Ken blinked his eyes, slowly coming to an awareness of his surroundings. He took in a glance around the room, recalling where he had ended up last night and then smiled as his eyes landed on the slim shoulders of the brunette still asleep across from him. She had her back to him; her normally sleek hair was a bit of a ruffled mess, and she was taking deep slow breaths. As he watched, her breathing pattern shifted, and he figured she was stirring. She let out a little moan and his brain was suddenly flooded with imagery from the night before. She stretched languidly, nearly cat light, rolled to her back, and fluttered her eyes open.

Her gaze landed on him, and she rolled to face him. "Hey," she greeted.

"Hey, yourself."

They had fallen asleep wrapped up in each other last night. They must have drifted to their own sides of the bed at some point in sleep. He couldn't even remember the last thing they had been talking about; he had been exhausted and he guessed she had been wrung out herself. He had absolutely no idea what time it was but judging by the warm sunlight streaming through the bay window over their heads, it wasn't early. His forehead had a bit of a nagging ache, but it wasn't anything some breakfast, coffee and a pain killer wouldn't take care of.

"How ya' feeling?" he asked.

She stretched again, pulling the sheet to rub between her upper thighs. "Sore, but not unbearable, and its mostly the good kind. Head just a touch."

"Yeah, me too," he smirked, "the head that is."

"How 'bout the other one?" she asked teasingly.

"Never better sweetheart."

"Hmm," she responded.

There was a pause.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked.

"Do you want to?"

"No."

"Good, 'cause I don't want that either."

He was about to tell her that unfortunately he would need to leave by some point that evening in order to make work for Monday morning, when the phone on the nightstand on his side rang. Miranda sat up, sliding over him to grab for it, giving him a glorious morning view of her breasts. She tugged the sheet with her as she went, and it tangled around her lower half. She picked up the receiver as she slipped one leg over him, straddling him. "Hello?"

Ken dropped his hands to the junction of her hips and upper thighs and smiled to himself. Oh yeah, this was a damn good way to wake up.

"I'm not sure I should answer that on the grounds I may incriminate myself," she quipped into the phone. There was a pause as the caller spoke. "Ok, fine, yes, he's here." Another pause. "Yes, definitely, and please tell her thank you, for that, and well, you know." Miranda let out a laugh, apparently sharing a joke with the caller. "Yeah, ok, hang on."

Miranda handed him the phone. She brushed a soft palm over his left pec and shifted off of him to move into the kitchenette. Ken let out an audible groan as she left the sheet covering him and walked away from him, stark naked. The view of her ass and thighs as she walked had him already uncomfortable below the sheeting.

Gary's voice spoke in his ear. "You ok there, buddy?"

Miranda had opened the fridge door and was looking inside.

"Ken?" Gary's voice prompted in his ear.

Recovering, he answered, "Ah, yeah, I'm here."

Miranda walked past him, pausing to place a glass of OJ on the nightstand for him and continued on towards the bathroom as she drank from another glass.

"Everything ok?" his friend asked again.

"Yup," he responded. "You?"

"More than good. Wanted to check in on you. Knowing you, you've been up all night."

"Well, a good chunk of the night anyway. How 'bout you? My ex-girlfriend still with you?"

"She's in the other room freshening up, but yes."

"So, you hit that already? Nice work, brother."

Gary let out a light chuckle from the other end of the line. "Well, we have been up all night, but I assume, unlike you, we've just been talking, and it's been great. First base only."

Ken sat up a little to take a sip of the offered juice. "You're kidding me? Her rack and you haven't even gone to second? Your restraint is far better than mine."

Gary laughed again, "Ok, so a little subtle brush here and there, but otherwise no. My eyes have had a fill though boy! Unlike you, I believe in courting a woman first. I also want this one for the long haul. I want to do it right."

"Oh, I have no problem wining and dining them, I just like getting my money's worth," Ken chided back.

"Yeah, just remember how much money her collective family has buddy, watch yourself."

"Relax. I like her, ok? Honorable intentions. Well, honorable for me anyway." He paused. "So just how long have you been coveting my girl anyway?" he asked, referring to Nora.

"Honestly? Since before you started dating her. You mad?"

Miranda had returned from the bathroom wrapped in some sort of floral kimono. "I'll get over it," he answered truthfully, his eyes raking over what he considered to be far from a consolation prize. "Why didn't you say something?"

"You made a move. I hadn't."

"Have I taught you nothing?" Ken asked incredulously. Exactly how long had his buddy been pining after one Nora Haywood?

"Well, you're usually my wingman. I don't do as well flying solo. Thanks, by the way." Miranda had sat at the foot of the bed, slowly drinking her OJ, watching him. Gary continued. "So did Miranda convey that Nora got you out of work until Wednesday?"

Shit yeah! Apparently dating, or formally dating, the owner of the company's daughter had its perks. "No, not yet, she hasn't."

"Nora talked to your immediate boss. He wasn't too happy, something about his car. Said you better have it cleaned, waxed, the tank full, and be in by seven thirty AM, but you've got until Wednesday."

"That's amazing. Tell her thanks for me."

"Nora figured from the way you and Miranda were looking at each other, you might need some more time. Plus, she wanted to thank you too."

"Yeah," Ken paused. "Hey, Gary, when you do decide to go for a swim, the water's more than fine."

Gary chuckled again on the other end. "Yeah, I figured you'd already been all over that."

"Just consider it me feeling things out for you, bud."

The two men hung up from each other after a few more parting words. Ken returned the phone to the receiver and leaned back into the pillows fluffed behind him, his broad chest on display. "So, apparently you can't get rid of me that easily, sweetheart."

"Hmm," Miranda remarked. Truthfully, she was thrilled to have said man at her access for a couple more days than she thought. "So, I can make coffee, but both my cooking skills and my food supplies are low, so I'll call for some delivery. Do you want breakfast? Or lunch?"

"What time is it?"

"Approaching noon."

"Shit, really?" Ken couldn't remember the last time he had slept in that late.

"I know a place that will deliver a full brunch menu."

"Ah, yeah, that sounds great. I'm definitely hungry after last night." He gave her a quick wink.

Miranda's cheeks lit with a light blush. She continued. "I can also call a courier to pick up your stuff from where you were staying. Hotel, I presume?"

"Um, yeah, if I could remember the name. Nora booked it."

"I have my copy of the wedding invitation. It was probably one of the hotels listed on the enclosure." She moved to a small stack of papers on the counter, shifted through them, opened an envelope and returned to him, handing him a stock card.

Ken scanned the embossed writing. "Ship's Lantern. That's the one."

"Ok, let me make some calls. Shower's through there. There are towels and should be a robe that will fit you. I'll shower after I get things ordered and your stuff on the way."

"Or you could join me," he encouraged.

She smiled. "Don't hurry. I'll see how long this takes."