The sound rising from her increased—that cute little cross between a snore and a purr, and Mark smiled.
There was another thing he could add to the list of things he knew about his mate. She had two speeds: full and off. He grabbed a light quilt from the cupboard and covered her up for the night.
Chapter Five
Eyes wide open.
Ouch.
Eyes snapping shut in self-defence as sunshine hit her face. Tessa threw back the covers and leapt to her feet.
When the floor didn’t seem familiar, it took a few seconds to complete the mental whirl through everything that had happened the previous day. She glanced down, spotting the well-wrinkled clothing she’d slept in at the same moment she caught sight of Mark.
He was asleep, sitting upright in an oversized wingback chair, his temple resting against one support.
Her gaze darted over the room, taking in the messed-up bed sheets, her disheveled condition and his awkward sleeping arrangements.
She hadn’t meant to kick him out of his own bed.
Guess that conversation would have to happen today. She slipped into the bathroom, washed her face, admired the view out the window then shot herself into the kitchen to discover what he might have in the fridge. She needed something she could pull together for breakfast without ruining the food, burning the house down or poisoning them both.
Cereal and milk. That she could handle. Digging through the cupboard turned up bowls, spoons and cups. Which made her think of coffee.
Cofffeeeeeeeeeee.
She ignored the little warning twinges her brain shot at her. While she didn’t need coffee, it was clear from the impressive machine sitting on the counter that Mark wouldn’t mind a cup. After being rude enough to keep him from a good night’s sleep, the polite thing was to do a little extra work on his behalf. He would probably love to have a nice cup of joe to wake up to.
Tessa dragged the silver and black monstrosity away from the wall to look it over. Seemed simple enough. She pulled a lever, and a small compartment opened up, the scent of ground beans making her toes curl.
Nope, not a good idea, sniffing anything stimulating. She’d learned that back in college after a particularly horrifying event involving Red Bull, chocolate and an all-night study session.
But for Mark? She’d find a way to escape the buzz she could get just preparing a pot.
A bit of digging through the freezer brought up a bag of small dark ovals. She hurried to avoid getting more of a head rush than necessary. She loaded the hopper, closed the lever and pushed the big red button. A satisfying whirl filled the air.
Between the cranking noises and the bubbling she soon had going, Tessa was pleased.
Transferring the ground beans into the little cup holder she was sure she’d seen people on television use, she paused. Something didn’t seem right. A bright flashing light distracted her from her misgivings and she rushed ahead and flicked the final switch.
Dark liquid poured from the machine’s spout. And continued to pour. She grabbed another cup and watched anxiously as it approached the point of overflowing as well. Tessa scrambled in the cupboard and pulled out as many cups as she could reach, falling in to a comfortable routine of slipping one cup after another under the unending drip.
Pulling the power cord might have seemed desperate, but soon it was her only choice. She’d run out of cups.
Tessa ignored the mess and picked up the original coffee, stirring one final time to add a pretty swirl to the foam.
Her attempt resulted in something closer to a fish head than a flower. She shrugged off her disappointment and headed to the bedroom. Mark would appreciate the gesture. She was sure of it.
He was still in the chair, eyelids fluttering as she approached. His smile brightened, his gaze taking her in. “Hey.”
She put the cup down on the side table and dropped to her knees beside him, hands resting on his thighs. “Hey yourself. You silly puppy. Why didn’t you come to bed properly?”
Mark stretched. “You were in the middle of the bed, and I didn’t want to bother you or make you uncomfortable.”
“Awwww.” Something went soft and squishy inside. “That’s so sweet of you. Unnecessary, but sweet.”
“It’s not silly to want the best for you,” Mark insisted. “Don’t ask me to not do what I think is right.”
He’d got her on that one. “You could have slept in the other room.”
He shook his head. “Nope. Wolf wouldn’t let me.”
Tessa paused. “I’m sorry. I’m making your life awkward, aren’t I?”
“Thrown my world for a loop. It’s okay, though.” Mark sat up to the edge of the chair and patted her hand gently. “I’ll live.”
Now she was even happier she’d found a way to do something nice for him this morning. “I made you coffee.”
He took a deep breath and…cringed? “Really? Umm, thank you.”
He picked up the cup and brought it to his nose to take another, more cautious sniff.