Healing Hearts

Chapter 10

The sun had just started to rise, casting a gentle glow through the window. Charlotte stirred in her bed, once again waking up next to the same man - Simon, except this time he wasn't under the influence of alcohol. It was strange how at ease she felt around him, almost as if they had been together for years. And now, she had agreed to look after him for the day and even invited him to sleep in her bed instead of on the couch.

She couldn't deny feeling a slight disappointment when he hesitated before accepting her invitation. But she understood his caution, after all that had transpired in the previous few weeks.

As she turned onto her side, facing him, she couldn't help but admire how handsome he still looked while sleeping - just like their first night together. He was undeniably sexy.

Simon's chest rose upward, then down again, as he breathed. Little snores escaped at times, causing her to chuckle. It felt so domestic.

Ignoring her earlier promise, she reached over and ran her hand lightly over his arm. Her heart filled with warmth as she made contact with his skin. It felt good to touch him again, though she did feel a little guilty about disobeying his request. She just couldn't help it. She was drawn to him.

I'm in so deep.

Charlotte must have drifted off again, because the next time she opened her eyes, Simon's side of the bed was empty. Her initial reaction was one of panic—she was supposed to be keeping an eye on him, after all. Her fears were alleviated when she heard noises coming from the kitchen. It sounded like pans were being pulled out of their cabinet. Then she heard his voice.

"Winslow, no! That's not for you." She smiled, imagining her big, orange boy trying to help Simon do whatever it was he was doing. Cooking, maybe?

She padded out to the kitchen, finding Simon in front of the stove and Winslow on the counter next to it. She swooped over and picked him up. "Winslow you know better than to be on the counter!" She booped his nose before setting him down on the ground. He immediately rubbed against her leg—he was not one for holding grudges.

Turning her attention to her guest, Charlotte stood next to him at the stove, admiring his work. "Pancakes, yum." Her arm brushed against his as she leaned in. Simon flashed her one of his sly grins.

The aroma of frying pancakes filled the air. "You can cook for me whenever you want." As she watched him work, she wiggled on her tip-toes and clapped her hands in anticipation.

He grinned back at her. "Maybe wait until you taste them before you make that assessment," he said as he moved the first batch onto a plate. "Do you have syrup? I couldn't find any but I know I have some if you don't."

Reaching up into a cabinet, Charlotte pulled out a fresh bottle. It was butter-flavored, her favorite. She held it just out of Simon's reach, teasing him. "What's the magic word?" she sang.

Simon added more butter to the pan. It sizzled in front of them, sending a bit of smoke into the air. Turning to her, he used his finger to wipe a dollop of pancake batter on her cheek. "Is that it?" he asked.

Charlotte's mouth opened in shock. "You're going to pay for that!" Without hesitating, she gathered some of the butter onto her fingers and aimed for Simon's face. He dodged her first attempt no problem, much to her frustration, but it didn't stop her from trying again. This time she made contact with his hair--the creamy substance smoothed into the curling brown locks she had previously admired from afar.

When Simon noticed what she had done, his gaze shot to her face. He's going to be angry with me now. She wasn't sure how he felt about his hair; some men were very particular about it while others didn't seem to care at all.