Naughty November

Chapter 10

TEN

IGGY

“Kieran?”

No response.

Where was he? I rolled onto my back but moved too quickly. Shit, my ass hurt. Last night we must have spent two hours in the tub to soothe my body, but the warm water and his gentle care had eased the pain only a little. My ass wasn’t the only thing sore either. My thighs and even my neck ached.

I didn’t know sex worked out so many muscles.

I bit my bottom lip and stared up at the ceiling, but Kieran didn’t come back to bed. He’d left me alone the day after we first had sex. Why would he do that? He’d been the perfect, attentive partner. I was probably ridiculous, but I’d expected breakfast in bed. Kieran often spoiled me. The first year I made the dean’s list, he’d surprised me with a trip to Cabo.

He’d done everything right up till that moment. How could I be mad, though, when he’d given me everything I dreamed of last night? I shuffled out of bed and gingerly went to the bathroom to relieve myself. I showered and brushed my teeth, but when I entered his bedroom, he still hadn’t reappeared. It was already past nine.

I resisted the urge to call him. One stolen shirt from his closet later, I went downstairs to make breakfast—a bowl of cereal and some fruit.

The front door opened. My heart thudded, and I glanced around for a place to hide.

“What the hell are you doing?” I muttered. “It’s just Kieran.”

Nothing was different.

Everything was different.

We’d kissed.

And touched.

And fucked.

We exchanged “I love yous” but what did that mean for us?

Kieran halted in the doorway. “Iggy, you’re awake.”

“Umm, yes. I was making breakfast.”

“Cereal?” He placed the paper bags in his arms onto the counter, came around the island, and kissed me. “I was hoping I’d get back before you woke up. How are you feeling? Are you uncomfortable?”

I squirmed. Oh, not a good idea. Hopefully, it didn’t show on my face. “It’s not too bad.”

“You can take some ibuprofen. Did you?”

I shook my head.

“Don’t move.”

He ran up to the bedroom and returned with two pills and a glass of water. “Here you go.”

My heart melted. He was so caring. What did it matter if I woke up alone this morning?

“Thank you.” I took the pills and swallowed them down with some water. The pain wasn’t unbearable, but I’d sooner not feel like I’d taken a bulldozer in my ass.

“I bought you a fruit parfait.”

He had bought me more than a fruit parfait. The aroma of warm croissants, coffee, and assorted pastries filled the kitchen, and my stomach growled.

“This looks so good.”

“So I can take this away?” He took up my half-eaten bowl of cereal .

“Yeah.”

He kissed my bare shoulder. “Stealing my shirts again?”

“Hey, after last night, whatever’s yours is mine.” Oh shit. We’d just had sex, not gotten married. What the hell was I saying?

He grinned. “Sounds good.”

He dumped the cereal into the trash. “Anything else of mine you’d like?”

“A hug?”

“Oh, baby.” He enveloped me in his arms, in the warmest hug I could ever ask for. It was like a warm fire after being out in the cold. The rainbow after a thunderstorm. I buried my face into his chest, taking in a deep breath, and…a sob came out.

Kieran went rigid. “Iggy?” He tried to pull back, but I clung to him. “Iggy, what’s wrong? Did I do something?”

“I woke up alone.” The words tumbled out of my mouth despite my desperate attempt to keep my feelings under wraps. “I didn’t like it.”

Good god, what was wrong with me? I released him and scrubbed my face. “I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right.”

“But it’s how you feel, isn’t it?” He brushed the tears away with the backs of his hands. “I didn’t mean to leave you alone, I promise.”

“Then why did you?”

“Yesterday I was supposed to collect something for you, but I had to pick you up instead. I had to catch the person this morning before they left town.”

“What are you talking about?”

He took a small box out of his pocket. “It’s not a lot, but I know you’ve been hunting one down. When I saw it, I had to get it for you.”

He looked so serious. I pried the top open and slapped my hand over my mouth. On a black velvet inlay lay a button, but not just any button. The button was a beautiful blend of yellow gold and enamel, with an intricate design of a delicate flower. The detailed left-facing ram’s head indicated that it was handcrafted from 18k French solid gold between 1819 and 1838. The price tag was several thousands of dollars, so I never thought it would make my collection .

“Kieran, this is… I can’t believe you found one,” I whispered, my fingers trembling slightly.

His smile was as brilliant as the sun. “I know how much this particular button means to you, Iggy. I’ve been searching for the better part of the year, and when I saw it put up for auction, I couldn’t let the opportunity pass.”

My eyes filled with tears. “You really get me, don’t you?”

Kieran’s expression softened, and he wrapped his arms around me again, pulling me close. “Of course I do. I love seeing you happy, and buttons and trivia make you happy.”

I looked up at him, my heart swelling with gratitude and love. “Well, guess what? I have a trivia question for you.”

He groaned. “I’m no good with trivia. I don’t even know if you give me the right answer for half of the questions I ask you.”

I burst out laughing, my heart giddy with happiness. “It’s a question you can answer, I promise.”

“All right, I’ll give it a shot.”

I took his face in my hands. “Who loves you most in this world?”

Kieran sucked in a breath, and a smile broke across his face. For a moment, he stared at me as if studying every detail of my features.

“You,” he said, his voice filled with certainty and warmth that wrapped around me like a blanket. “Iggy, it’s you.”

“Correct.”

I’ve always loved you most.

The End