I was warm. Too warm.
When I opened my eyes to the light streaming in through the large window, I realised that Spencer Haywood was wrapped around me like a vine and surprisingly enough I'd never been more comfortable.
Then, memories of last night burst to the forefront of my consciousness making my cheeks warm.
We...I...we were....we had...
Spencer grumbled, turning over in his sleep away from me, but with one arm still thrown over my stomach.
I slowly shuffled away from him, making a move to get out of bed. He moaned something indecipherable before settling down once again with a heavy breath.
I couldn't help the huge, idiotic smile that was on my face just watching him sleep and thinking about all the emotions we'd stirred up over the past few months.
Spencer Haywood, my best friend was something I never imagined he would ever be. My boyfriend. My first.
Laughing to myself, I grabbed my panties which were strewn over Spencer's bedside lamp before padding over to the doorway and slipping his discarded shirt over my shoulders.
As his best friend that couldn't cook to save her life I was forbidden from being around Spencer's precious state of the art kitchen equipment. But as his girlfriend? Well, I wanted to make him breakfast in bed.
Leaving the door slightly ajar, I made my way into the living area, the New York skyline once again giving me a glorious and welcome greeting. I felt as if I was on Cloud Nine despite the slight soreness I could feel if I made any sudden movements. I never knew it could be like this or feel this way. No wonder Licia always waxed lyrical about it.
Heat rising to my cheeks again at the thought of a naked Spencer I decided to busy myself with a different task: trying to find my way around Spencer's kitchen and trust me, it was far more complicated than it looked...
Two frying pans and a broken bowl later I was frying bacon for breakfast. I'd decided to go with something simple. Bacon and scrambled eggs with a dollop of ketchup, the grease I knew Spencer would definitely appreciate. So far, I had tried to whisk the eggs in the fluid way that I'd seen Spencer do - holding the bowl out and moving whilst he whisked but that only resulted in a broken bowl which I was surprised and shocked didn't wake him up from his slumber. I moved my focus instead to the bacon. It was simple, just like the pancakes Spencer had whipped up for me on the first morning I stayed here.
Singing a tune I'd heard on the radio, I used one of Spencer's many implements to flip the bacon onto the other side so it would crisp up. This chef thing wasn't difficult! I was really getting the hang of it!
I couldn't stop myself from laughing aloud at the thought of Spencer berating my cooking skills. Take that pretty boy! I would show him. Now, just to get back to those eggs.
Slowly breaking two into a fresh bowl, I fished out the shell with a fork. God, I hated this bit, why didn't Spence tell me it was so difficult? I resolved to go with a simpler whisking method this time, bowl flat on the marble work surface, one hand to hold it still whilst the other whisked gently.
Singing the same tune, I got to work, first anti clockwise then clockwise. I found myself swaying with the bowl to the tune I was creating and the eggs being thoroughly beaten ready for the pan.
Suddenly, two arms went around my waist, a nose buried into my hair and then a soft kiss on the sensitive spot where my neck met my shoulder.
"Hmm... now that's a glorious sight for a man to wake up to."
I smiled, arching back against him, "Hey, you. Good morning."
"Oh, Adriana, it most definitely is." His hands trailed down the shirt I was wearing before a sharp sting connected with my behind.
"Hey!" I protested, dropping the whisk and turning to face him full of righteous indignation for the first time this morning, "You just slapped my---"
But all thoughts of irritation went out of my head as soon as I laid eyes on him all 6 o'clock shadow and bright baby blue eyes.
"Good morning, baby. You look sensational." He lowered his lips to mine in a sultry and sensual kiss that had my mind flicking through all the images of last night and making me blush hard, "God, I love it when you wear white, Angel. And my clothes? Twice as sexy."
As we kissed, his hands found my behind again and squeezed. Outraged, but admittedly turned on, I twisted my fingers in his hair, making him groan.
"Oh, my naughty girl." He moaned, his tongue delving into my mouth once again. He lifted me onto his kitchen counter and wrapped my legs around his waist. I gasped, pulling away from him. Good morning indeed!
"Spencer!"
He grinned widely, looking to what I was looking at, before back up at me, "What can I say? You're a very nice picture to wake up to in the morning. It's not often I get the most beautiful girl in the world haphazardly attempting to make me breakfast in only my shirt and a sexy pair of panties. So, yes, Adriana, forgive me if I'm... very happy to see you."
I pouted, "I was going to bring you breakfast in bed."
"How about we skip the breakfast and just go straight to the bed, then?" He fixed me with a hooded, dark stare
"As good... as that sounds..." I fidgeted, "I'm halfway through making it. You make it look really easy, but it's actually very hard."
"I know something else that's very hard." He leered, pulling me into him by the waist, "I like this," he stroked a strand of my hair between his thumb and finger, "Is this bed hair or sex hair? Or both? You look sexy as sin."
I blushed again, "You don't look too bad yourself, handsome."
"Hey," he frowned, sweeping a thumb across my cheek, "Are you alright? Sore?"
"I'm fine." I smiled weakly. Why the hell did I feel so embarrassed around him? "It's just..."
He let out a breath, closing his eyes, his whole presence pulling away from me, "You regret last night..."
"No!" I exclaimed, "I could never, ever... Spence, last night was incredible."
His brows furrowed, "Then what is it?"
"I just...I--I.... I want to make you happy." I finally got out. That was my biggest fear. That in the cold light of day, it wasn't me who'd regret last night, it was him.
"Wait a minute... You think I regret anything that happened last night?"
Spencer always had the ability to read me like a book.
What if he realised this was all a huge mistake? That I wasn't enough to satisfy him or that we should be friends instead? What if he changed his mind about a relationship and wanted to continue with his prior promiscuity?
Yes, my fear was that he'd turn out to be just like Mark.
"No, it's not that, it's---"
"Don't lie to me Adriana. Just don't." He put a hand to his forehead, "Don't you see it?"
"What? See what?" I was confused, I hadn't expected him to confront me like this.
"See how much you mean to me, see how happy, how deliriously happy you make me, how you've always made me? Adriana, you're everything to me. That's something I've always told you. You're everything," He threaded his fingers through mine, "You thought last night was going to change things between us, and I'll tell you what it did--"
My face fell. But then his fingers were lifting my chin.
"For the better. I knew that I cared about you before, but last night only cemented all of that for me Adri. Please stop doubting yourself. You're all I've ever needed."
An involuntary half-smile came to my face as I tried to avoid his gaze.
"There she is. My beautiful girl." He smiled, "Trust me?"
"Always." I looked into his eyes, pulling his head down so that his lips landed on mine.
His lips moved against mine, slowly, coaxing them into a smooth rhythm.
Breaking for air, he smiled, tucking a loose strand of my hair behind my ear, "I'll tell you what. You stick to the coffee and I'll deal with the breakfast. Sound like a plan?"
I stood on tiptoes and kissed his nose, "Please. I'm not good at this homemaker thing."
Spencer tipped his head back in laughter, "Oh Adriana, you are so incredibly endearing."
I wiggled my hips playfully, "You like me that way."
He growled, kissing my temple as he moved past me to grab the pan, turning the head down low, "You're lucky this bacon didn't burn the apartment down." He shook his head, "What am I going to do with you, eh, Rodriguez?"
I smiled, "Well, first you can make me some... how do you say it? Smashing...breakfast." I teased him, trying to mock his accent.
"Oh, really?" He grinned, whisking the eggs in that easy way he did.
"And then..." I paused, "Then you can take me back to bed."
Spencer dropped the whisk and placed the bowl on the counter, "Oh... really..."
"If you play your cards right." Trying to come across as seductive was harder than it looked in the movies.
I lifted myself up before lowering myself down onto a chair at Spencer's breakfast bar, wincing slightly at the pain.
Spencer was by my side in an instant, clutching my face, "Are you alright, baby?"
"Iwww--finnh." I attempted to get out, Spencer squishing my face tight. His arm immediately dropped, making me giggle.
"I'm fine Spence, honestly." I nodded, "I just need a bit of... recuperation I suppose."
"Can I get you anything?" He queried, "Ice? A hot water bottle?"
"I'm good," I giggled again, "Honestly Spence, you're like a mother hen and it's admittedly funny to watch."
Spencer pouted dramatically, "I just want to make sure you're alright."
I sighed with a smile, "Oh I know, baby, I know."
His head snapped around like a shot and his eyes locked tight with mine.
"What?" I laughed, bemused at his expression.
"That's the f--first time you've ever..."
"First time I've ever what?"
He shook his head, "Nothing. Never mind me."
I frowned again, "Okay." The y syllable dragged out of its own accord, "You look cute with your stubble like that."
Spencer wrinkled his nose, pouring the beaten eggs into a fresh pan to sizzle, "Adriana, the only person to call me cute in years has been my mother."
"Well, I can break that habit can't I? You do look cute, Haywood, I'm just telling the truth." I smiled sweetly
He rolled his eyes but couldn't help the smile from spreading across his face, "If you say so."
"Oh, I do say so." I grinned, "Spence?"
"Yes?" He was distracted, putting our breakfast on the plate
"Do you think we should tell our parents about how...serious this is now?"
He frowned, bringing my plate full of scrambled eggs and bacon over to me. He'd arranged the bacon and eggs into a smiley face with a ketchup smile.
I grinned, kissing his cheek and he shot me a panty-dropping smile.
"It's just...I was thinking. It would be a good time to tell everyone now. Alicia included...now we know what this is." I shifted. I'd never had this type of conversation before. With Mark...it was just...Us. On his terms, I now realised. It was more than awkward.
Spencer scratched the back of his neck, grimacing, "How would you feel if I told you... that Mum already knew...how serious this is?"
"You told her?" I gasped, "Already?"
"I was... keen. And besides, it wasn't her directly... Seb got it out of me..."
"You told Sebastian about us?" This morning was proving to be full of surprises.
"Adri, of course Seb knows, he's known for years. I talk to Seb about most things. A lot of the time it's been you. That's usually why he flirts with you. To try and get under my skin, galvanise me into action." He rolled his eyes
That was the reason behind playful Sebastian? Because he knew all this time?
I sighed and shrugged my shoulders, taking a bite of my breakfast, "I wanted to tell our family Spence. I'm okay with that. I just thought...you know we haven't told Licia..."
He offered me a resigned smile, "I know baby, I'm sorry. I should've waited."
"It's okay." I smiled sweetly, "You can make up for it by telling my father."
His eyes widened, "Look Adri, I know your parents like me and all and by all accounts, your mum reacted well. But your father? He's a six foot five ex-builder and ex-part time boxer. He'll kill me. And then where will we be?"
I laughed, "Papa's a big teddy bear, silly. What are you trying to say?"
"That he'll cut my balls off with a spork for dating his baby girl without asking. And don't even mention Antonio - he'll skin me alive!"
I smiled slowly, reaching across to cup his face and kiss his lips softly.
He frowned in bemusement, "What was that for?"
"Just being you." I shrugged.
"Well I'll have to be me a lot more often if I get those kind of rewards!" He exclaimed, shovelling breakfast into his mouth.
I rolled my eyes at him, taking a couple of mouthfuls of breakfast. God, this was good! Spencer must have magical fingers or something---I know too much about Spencer's magical fingers. I blushed.
Looking across the breakfast bar, Spencer was smiling at me dopily, a dreamy look in his eyes.
I giggled and he blinked furiously, "What are you thinking, handsome?"
He let out a breath of laughter, shaking his head, "You don't want to know."
I laughed, "Okay then." I wiped the remnants of ketchup from the corner of my mouth after my last bite, placing my knife and fork together, "I'm going to go and take a shower."
"Wait for me." Spencer said in between chewing his large mouthful.
I frowned, "Wait for you for what?"
He shot me a confused look, his brows furrowed again, "For our shower, silly."
"Our shower? OUR shower? No Spence, you're not seeing me in the shower! You're crazy!"
"Why not?" He pouted, frowning deeply.
"Because that would involve seeing me--"
"Naked?" He cut me off, "I think I checked that box last night... And a delightful box it was too." He grinned widely.
"Spencer!" I growled. I think my cheeks were the color of the ketchup I just ate.
"What?" He shrugged, "Adriana, you are sexy as hell and what's more, you're my sexy as hell girlfriend. Showers are just part of the package deal, right?" He moved towards me, pulling me into his arms, "You're beautiful." He kissed my nose and I couldn't help but melt into his embrace.
"Are you still sore?" He questioned, eyes twinkling
"A bit... Not much. Why?"
A salacious smile lightened his features, "Why have a shower before getting good and dirty first?"
And with that, he swept me off my feet and carried me into the bedroom.
*
"Is sex like this all the time?" I asked, tying my hair up in the mirror.
A slick Spencer laughed, stretching out in bed, "Oh no...not at all. It's pretty damn mind-blowing with you, though."
I giggled, "Well, I guess we'll have to make this a regular occurrence then, won't we?"
"Oh yes." He nodded enthusiastically, "I concur entirely. And if you continue looking like that I won't need any persuasion."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. You're a natural at this you know."
I giggled, shaking my head at his assessment, "Can you stop staring at my ass please?" I could see his eyes fixated on me in the mirror.
"It's a perfect ass," he leered, "I just can't help myself." He hopped out of bed, as naked as the day he was born, with a lithe movement, "How about that shower, baby?"
I turned, biting my lip, "Whatever you say."
The shower was hot but Spencer insisted it was the best way to have it. He was a perfect distraction from the scalding heat, insisting on washing my hair. His long fingers massaged my scalp in a way that made my eyes roll into the back of my head in pleasure. With each soapy sud he washed away from my hair, he'd plant a soft kiss on my temple, my neck, my shoulder, my collarbone. This was heaven. I'd never felt anything like it. And I was ready for another round all of a sudden. God, he was turning me into an addict!
I reached up, locking my arms around Spencer's neck and we proceeded to make out underneath the water.
Spencer groaned, "You're killing me here, Adri."
"Right back at you, handsome." I teased playfully biting his bottom lip.
He pushed me up against the tiles of the shower, bracing his body with his forearm, leaving me enshrouded by his six foot body.
"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He breathed, "And you, just. like. this. Naturally stunning. Your curly hair, your fresh face. You blow my mind, Adriana."
Once again, I couldn't help but blush, "Thank you."
"For what? Complimenting you? Adri, you've got to stop this already. I'm going to tell you how damn beautiful you are every day. Just appreciate it."
I smiled reluctantly, listening to the water pound into the shower, "I know Spence."
He bent, all of a sudden, lifting me into his arms. I squealed loudly, "Spence!"
"Let's get you out of the shower, beautiful. You're getting pruny." He linked his fingers through mine, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing it.
"You're hot." I mumbled against him as he cradled me to his chest, his body giving off pure heat.
"You're not too bad yourself there, Rodriguez." He smirked as I smacked his chest. He knew exactly what I was talking about.
"Is this usually the part where you kick the girl out of your apartment?" I teased him as he laid us down, covered in towels on his bed.
Spencer looked uncomfortable, "Well, no, the shower wouldn't have happened. You're the first girl I've ever done that with."
"I took Spencer Haywood's shower virtue?" I giggled, "Well, I'm honored."
"Nope," he smiled, turning to face me, "It is I who should be honoured Miss Rodriguez."
"That goes without saying." I winked, flipping over and stretching out onto my stomach.
He let out a strangled groan, "You're perfect." His finger traced a path down my spine that made me quiver.
"So, you keep saying." I smiled, leaning into his touch and closing my eyes, "You have the best fingers...I--I mean--"
He arched an eyebrow and smirked, "Well, I'll take any compliment."
I blushed hard, moving to turn away from him, but his determined grasp meant I was pulled back towards him.
"Hey, I was kidding, it's alright," he grinned, "Babe, come on."
"They offered me four million dollars as a congratulatory present," I whispered, changing tack.
Spencer frowned, evidently reading my expression, "Simon and Eric?"
I nodded, once again trying to reconcile myself to the decision made yesterday, "A token of gratitude they called it. It was going to be more, but they said they just took some away so I could vest my stake in the company. And now they've offered me 3.5 million dollars a year. Spencer I—"
He knew how I felt about money. Of course, over the years I'd come into a significant amount of money. I had a surplus of it. At first, it was great. I could pay my parents back for all their help and move them back to a newly renovated farmhouse with all the trimmings. But I was skeptical about the effect money could have on people. I didn't want to become arrogant or self-centered. And the higher you rise, the more you fall.
"Adriana, baby, you deserve it," he kissed my forehead, "The money? You deserve it all and you can treat yourself a bit more. You know I came into a lot of money when Jerry died. Mum and Dad were always well off, you know that, but eight figures? Plus the way the paper's grown...it was hard for me at first. I spent a bit recklessly for the first few months. But you'll get used to it. It's fine."
"How?"
"Patience," he sighed, "It'll come to you. You'll get it eventually. And until then...I'll buy you more designer than you can keep count of, and you won't be guilty."
He winked.
I smiled. Only Spencer.
"You've got a long time to get used to it all. The rest of our—the rest of your life." Spencer smiled, "So, suck it up, Rodriguez."
How could I not giggle at that?
For far too long I'd been caught up in the workings of everything. I'd obsessed over every single little detail. But now, I was soaring. I'd made it. I'd made my mark. My name would be on the door of an international law firm, something I never believed I could have.
I could only hope it would be enough for me to maintain.
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[Author's Note]
Wow, it's been a hot minute!
I'll be honest with you. I've had some pretty bad writer's block/procrastination thing going on. It's tricky to get motivated, even when you have the main ideas. I'm quite busy and when I do get the time to write, I've spent it just relaxing.
I'm dedicated to this book and I really want to bring my ideas to life, so I'll keep shouldering on until it gets easier.
Nevertheless, thank you for reading if you're still around after my breaks - it means a lot.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The song is one I haven't been able to stop singing recently!
Until next time, I appreciate you more than you'll ever know.
Keep sweet,
- Bex. 'xo