Sweet Pleasures ✔︎

[8] 𝑹𝒆𝒅𝒘𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑻𝒓𝒆𝒆

Wow. Wasn't that the best sleep of her life?

Jupiter looked at the ceiling, enjoying the sensation of the mattress embracing her. The foggy dawn light filtered through the white curtains along the wall, but she had no desire to leave the bed to open them.

She stretched, and her muscles lengthened gloriously like smooth, pulled taffy. Her sleep had been deep and untroubled, the kind she'd had as a child when she hadn't been worried about adult things like paying her rent and bills on time. The goose-down-Scandinavian goose down-pillows cradled her head like a cloud of meringue, and she swore there was some new zesty energy coursing through her veins.

Not to mention, even on a subconscious level she'd been deliciously aware of Josh's strong body beside her, the soapy scent of him drifting into her dreams.

She turned to glance at him. He faced away from her, in the same position he'd been in when they'd gone to sleep. His shoulder muscles still looked strained beneath his navy T-shirt, the tendons in his neck still tight.

Jupiter lifted herself onto her elbow, her lovely relaxation fading a bit. She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. Sure enough, his muscles were all bunched up and tense.

He twitched. She pressed her fingers into his shoulder a little more to see if his muscles would loosen up at all. Hard as a rock.

Josh shifted, peering over his shoulder at her. His messy hair fell over his forehead and his face was set with irritation. He was all scruffy, dark-eyed male. She swallowed hard. Oh, he was so handsome.

"What are you doing?" His voice was rough.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine," she said. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did not."

"Oh. I slept like a baby."

Jupiter had never heard a man actually growl before, but she was pretty sure thats what Josh did.

He stabbed his finger at the door. "Guest bathroom down the hall has soap, towels, and toothbrushes."

He threw the sheets aside and stalked into the bathroom, shutting the door hard behind him.

Okay, so he wasn't a morning person.

His mention of a bathroom made Jupiter aware of her bladder, so she hurried down the hall to wash up and brush her teeth. She wiggled out of her too-tight pantyhose and rolled it into a ball. She even looked well-rested, she thought, studying herself in the mirror as she tugged a silver comb through her tangled hair.

She left the bathroom and went downstairs to put her pantyhose in her purse. She retrieved her cell phone and checked in with Clementine, who had insisted on opening the bakery this morning after hearing about Jupiter's date.

"Just in case the date goes long," Clementine had said cheerfully.

Jupiter texted her that the date had, indeed, gone long, but due to the broken-down van and not other long... things.

Whatever you say, dear, Clementine texted back.

Jupiter rolled her eyes and headed back upstairs to talk to Josh about dealing with the van and getting home. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

"Josh?" Alarmed, she hurried to his side. "Are you all right?"

He looked up, his features still lined with fatigue. His hair was damp, and water trickled down his temples, like he'd dunked his head under the faucet.

"Did something happen in Venezuela?" Jupiter asked.

"Vene..". He shook his head. "No. Everything's okay."