The alarm clock going off woke Blake the next morning.
Groaning, he rolled over and quickly silenced it. He turned onto his back and ran a hand over his stubble face. Beside him, Nicola let out a whimper and moved closer to him. She snuggled up against him and draped an arm across his chest. An unhurried kiss was pressed to his unshaven jaw, and she squeezed him tightly.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” she muttered.
“Good morning, love,” Blake replied.
He loved their little morning routine…
“We have to get up,” Nicola said. “The vacation is over. No more lying in bed, Mr. Echols.”
“You get up first, Mrs. Echols,” Blake told her.
Nicola sighed.
“You're a cruel man, Blake. An extremely cruel, cruel man.”
In one swift motion, Blake had Nicola trapped beneath him.
“You know very well tha
