Everything around me was perfect. The rug was soft, and at some point in the night, Duncan had slipped another pillow along with some sheets under my body, making it as comfortable as any bed. I sat up, the outside shimmering with newly fallen snow, the scent of coffee in the air.
I stretched, blood flowing to my limbs and waking me up. The night’s sleep had been divine, and I felt totally refreshed and rested. And then, if the sights around me couldn’t have been any better, Duncan walked into the living room. He wore black sleeping pants and a white V-neck T-shirt that clung tightly to his muscles. A mug of steaming coffee was in each hand.
“Morning,” he said with a smile as he put both mugs on the coffee table nearby.
“Good morning.”
He leaned down and kissed me slowly, our mouths lingering for several lovely moments. Part of me wanted to grab that amazing body and pull him down into the sheets.
As if he was reading my mine, he broke our kiss. “As much as I’d like to,” he said with a smile, “duty calls.”
“I had a feeling you might say that.” I was disappointed, of course, but understood. The man was a doctor and business-owner all in one – I was lucky he had any time for dating at all.
He rose and glanced at the couch. “As much as I like the idea of you lounging around my place totally naked, I figured you might want to put something on.”
I glanced down, realizing that my boobs were on display. A laugh from me followed, then I looked back at what he was referring to: a fluffy, white robe. He handed it to me and I slipped it on.
“Wow,” I gushed. “Feels like I’m wearing a cloud.”
“Glad you like it. I’ve been up for a little bit working, so I went ahead and threw your clothes in the wash, so they’d be clean when you woke up. They should be ready in a little bit.”
“Appreciate it,” I said, getting up and cinching the belt of my robe around my waist before taking the coffee and sitting down on the couch.
He left the room, coming back with a big plate of baked goods, croissants and bear claws and donuts and about everything else I could want. “Help yourself.”
I moved my hand over the plate, plucking an apple fritter out of the pile. Then I took a bite and let my eyes roll into the back of my head in total delight. “Now,” I said as I finished chewing, “I appreciate it, but isn’t this a little…junky for a doctor? Or do you always have a pastry array for guests?”
He chuckled. “You’re right – this stuff usually isn’t on my training table. One of the local places dropped them off at my office yesterday, but no one was around to take them. I figured I’d bring them in on Monday, but they’re all yours if you want them.”
“Just the one’s fine,” I said, sucking the glaze off my finger after another bite.
We sipped our coffee in silence, enjoying one another’s company, but a glance at Duncan revealed that there was definitely something on his mind.
“What’s up?” I asked. A tinge of worry ran through me. Had he decided things had gotten too serious too quickly?
“I have something I wanted to ask you, but feel free to say no if you’re not comfortable with it.”
I smiled at him, though my insides were quivering. “Shoot.”
“I’ve got a little something coming up this Saturday – a Christmas party, to be specific. I throw it for my company every year, and with all the new branches and staff, this year is looking to be the biggest one yet.”
“Sounds exciting.”
“It’ll definitely be something like that. But I wanted to ask if you’d be interested in being my date for the night.”
Surprised, I asked, “You want me to be your date?”
“I do. You’re good company, and I wouldn’t mind showing you off.” He grinned before leaning in and planting a kiss on my cheek. “But like I said, I don’t want to pressure you.”
“No, not at all. I’d be happy to go.”
“Great,” he said. “It’s in Denver, and I’ll handle all the transportation and such.”
Something occurred to me, something I was a touch embarrassed to bring up. “Thing is,” I said. “I don’t really have anything great to wear.”
The truth was I couldn’t afford anything nice to wear. Between the move and furnishing my apartment and everything else, I was down to the last of my savings. I didn’t know how to bring this up without sounding totally irresponsible. And I didn’t want to sound like I was asking him for anything.
“Don’t even worry about that. I can pick you up Saturday afternoon and we can find something for you to wear. On me.”
“Oh, that’s too much,” I said, shaking my head. “At least let me pay you back or something.”
“Nope, and I won’t hear another word about it. If you’re being so kind as to be my date, I’m going to take care of everything else. And that’s final.” His tone was stern, and part of me liked the way he was setting the terms and not giving me a chance to object.
“Fine,” I said with a wry smile. I’d have to think of a way to pay him back, once I got my first paycheck, but we’d cover that later. “If you want to buy me a dress, I’ll let you buy me a dress.”
He smiled before coming in for another kiss. And this kiss lingered. My hands moved to his body, and his did the same to mine. If he wanted to take me again, I would’ve happily let him.
Instead, he pulled his lips away and offered me a sad look. “Unfortunately, I have to get to work.”
I nodded. “Well, I look forward to the party.”
“Me too. And I’d like to see you before that too. How does Wednesday work?”
I smiled. “Wednesday works.”
We sealed the agreement with another kiss before going back to our coffee and breakfast. When were done, Duncan went to the laundry and grabbed my clothes, giving me some privacy in one of the many guest bedrooms while he dressed. He came out in gray slacks, a white button-up, and black leather loafers – effortless class and style.
“I’ll give you a ride back.”
“I should hope so,” I teased with a grin. “Wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of you to make me walk in this weather.”
He laughed, coming over to give me a kiss before we headed out. During the drive back I soaked up the incredible view. The Colorado landscape of tall pines and rolling hills all dusted with fresh, untouched snow was perfect, a reminder of why I’d come to live here.
“So,” Duncan said as he pulled in front of my apartment. “I’ll come by Wednesday at seven. Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect.”
He walked me to the door and with a kiss and a smile, I went inside. My head swam as I walked into my apartment.
Something was happening between me and the handsome doctor. And I couldn’t wait to find out what the future had in store.
Duncan
I was lucky I had nothing but work going on that day because if I were free, I’d have been thinking about her non-stop. Even with work, it was hard to keep my mind from drifting to Annie.
She was incredible, beautiful and smart and funny. On top of that, she was down-to-earth, a woman who was interested in more than just my money. Women like her were hard to come by. She was almost too good to be true.