Stone In Love

Chapter 28

I was relieved to see the sun when I woke up. It appeared I was back on my regular sleep schedule. Of course, I was viewing the sunrise from Vincent's spare room window, which meant I was still in weirdville. After a quick trip to the bathroom, I walked into the living room to find it empty. Vincent's bedroom door stood open, and I heard no noise coming from his side of the apartment. Even the dogs were absent, and I wandered into the kitchen where a note rested on the counter. 

Walking the dogs. Don't eat breakfast.

I hadn't pegged Vincent as a note person, or even a breakfast person. Was he planning to make me breakfast? Did he know how to cook? I desperately needed to change my clothes, so I returned to my room. As I rifled through my duffel on the bed, I couldn't help feeling like I was on the strangest vacation ever. I stripped down to my panties, and that's when I heard the front door open. A second later, both dogs rushed into my room.

"Good morning, you two," I said as I greeted them with back scratches. "Did you have a nice walk?"

"They helped me pick out breakfast." Vincent took up residence inside the doorframe as he held up a white paper bag, and I heard his breath catch when he took in my state of undress. He made no effort to look away as he finished his comment. "I hope Bonnie knew what she was doing when she chose the bear claw."

Being a person who was comfortable with her body, I carried on the conversation while giving him an eyeful. "Clearly, Bonnie knows what a woman likes." As the words left my lips, I second guessed them, and I glanced at Vincent in time to see a worried expression mar his features. Did he think I was taking a jab at him? Surely, Bonnie hadn't been the one to choose the bear claw. I hated that I couldn't read him.

"You have a gorgeous body." His voice slipped into a lower register as he left his position at the door to walk toward me. "Full in all the right places."

"Thanks. I don't have a gym membership, but I do what I can. Bear claws are not on my list of approved food stuffs, but I'll make an exception, since Bonnie went out of her way to choose it for me." I smiled as I stepped away from the bed, stopping him in his tracks. I waited for his reaction, which could take any form.

His hand came up to touch my face, and he trailed his fingers across my cheeks and down my neck to my shoulders, leaving chills in their wake. It was the reaction I was hoping for. Just a little lower, please.

"Your eyes do me in, Reese. They tell me everything about you. Some of it I wish I could change. The trauma and the pain."

Damn you, Vincent Valentino. Touch me, already.

"The majority of my life was trauma-free thanks to my parents, and the early stuff I don't remember. Can we not talk about this, right now?"

Vincent stepped back as I yanked a shirt out of my duffel and slipped it on, followed by a pair of jeans. I sidestepped him and walked into the kitchen, taking a glass from the cabinet and pulling out a bottle of orange juice from the fridge. Vincent followed me out, setting the white bag on the counter.

"I didn't mean to upset you," he said.

"I'm good. I just need a minute to clear the cobwebs out of my head before I tackle reality again. Every time I wake up here I think I'm returning to some strange, recurring dream."

Vincent's eyebrows lowered as he watched me gulp down my juice. "Are you sure you meant to say dream, or did you mean nightmare?"

I shrugged because there was no hiding the truth. "Some parts definitely seem like a nightmare, but there are parts I enjoy. And, yes, the parts I enjoy include you."