His eyes crinkle with amusement, then another, stranger, emotion. "Deep down, I always knew you were gorgeous," he says.
I stare at him. We look at each other for far too long, so I reach back and turn the lamp off. We shift in the darkness, and even though I can't see anything, my eyes and ears and focused on him.
I wish I could stay in this small moment forever, this moment I know is impossible to have again.
*
I wake up to the sound of birds twittering outside. Kookaburras sing their harsh yet rhythmic song and seagulls shriek. My eyes slit open, and strong sunlight peeks through the cracks of the curtains, turning the darkness of the room a yellowy-grey.
I'm warm. Warmer than usual. Then I notice the strong arms wrapped around me, and the soft breath tickling the back of my neck.
I'm not gentle or subtle about it. Instead, I jerk around and almost smash my face into his. In a rush, I remember everything that happened last night. Curtis, feeling my disruptive movements, opens his eyes. He sees me, and then he sees he was sleeping right against me, fitting me like a jigsaw piece. We both look at his pants at the same time and he pushes himself away, skin turning pink.
Once again, I thank the blanket for hiding the remnants of my arousal from when I was sleeping.
For a long moment, we remain still in bed, frozen like statues.
Then:
"What's the time?" Curtis asks, voice raw and sexy from sleep.
Don't notice that Liam.
"Um," I answer, reaching for my phone on the bedside table. "It's ten," I read.
We look at each other.
"The girls are coming back at twelve," Curtis says.
We pull ourselves into a sitting position, but instead of sitting beside each other at the head of the bed, we sit across from each other.
"Shit. This is my fault," Curtis says, looking around the room, running a hand over his face. "I was the one that came here."
"I was the one that started it. I kissed you."
Curtis shakes his head. "I wanted it."
"I told you to stay," I say, then drop my head and cover my eyes with my hands. "What are we going to do?"
I look back up at Curtis, and his face is a mix of emotions I can't read. He opens his mouth, sighs, and is about to speak —
My phone rings. I flinch before picking it up and reading the screen.
"It's… it's Kennedy," I say, showing Curtis.
His throat bobs with a swallow.
I answer the phone.
"Hey, Liam," Kennedy says. Her voice isn't peppy due to fatigue, but there's lightness in her voice. "How's it going?"
"Good," I say, my voice rough, and I clear my throat. "Good. I just woke up."
"Late night?" Kennedy asks.
"Yeah," I say. "I went on my phone for too long last night." And I also spent a ridiculous amount of timing staring at your ex-boyfriend. And also I kissed him.
"Sounds like you. Anyway, just letting you know that we're on track to arrive there at lunchtime."
