“Morning,” he murmured. “Sleep okay?”
When she relaxed against him, he let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
“I did.” She propped her hands on his chest, rested her chin atop them, and met his gaze. “Sorry I fell asleep on you last night.” She chuckled and patted his chest. “Literally.”
The slow, sleepy smile she gave him had his mouth going dry. Yet he somehow managed to respond. “Not a problem. Though I can’t imagine I’m the best pillow.”
“You won’t hear any complaints from me.” She tucked her hands against his sides and dropped her head back onto his chest. But not before he saw a soft flush cross her face that warmed his insides and quelled some of his worries.
He traced little circles over her soft skin, and she snuggled into him. Holy shit, he could stay like this forever.
“Still want to hang out today?” she asked.
He heard the hesitation in her voice and ran his hand up her back until it was buried in her hair, cupping the nape of her neck. “I’d love to spend the day with you. Would you mind going over to Whidbey Island with me?”
She shifted positions, sliding to the side so she was no longer lying atop him. She wedged herself between him and the couch back and slung her leg and arm over him. While he missed her weight, he could see her better now. Even with her mascara a little smudged beneath her eyes, she was stunning.
“Sounds good to me,” she said. “Anywhere in particular you need to go?”
He nodded. “I have to pick up Daisy’s birthday present.”
She grinned. “What did you get her?”
“This indoor playhouse tent thing.”
Her eyebrow arched, and a smirk lifted her lips. “Why do I have a feeling it isn’t a simple playhouse you’re going to pick up at a big box store?”
Xander shrugged and bit back a grin. “No clue.”
Internally, he scoffed. A standard, boring playhouse? For his little buddy? No way in hell.
“Right.” She snorted. “Do you mind if we swing by my place first? I need to shower and change.”
“Of course,” he said just as his stomach let out a loud growl. He carefully sat up, pulling her with him. “How about this? I drop you at your place, and while you’re doing your thing, I’ll head over to Comfort Food, grab us some food and coffee, and meet you back at your apartment?”
She pressed a kiss to his T-shirt-covered chest. “I like your thinking.”
“Excellent, but first...” He tipped her chin up with his finger and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Good morning, beautiful.”
The sigh she let out had him wanting to pump his fist in the air. He refrained. Barely.
They got a later start than Xander had intended. After Freya had showered and changed, they enjoyed the coffee and pastries he’d picked up. He’d intended for them to take the ten o’clock ferry to Whidbey Island but had gotten distracted. Kissing Freya was quickly becoming his new favorite thing. Instead, they had to wait an hour for the next ferry. Not that he really minded since it gave them more time to make out and ensure he got her off. Dry-humping was so damn underrated.
It was a twenty-minute ferry ride to Whidbey, and a short drive from the Keystone Ferry Landing to the town of Coupeville. Usually, parking wasn’t an issue in the quaint little town, but the place was packed. Bright-orange traffic cones indicated multiple street closures. After circling the town’s residential streets, he eventually found a parking spot and cut the engine.
“Wow,” Freya said, glancing around. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it this crowded.”
“I know. I wonder?—”
His words cut off as a group of teenagers dressed in marching band uniforms raced past his vehicle. The plumes in their shako hats waved wildly as they sprinted around the corner, screaming for someone to wait for them.
“You know,” Freya said, “Veterans Day is this week. I bet they’re having their parade today.”
“Well, that explains...” He gestured out his window as three more teenagers raced past laughing and hollering. “The toy store is right downtown. Care to take in a parade with me today?”
She grinned at him as she reached for her door handle. “I love parades.”
Walking hand in hand, they passed the group of teenagers at the band’s staging area. As they approached the heart of the small downtown, Xander’s brows rose at the crowd. “Holy shit,” he muttered. “There’s a lot of people here.”
