Summary: Ethan learns something new about Cassie.
Ethan Ramsey hadn't always been an early riser. His father could attest that there was a period from middle school through high school when Ethan would stay in bed until absolutely necessary. His school report cards often mentioned tardiness during first period.
Still, he'd left that habit behind by the time he started college. His body clock had forever adjusted to waking up in the pre-dawn hours after more than a decade of early morning lectures at Brown and Hopkins, followed by even earlier pre-rounds during residency.
He enjoyed that quiet time when most of the city was still asleep. He'd brew a cup of coffee, savor the life-affirming qualities of his drink and take the time to reflect on his day ahead.
That first morning after he and Cassie Valentine spent the night together during her suspension was the only time he could remember sleeping in so late. Between the whiskey and mind-blowing sex, he'd been worn out.
After his return from the Amazon, he'd been swamped between his expanded duties, catching up on the Diagnostics team patients during his absence and breaking in a new junior fellow. The week had flown by, and he looked forward to a quiet weekend.
He invited Cassie to come over for dinner after her shift ended on Saturday and stay the night. Little did he know that his plans for an early morning breakfast in bed would have to wait until noon.
Ethan woke around seven, and the July sun was already high in the sky. He'd forgotten to close the shades last night, and the bedroom was bathed in sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
He ran his hand down soft cotton sheets, the sensation welcoming after weeks of haphazard sleeping arrangements in some of the field hospitals he'd visited.
He'd missed this, he thought absently. His work sometimes required working in uncomfortable conditions. But when he was here, he could luxuriate in the home he'd built for himself.
When his hand touched warm skin under the covers, he stilled and glanced over to the other side of the bed. Ethan realized he wasn't used to waking up with someone beside him and had forgotten Cassie was there.
She was sound asleep, turned on her side facing him, one hand tucked beneath her pillow. A lock of blonde hair slashed down across her forehead and eyelashes. He gently tucked it behind her ear, softening his touch for fear of disturbing her.
Ethan saw her closed eyelids flutter briefly and pondered how vulnerable she looked. Repose in sleep, she was a far cry from the confident doctor he witnessed every day in the halls of Edenbrook.
He gently turned back the covers and padded into the ensuite bathroom. Half an hour later, he returned to the bedroom, freshly shaved and showered, to find only the top of Cassie's head visible above the covers.
Ethan knew how little sleep residents got and was loathe to disturb her. He figured her body clock was likely used to the hospital hours, and she'd wake up any minute now. It would give him enough time to prepare breakfast.
He dressed in the walk-in closet, grabbed his wristwatch off the bedside table and pocketed his cell phone. He called for Cassie to wake up as he left the bedroom and thought he heard her moving under the covers.
She was still asleep when he returned a short while later with a breakfast tray in his hands. She'd pulled the covers above her so that all he saw was a lump in the bed.
Ethan set the tray on his dresser and moved the bedcovers away. Cassie was sprawled across the bed, lying on her stomach, her head resting diagonally on his pillow. Her hair was spread out, and he couldn't see her face.
He called her name several times, but there was no response, and he started to worry. She was sleeping so deeply he was ready to call nine-one-one. He bent down and put his ear close to her face, sighing relief when he heard her even breathing.
Cassie smacked her lips, a low humming sound of pleasure accompanying the movement. He wondered what she was dreaming of when her mouth curled into a smile.
He placed one hand on her shoulder and shook it lightly. She swatted his hand away and burrowed into the bed, tugging the covers to her chin.
When Cassie frowned and mumbled something he couldn't make out, it didn't take a genius to figure out she wanted him to go away.
Ethan stood above her, hands on his hips, brows furrowed and thought, now what?
Perplexed, he watched her for a few more minutes and then turned away to take the breakfast tray back to the kitchen. He placed her breakfast in the oven to keep it warm and ate his at the kitchen island.
While he wasn't averse to a lie-in on his day off, he didn't think he had met anyone who loved to sleep as much as his new girlfriend. He supposed it was all part of learning about each other. And he realized there was so much he still didn't know about Cassie outside the hospital.
He grinned as he settled into an armchair with his coffee and a book. He had a new mystery to explore and just knew cracking Cassie Valentine would be his biggest challenge yet. Let the games begin.