Maeve didn’t give her the time to answer. “That good, huh? I figured he would be. I think the career can take a backseat to skills like that.”
“My career’s not taking a backseat, Maeve.”
“Fine, then, you can put Mick in the backseat. Hm, there’s a thought.”
“Seriously, Maeve, I’m counting on you and Bess to help me stay focused. I just realized that depriving myself of someone I’m this attracted to might not be helping my career at all.” She filled her in on the details of Vi’s surprise engagement and finished with a sigh. “So that’s it. And Mick is the perfect relationship for me, if you think about it. He’s out of here in a year or so. Knowing that will help keep my head out of the clouds.”
“Hey, do you think he’ll keep mowing the lawn next spring if you guys are still together?”
Lacey didn’t dignify that with a reply. “Later, Maeve. Oh, and save me a piece of coffeecake.”
She turned off her phone just as she heard Maeve mutter, “In your dreams.”
Behind her, the floor creaked and she turned to see Mick, looking formidable and adorable at the same time, wearing nothing but boxers and holding a breakfast tray. Her blood stirred. “Hi,” she said breathlessly.
Mick emitted a low whistle at the sight of Lacey in his PT gear. “Morning. I wanted to serve you breakfast in bed, but I guess I wasn’t fast enough.”
Lacey’s eyes danced. “I can remedy that.” Tossing her phone onto a heap of yesterday’s clothes, she jumped into the center of his bed.
Raising an eyebrow, he set the tray on the bedside table. “The eggs will keep.” Lowering his body over hers, his kiss was full of hunger as he grasped her hands to her sides so that she was barely able to move.
She loved the taste of him. The feel of his mouth on hers filled every crevice of her soul.
He pulled back and gazed at her warmly. “God, you’re beautiful in the morning.”
“You must be kidding.”
He dove into her mouth again and angled his body on hers so that she could feel his rock-hard response against her. “Obviously, I’m not kidding,” he murmured as his mouth left hers and traveled down to the gentle curve of her neck. Slowly, patiently, his fingers traveled to where she was already moist and aching for him. He probed gently into her heat.
Lacey drew in a sharp breath from the welcome invasion, and her body arched sharply to meet the pressure of his hand against her.
“That’s it, baby,” he whispered in her ear. “I love seeing you this way.” When his finger pulled out, she let out a small protest, but then his hands pulled her legs apart, and his mouth tasted her.
Something about the morning light pouring in made Lacey feel so exposed. “Oh, Mick. Not now. It’s just—”
She couldn’t complete her thought as her body writhed in involuntary ecstasy. His fingers and tongue sent her soaring upward until she cried out in a release that had her floating, free-fall, back to reality.
He smiled in satisfaction.
Her body flushed, she purred, “Somehow starting my morning with just coffee won’t be quite as satisfying as this.”
“Fortunately for you, I’m available most mornings,” Mick replied, deftly pulling off his boxers and reaching for the box of condoms.
Lacey smiled and pressed her hands against his shoulders, urging him to lay back and let her straddle him. He groaned as she grabbed him and sank down onto the full length of him. Still fascinated by the hard ripples of muscle, she traced her hands down his chest, and he throbbed in response to her light touch, aching for release. Watching her hair fall upon him as she rode him, she quivered when his mouth grabbed her breast. His hand reached for her other breast and he kneaded, gently at first, then with force, until her eyes fell to half-mast.
Swiftly he flipped her onto her back and thrust, consuming her with each passing moment, until finally he claimed her again, sending her senses reeling with release.
It could have been minutes that passed in silence, or it could have been hours. Their bodies, slick with sweat, had melted into each other, lost in a tangle of limbs and sheets. It was Mick who first lifted his head to notice the absence of steam rising from the coffee that awaited Lacey.
“I think I’ll have to get you some fresh coffee.”
“Don’t worry about it. It was worth the sacrifice,” Lacey said, her hands sliding up his sinuous arms and then tracing the contours of his body.
“No, really,” Mick insisted, pulling back. “I’ll bring you some more. And I’ll make some fresh eggs.”
She felt a chill in the room as his warm body left hers. Suddenly feeling awkward, she pulled a sheet over her, sensing tension in the room. He slipped his boxers back on and reached for the breakfast tray.