Morning After

LAUREN

I gazed at his sleeping face, tracing my fingers along his jaw, his cheek, his neck, and down his arm. I admired his lips, his strong jawline, his nose, and everything else about him. I loved every inch of him.

~He was mine.~

I had never felt so whole as I did in this moment. We were in a foreign country, in a hotel, sleeping on a bed that wasn’t ours. Yet, it felt like home.

Because anywhere with him was home to me.

I lifted my head and propped myself up slightly, pressing my lips to his ear.

“I love you, Mason,” I whispered, my eyes closed. “I love you so much, and I can’t wait for you to love me back.” I kissed his neck lightly and added in a husky whisper, “I can’t wait to say these words to you.”

I settled back into sleep, my body pressed against his.

When I woke up again, the bed was cold, the spot where Mason had been was empty. The sun was still shining outside, and I was still drowsy.

I pulled up the duvet he must have draped over me and snuggled deeper into the bed, letting sleep claim me once more.

When I opened my eyes again, he was the first thing I saw. We locked eyes, neither of us making a move. My heart pounded so loudly, I was sure he could hear it.

I took in his beauty. Up close, he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. His eyes were like vast pools of silver that I was diving into.

“Morning.”

Mason’s gaze dropped to my lips and I instinctively licked them. His eyes met mine again.

“Is it, though?” he asked, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

It wasn’t. It might be noon or even evening, but in my defense, I had just woken up. My brain was still booting up.

“Don’t sass me.” I nudged him playfully with my knee.

He chuckled, the soft vibrations reaching me. I reveled in his closeness, his warmth, and his scent.

He looked thoroughly amused. “No, that’s all you.”

“You’re right,” I whispered, my leg nestled between his thighs, our bodies entwined. “You can’t be a jerk and sassy at the same time.”

I noticed he had already showered. He wasn’t wearing the same clothes he had slept in.

“When did you wake up?”

He sat up and rested his head against the headboard.

“An hour ago. I showered and checked in with Athena. Not sure if I can trust her to keep things running smoothly while I’m away.”

I shook my head and sat up, tucking my legs under me as I faced him.

“New rule: No phones, no work,” I declared, watching his eyebrow arch slightly. “And don’t worry, Athena knows you’d hunt her down if something happened to your precious company.”

“I don’t think I like that rule.”

I snorted, not surprised he would oppose that, given his nature.

“You just can’t handle not bossing someone around for a short while, huh?”

“I can’t help it. It’s in my DNA.” His eyes were half-closed as he whispered those words, a small smile playing on his lips.

“So, are we going out or are we going to spend the rest of the day in bed?”

“Sounds like a good plan,” he replied, his voice deep and low. He still had his eyes closed, his arms crossed over his chest, his legs hidden under the covers.

“It does,” I agreed, but we couldn’t stay in bed all day. We were in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. “But we’re going out.”

“Can we at least wait until you’ve eaten something?”

I blushed at his words, my heart pounding uncontrollably.

“You don’t see me rushing toward the door, do you?” I retorted sarcastically.

He chuckled.

“Got it.”

I looked at him curiously. “Wait, have you eaten?”

“I had coffee.”

“You? Coffee? Mr. I-don’t-like-anything-that-isn’t-tea Campbell.”

He shrugged nonchalantly and looked away before meeting my eyes again, a charming grin on his face. “I actually quite like coffee,” he admitted.

“Then why did you make me think you don’t like coffee? Actually, it was one of your rules,” I countered suspiciously. When he laughed, I asked, “Why are you laughing?”

“I only have one rule in my company, which is to never be late.”

I sighed in exasperation, but held his gaze. “You gave me a manual with a bunch of ridiculous and eye-rolling rules.”

Amusement danced in his eyes. “Yeah, I did, didn’t I?”

“Mason.”

“The only one who has that is you. I made that manual specifically for you. To torment you, I guess.”

His voice trailed off, and his gaze became distant. I wondered if he was thinking about the times he had been a jerk, the threats he made, and the pleasure it brought him.

I tossed a pillow at his stomach.

“You’re an ass.”

He caught it and tossed it aside.

“Watching you follow them was quite funny, actually.”

“What do you mean watching me follow them?”

I held onto my annoyance and disbelief, managing to keep my cool when something clicked in my head.

“Did you spy on me?” That was the only logical explanation.

“In my own company? I wouldn’t call it that, Lauren. I just took an hour to watch you in my office. I’ve got cameras, you know?”

“You’re even more of a jerk than I pegged you for, stalker.”

I hopped out of bed, catching his gaze as I made my way to the breakfast trays. They were loaded with enough food to feed a small army.

I hadn’t really eaten on the plane, so I figured I’d be starving when I woke up.

I loaded my plate with toast, eggs, and bacon, and grabbed a bowl of fruit. Then I climbed back into bed, extending my plate towards him.

He raised an eyebrow at my move, but I just shrugged it off and scooted closer to him.

“I need clothes,” I said, guiding a piece of toast to my mouth. “I can’t exactly spend the day in these clothes.”

“No worries,” he replied, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear as I took another big bite. “There are shopping bags in the living room.”

“You shopped for me? You know my size?”

He nodded.

“And you got me a bra too?” He nodded again, this time with a smirk.

I shook my head. “I’m not even going to ask how you know my bra size.”

“Isn’t that a guy’s specialty?”

I shot him a glare.