Sixty rolled toward me, not away. She curled into me, ran her fingers over my chest. I tried not to show her how happy that mademe.
I kissed her forehead, felt the dampness at her hairline. She’d smiled and buried her face in myneck.
Now it’s morning, and I don’t know what to do. Will she wake up and feel regret that she didn’t leave my bed? She needs that barrier she puts up every day. It keeps hertogether.
Her eyes flutter a few times, then open. She’s alarmed at first, her shoulders tense. She studies me, her head still on thepillow.
“Hi.” Her voice issoft.
“Good morning.” I run my hand over her shoulder and down her arm, then backup.
“I fell asleep.” She smilesshyly.
“We bothdid.”
“I’msorry.”
I shake my head. “Don’t be.” My fingers catch in herhair.
She closes her eyes and reaches for me, gripping my shoulders. I move over her as she rolls onto her back. Her hands are in my hair, and I can feel the reverberations of her quiet moans as my mouth roams herchest.
Her hips lift, urging me along. Supporting my weight on my right arm, I hook my left arm under her thigh and hitch up herleg.
Before I go any further, I look into her eyes. I forgot to close the blinds last night, and now the sunlight bounces off everything. It allows me to see her vividly. Hair like dark chocolate, skin creamy, eyes like the ocean. She’sbreathtaking.
She reaches for me, her fingers trailing the top of my back. Her eyes are bright, wide. The flush on her cheeks islovely.
“Isaac,” shewhispers.
I love watching her lips form my name. Especially in thismoment.
I love how her chest rises with a sharp intake of breath when I enterher.
I love her slow, rugged exhale when I’m all the way insideher.
Her fingers grip the back of my neck. When her free leg wraps around my backside, I see how this time isdifferent.
In all our other hours, Aubrey gave me herbody.
But this, right now, is not one of ourhours.
This time I can feel Aubrey giving me herheart.
* * *
I’m takingAubrey and Claire somewhere today. Somewhere awesome. But first, I have to get through this phone call. Dr. Redmond called again. Another voicemail, another offer. He thinks throwing more money my way will get me toBoston.
He’swrong.
When he doesn’t answer, I leave a voicemail. “Dr. Redmond, this is Dr. Isaac Cordova returning your call. I appreciate your secondary offer, and as generous as it is, I remain firm in my choice to decline. My personal life is such that I can’t move at this time. Thank you again for considering me. It’s an honor.” I end the call and set my phone on thedesk.
I’m aware I’m not making the best choice for my career, and maybe if things were different with Aubrey, I’d be asking her to move with me to Boston. There’s no way I can do that anytime soon. For one, she’d never leave her dad. For two, she has just started taking baby steps with me. We turned our first big corner thismorning.
Before I get too carried away by thoughts of waking up next to Aubrey, Claire charges into my office. She bounces up and down in front of my desk, impatient. I’m seeing more of her personality now that she’s no longer limited by her cast. Aubrey assures me the sassiness is being resurrected and isn’t newlyacquired.
“What’s up, buttercup?” I smile at mydaughter.
“You said you’re taking us somewhere special.” Her small hands go to her small hips. I wonder where she picked that up? Aubrey never stands thatway.
