Georgia might be my home.
Georgia strokes my hair. “You can talk to me, always. No matter what,” she says, voice barely above a whisper.
I nod, not trusting myself to speak. Instead, I pull her closer, pressing our bodies together. I kiss her again, my lips working up and down her skin, until her eyes drift closed.
This time, I’ll be here when she wakes.
I’ll never walk away from you, Georgie.
The light in my cabin is pale and golden when I finally wake up the next morning. I’m tangled in Georgia’s hair, her breath hot against my chest. I lay there for a while, just letting the steady rhythm of her body next to mine lull me in and out of a doze.
Eventually, she stirs, stretching her leg over my thigh and mumbling something that might be my name. Her hair is a mess, knotted and wild, and I fucking love it. I run my palm down her back, feeling the heat of her skin, and she sighs, burrowing closer.
Outside, I can hear the faint footsteps on the deck. I check the clock and wince when I see how early it is. I’m not usually a morning person, but today…
I want to see the sun come up. I want to be out there, with her.
I nudge Georgia gently. “Hey, sunshine,” I whisper. “Want to see what a Savannah sunrise looks like?”
She groans, clutching the sheet to her chest. “I look like I got run over.”
“You look perfect,” I chuckle. “Emmett and Miles will fucking love it. Also, I like the idea of them being a little jealous of what I got to wake up next to.”
She sits up and giggles, stretching, not even bothering to look for her clothes. I pull on a pair of sweats and a tee, and she slips into my hoodie, her bare legs peeking out from beneath.
God, she’s gorgeous.
We head down to the deck. The air is laced with salt and the tang of river water. Savannah’s still mostly asleep with the sky only just starting to come alive, the harbor still covered in a mist. The sound of seagulls echoes off the old brick buildings, and every so often, a fishing boat rumbles past, headed for deeper water.
This is fucking heaven.
Emmett is sprawled on the deck, legs up, mug balanced on his knee. He gives us a wicked grin as we step outside. “Well, well. Someone definitely got their beauty sleep last night.”
“Speak for yourself,” Georgia fires back, nudging him with her foot as she settles in beside him. Emmett reaches over, ruffling her hair, then pours her a mug of coffee from the French press sitting on the table.
Miles is off at the rail, reading something on his phone, but as soon as he hears us, he turns, offering a tight little smile.“Morning,” he says, voice a bit rough. “You need some coffee, too, Captain?”
I nod, and he hands over a steaming mug.
We all settle into the deck chairs, shoulder to shoulder, watching the world wake up. Georgia tucks her feet up, coffee cradled in both hands and leans back against my chest. I can feel her relax with every sip.
It’s all so simple, and so fucking rare.
Emmett casually drops his arm across the back of Georgia’s chair. My hand finds her knee, squeezing it gently as we sit in silence.
There’s no tension. No one’s jockeying for position. It’s just the four of us, on the same page.
The sun crawls up over the horizon, pink and molten, washing the deck in light. I glance over at Georgia. She looks so perfect in the morning, skin glowing, hair a total disaster. I want to freeze the moment and burn it into my brain so it’s always there when the doubt creeps back.
Miles sips his coffee, smirking over the rim. “You know,” he says, “I never thought this would actually work.”
Emmett raises his mug, toasting the sky. “That’s because you’ve never been an optimist, Miles. Attorneys always assume the absolute worst.”
Miles shrugs. “Maybe, but I know when to shut up and enjoy the view.”
Georgia laughs, lifting her mug in mock salute. “To the view,” she says. “And to not letting assholes ruin your day.”
“Amen,” Emmett agrees. “This is the fucking life.”
