‘It’s a good thing. Go.’
He wished that he could have a breakfast thing with Kate as well. That he could stay here, raid her kitchen and make more than she could eat. It was a challenge, but one he would be more than willing to take on.
But, however hard he tried, he couldn’t be in two places at once.
‘Go.’ Kate had seen his hesitation and was smiling. ‘Here, take this with you.’
She pressed a kiss onto his lips and all the warmth of last night, everything they’d made together, flooded back into his senses. He felt her gaze follow him as he got out of bed, and gathered his clothes up from the floor. Instinctively his pace slowed a little.
‘Watching you get dressed is almost as good as watching you get undressed.’ Kate was propped up on her elbow, grinning broadly.
‘Care to give me a hand?’ One of the buttons of his shirt had been almost wrenched from its moorings, after he’d tugged impatiently at it last night. Even that small detail of a memory made him smile.
‘No. I’m fine right here.’
She was better than fine. Sleepy-eyed and still half-wrapped in the sheet, she was gorgeous. Only one thing could stop him from tearing his clothes off and making love to her again.
‘Stay right there. I’ll call you later.’ He bent over, planting his hands on the mattress on either side of her body.
‘Video call?’
He grinned suddenly. ‘In that case, I’ll call earlier.’
She stretched lazily. ‘Don’t rush. I think I’ll have a lie-in this morning.’
Ethan chuckled, dipping to kiss her forehead. He was already mentally counting the minutes that it would take to go home, shower, then get to his parents’ house and make breakfast for Sam. Then find a secluded spot in the garden to make his call.
‘Where’s your phone?’
‘Downstairs, I think. I took it with me when I went to answer the door.’
Ethan found her phone on the hall table, switching it on briefly to check it was charged. Then he brought it upstairs and put it down on the empty pillow next to her. One last kiss and then he tore himself away from her.
* * *
Kate’s phone rang sooner than she’d expected. She jabbed at the ‘answer’ icon, wishing she’d thought to get out of bed and untangle some of the knots in her hair.
He was sitting in the morning sunlight, a neat garden in the background, grinning. ‘Hey there, beautiful.’
Kate ran her hand across her unruly curls and he chuckled.
‘Don’t! I’ve only just woken up again.’
‘I can see that. It really suits you.’
She raised her eyebrows. ‘What, my hair all over the place?’
‘Especially that.’ The slight quirk of his lips told Kate exactly what he was thinking. To be honest, she was thinking the same right now. But last night was...last night. Neither of them had said anything about this morning, and it was uncharted territory.
‘You got back in time for Sam?’ Kate decided
to play it safe.
‘Yes. He’s eating toast with my dad at the moment. They’re discussing their project.’
‘What on earth is the project?’ Whatever it was it seemed to be taking a bit of time and energy. This was the second Saturday running that Sam had stayed at his grandparents’.
‘They’re making a space station for superheroes. It’s in the field at the end of the garden.’