly believe I’ll happily fuck you but treat you dismissively outside of bed.” He reaches for me and gently pushes one of my curls out of my face. “I thought I made it clear that you’re mine for the time being, Serenity. I have every intention of treating you as such, so you’ll never accept anything less than you deserve.”

“You’ll ruin me for everyone else,” I murmur, hiding my face behind my coffee cup. It’s strange to be sitting in bed with him in the morning. It’s almost like the time we spend in his bedroom is sacred, like he’s an entirely different person between these four walls. Right here, right now, he isn’t my brother’s best friend nor is he my boss. He’s just mine.

Archer grins at me unapologetically, almost like he enjoys the idea of it. “Get ready. I’ll drive you to work.”

I narrow my eyes at him and shake my head. “No,” I tell him as I slip out of his bed, loving the way his breath hitches when he lays his eyes on my bare body. He makes me feel so comfortable in my own skin, and his attention is something I’ve come to revel in.

“Darling,” he begins to say, a sexy smirk on his face. “Come on, I’m just giving you a ride. Call it repayment for the way you rode me last night.”

I gasp, and then I burst out laughing. “That was… Wow.”

He chuckles and leans back in bed as I reach for my clothes, finding them all neatly folded on a chair in the corner of his room, along with one of his T-shirts. “I really love hearing you laugh,” he says, his voice soft.

My heart skips a beat, and I glance over my shoulder, thrown off by the way he’s making me feel. “Ezra is going to wonder where I was last night,” I tell him as I reach for his tee and pull it over my head. If he asks, I’ll just tell him I spent the night at Theo and Kristen’s house, but I never should’ve stayed over while Ezra is just a few doors down. He’s rarely here, but when he is, he’s a little overbearing.

My words wipe his smile off his face, and I look down when I see guilt flicker in his eyes. “He’s not scheduled to go on another business trip for about two weeks now.”

I nod, and Archer stares at me longingly.

“I like having you in my bed at night,” he tells me. “Honestly, I hate having to rush, and it just doesn’t feel right to have sex and then go our separate ways.”

“I like it too,” I admit. Something about falling asleep in his arms soothes my aching heart. It makes me feel wanted for more than just my body, and though I’d never have dared ask for it, it’s exactly what I needed. “But we have to be careful. Ezra can’t find out about us. All of the reasons you initially told me we shouldn’t do this still hold true.”

He buries a hand in his hair, and I soak in this sight of him leaning back in bed, his muscles on display. “I know,” he murmurs. “I know, but I don’t particularly like it. I warned you, didn’t I? I’m an all-or-nothing kind of guy, and I’m too old to be sneaking around.”

I tense, a deep ache settling in my chest. “I get it,” I tell him, my voice soft. “If you…if this is all too much, we don’t have to continue. I’ll still give you the painting. Honestly, I’m already really grateful you made my first time so good, and I understand if—”

“How did you get there when what I was trying to say is that I hate having to hide you, us?” He rises from his bed and walks up to me, his gaze unwavering as he cups my face. “You promised me we’d communicate with each other, didn’t you? No assumptions, no misinterpreting things. All I’m saying is that I’m not loving that I can’t even drive you to work, that I have to pretend you’re just another employee at the office, and on top of that, I can’t have you while Ezra is around. That’s all I’m saying.”

I nod and step closer to him, my hands sliding around the back of his neck. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’m not used to this, Arch.”

He grabs my waist, his eyes on mine. “Nor am I,” he says, sighing. “In many ways, this is new to me too.” He reaches for one of my curls and wraps it around his finger. “I guess the real problem here is that I can’t get enough of you.”

I grin at him, my heart pounding wildly. “The feeling is entirely mutual.” I hesitate, and then I rise to my tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll see you at work, okay? I know you don’t want to sneak around—”

“For you I will,” he says, looking at me in a new way, like he genuinely cares about me in a way he didn’t before.