Page 183 of The Heart You Kept

We stay like this for a long time, kissing up against the wall. Taking our time and drinking every last drop of each other in.

“Do you feel better now?” I whisper up at him.

“Still needy.” He smiles, and it’s a beautiful broad smile that melts my heart into a puddle.

“Lucky I’m here for the night, then, isn’t it?”

He chuckles. “It is.”

The scent of aftershave lingers in the air and I stretch while sitting up.

I’ve woken up alone.

The bedroom is in semidarkness and I can hear muffled talking in the distance.

I go to the bathroom and wrap myself in the bathrobe that is hanging on the back of the door and go in search of my Mr. Doe.

His voice is coming from the last room down the hall and I tentatively walk down and stand at the door.

He’s fully dressed in his suit and sitting behind a desk on a Zoom call. He’s speaking in another language…. Is it German?

What time is it?

He glances up at me and flicks the camera off and mic off and pats his lap, I go and sit across him. “Good morning, Miss Sorenson.” He kisses me softly, his aftershave dances around me, inciting memories of the heaven he took me to last night.

“Hi.” I swoon.

I can hear the voice on the other end of the Zoom still going through his headphones.

“I have back-to-back meetings this morning,” he tells me.

“That’s okay.” I think for a moment. “I have to get back to Nice, I have to open the shop.”

“Philippe can drive you now or I can drive you around eleven.”

“I’ll go with Philippe soon if that’s okay.”

“Of course.” He kisses me again, our lips linger over each other’s. The voice continues to talk through the headphones.

“Can I cook you dinner tonight?”

“Um.” His eyes hold mine and I can almost see his mind ticking a million miles per minute.

“It’s just dinner.” I pull a whiny face.

“Edward,” the voice calls, realizing he isn’t answering.

“Okay.” He nods, with another quick kiss he pushes me off his lap. “I’ll see you tonight,” he mouths. “I’ll pick you up from work.”

“Okay.” I act cool but what I really want to do is jump in the air.

Dinner…like a real date.

I make my way back into the bedroom and quickly dress and make the bed. I take one last look around, have I got everything?

I go back down to Edward’s office and wave from the door, he frowns and points to his cheek.

He wants a kiss.