Boldly by Elise Faber

Chapter Twenty-Five

Oliver

Just shy oftwo weeks later, Hazel woke him up with a soft kiss and stroking her fingers through his hair.

“Morning, honey,” she said against his lips.

He groaned and stretched, glancing at the clock that said it was six in the morning. On a Saturday. Gods, why?

“Sleep,” he muttered, tugging the blanket up and over them. It had been a long couple of weeks. A great couple of weeks, in fact. But still long and tiring. He’d decided to take an additional coaching class, and that on top of going through the files Marco had left for him meant that Oliver had ended the days bleary-eyed and exhausted more often than not.

Thank God for Hazel.

She seemed to never run out of energy, even though she’d worked just as hard. Aside from the weekend Hazel had gone to her conference, they’d spent every evening together, ate most meals together, gone to sleep together.

And woke up every morning cuddling close.

And just like during the rest of the time, she was the Energizer Bunny. Never stopping. Never acting tired.

Including right now.

Because she was lying on him, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with her arms crossed over his chest, her chin resting on top of them.

And bouncing lightly.

So he couldn’t drift back to sleep.

Stretching forward, she brushed her lips over his again. Since he didn’t hate that, even though he hated getting up this early, he slid his fingers into her hair and kissed her a little harder, a little longer.

“I forgot to tell you something,” she sing-songed.

He stifled a groan, blinked sleep from his eyes. “What’s up, babe?”

“I…” Her lips pressed flat. He was suddenly wide awake. Because there was worry in her eyes. She went on before he could ask again. “I have a surprise for you, and I’m scared you might hate it and be mad at me.”

Oliver pushed himself up, wrapping his arms around her as she mirrored his movements, sitting up next to him.

“What is it, baby?”

“I—” Teeth into her bottom lip, her gaze darting away. Then a sigh. “I almost let you sleep through it because it would be easier.”

Now he was getting worried.

Tension lanced through his body.

“But I arranged this because I love you, and…um…I was hoping it might bring something back for you that you haven’t had since you got injured. So”—she swallowed—“will you get dressed and trust me?”

Trust her?

That was the easy part.

It was what she might be bringing him to face that had tension clawing at his insides.