Sleep doesn’t come easy that night, nor the night after. I don’t hear from River, not that I tried to contact him even though I wanted to, and I couldn’t figure out why. I don’t know him; we’ve spent a few hours together and that doesn’t warrant the kind of response I’m having to him.
I can’t put my finger on it, and it bothers me something furious that a man I barely know has buried himself under my skin and taken up space inside my head.
It’s been four days since I woke up in River’s bed without a word in those days until right now.
My phone buzzes with a new text message and since Zara is currently lounging on the sunbed beside me, I know it isn’t her and no one else texts me.
Frowning, I open the notification.
Unknown
There’s only one person who calls me princess.
River
“You okay?” Zara takes my attention away from my cell.
“Yeah, fine. River just text me.”
“River, as in hot, track racing, River?”
I burst out laughing, “Yes, that River.”
I haven’t told her about the incident at the track or that I woke up in his bed. She’d have so much fun with it and try to analyze something that isn’t there. He just took care of me because I couldn’t take care of myself. Any decent human would have done the same.
“What does he want?” She asks, plucking up her own cell.
“I don’t know,” I say, “I haven’t text him back.”
The text is read but he doesn’t respond so I put the cell down and go back to tanning myself in the sun. We’ve been out here since around eleven this morning and it’s the first day since Zara has been back from her trip, so it’s needed.
“I’m going to get us refills,” Zara stands and stretches and then pads through to the kitchen in just her bikini. The house is empty today, with no staff or anyone else which is why we can do this. If there were anyone else, we wouldn’t have been able to.
I press my hand to my brow to wipe away the light sheen of sweat and adjust my sunglasses before I turn on the bed to tan my back.
“Uh, Marly?” Zara calls from the kitchen, “Your gate buzzer just went off, want me to answer it?”
“Who is it?” I call back.
“I don’t know, maybe a delivery?”
“Sure, answer it.” I call back, laying my head back down. A few minutes later a shadow falls across me.
I look up, expecting to see Zara with our drinks but I’m met with jean clad thighs and a set of keys dangling from a finger.
“River!?” I gasp as he crouches in front of my head and throws me a grin, sinking dimples into his cheeks.
“Hey princess,” He cocks his head and lets his eyes travel down me where I’m spread on the bed. “Nice bikini.”
“What are you doing here?” I sit up and grab my towel, using it to cover the bright pink bikini as my cheeks flame.
“Delivering your car,” He stands and places the key on the table beside the sunbed before he walks around and throws himself onto the empty one Zara vacated. He pulls his sunglasses off his head and covers his eyes, tilting his face to the sun.
My eyes are still on him, my lips parted as I try to find something to say.
“I can feel you staring,” He tilts his face to me.
“Sorry,” I drop my eyes, shaking my head since it seems to be stuck.
