God, he was so perfect. So perfect for me. And all I wanted to do was lick him head to toe. So that’s what I decided to do.
We stepped beneath a hot stream of water. And then I returned his favor from earlier. Not out of obligation, but out of excitement, curiosity, and fun.
I was rewarded with Jonah Mason coming undone, wholly, completely, all because of me. Afterward, we cleaned up and dressed in the barest essentials. I found an extra toothbrush. And then we crawled into bed together.
There was no outstretched handholding this time. As soon as we were beneath the covers, he pulled me against his chest.
“Should I warn you this time that I’m planning to spend the night?” he asked, his low voice teasing and sweet.
I laughed. “I’m pretty sure I already got the message.”
“It hasn’t been the same since that night, you know.”
I lifted my head up so I could meet his gaze. “What hasn’t been the same?”
“Sleeping.” His crooked smile made my heart thump aggressively against my breastbone. “It may or may not have been my main motivation in asking you to Galliger.”
“So you could sleep with me?” And weirdly, I didn’t think he meant it in the Biblical sense. At least not only in the Biblical sense.
“Don’t get me wrong, this is a thousand times better than the couch. But my apartment has felt extra lonely without you there. I just couldn’t... stand staying away from you any longer.” I stared at him, desperately trying to make sense of what he was saying. He added, “Isn’t this better?”
“Better than what?”
“Than everything else.”
Not knowing how to respond to that, I laid my head on his chest. His arms held me even tighter against him. Was this better than everything else?
Yes. Absolutely yes.
This was better thananythingI could think of. Jonah in my bed with his arms and legs wrapped around me. His heart wrapped around mine. He wrapped around all of me, the seen and unseen, the felt and unfelt.
Jonah Mason had done something to me I was afraid was irreversible. I planned to fight it, or at least hold it at bay until I could figure everything out... but first... first, I was going to close my eyes and go to sleep.
“Good night, Eliza,” he murmured, sounding the most content I had ever heard him.
“Good night, Jonah.” And just like at Galliger, I thought it would take me forever to fall asleep. I mean, how could anyone sleep after all ofthat? But also just like in the glamping cabin, I closed my eyes and drifted off almost immediately. I was the most content I had ever been.
sixteen
Three days later,I was sitting at my favorite spot at the bar. I loved the corner closest to the kitchen because I could stay almost undetected by customers—and sometimes even Craft employees—and still observe everything that went on.
We had just finished a massive rush. Wednesdays weren’t usually a busy night for us, but a warmish February day had pushed everyone out of the house. I’d stayed late to help wait tables. Ada’s trainee had the night off, and Charlie still wasn’t back to work.
I’d talked to him yesterday and thought he’d sounded just fine. But this was Charlie, so he was going to milk it for everything it was worth.
Lola was here too. She’d stopped by with her laptop to do some work, but Will had wrangled her into waitressing. It was still hours till we closed, but I was ready for bed.
Will walked over to my side of the bar. “Can I make you a drink? We’re probably good for the night.”
I let out a happy sigh. “I would love one. Whatchya making?”
He shrugged but pulled out the Jameson. It wasn’t my all-time favorite whiskey, but it tasted like college and good times, so I was always up for it. “I’m working on some St. Paddy’s Day drinks for next month. How about a Jameson and peach lemonade?”
I raised my eyebrows. “Peach lemonade, you say?”
He didn’t acknowledge that I was impressed. He drove me crazy a lot of the time, but man, having a bartender for a brother sure did come in handy. “You’re different lately.”
His sudden assessment of me made me instantly nervous. “What do you mean?”
