Looking over at Chris, who smiles at me and rubs my back, I relax slightly. “I have faith in you, baby.”
Huffing out a laugh, I focus back on the computer screen. “I made a short list earlier today. Based on the few passwords he did share with me, I doubt Blake followed the complicated password suggestions. If this one doesn’t work, I’ll try to think of some more.”
I enter it and wait.
Gasping, I grip Chris’s thigh. “Oh my god, it worked.”
Chris hugs me to him and presses a kiss to my temple. “I knew you could do it. What was it?”
I beam up at him. “Blake with a capital B and his birthday.”
Chris rolls his eyes, and the laughter I can’t suppress feels refreshing. That’s one thing I know—being with Chris helps my soul feel lighter, even as the rest of the world tries to weigh me down.
The next morning, we pack in a rush so we can leave as early as possible since it’s an almost four-hour drive. Not that I have a lot to pack, but my over-packing a few days earlier paid off.
I’m finishing my cup of coffee when Chris comes back into the condo from outside, where he was loading the last of our things into his car. He stalks over to me with a smirk. When he reaches me, his hands grip the sides of my neck, and his thumbs gently press on my jaw to raise my head.
“You look so fucking sexy.” His deep voice goes straight between my legs, as if we didn’t have sex last night and this morning.
My cheeks heat at the desire burning in his eyes. I try to glance down at myself, but his grip prevents it. “It’s just an old sweater and jeans.”
He smirks. “Doesn’t matter. I told you last night, I don’t care what you’re wearing.”
I push up on my tiptoes and kiss him. Before I can pull away, he tightens his grip and deepens the kiss. Our lips glide against each other in perfect synchronicity. As his tongue teases mine, my body sways closer, as if being lured into his.
When he pulls back, we’re both breathless. His thumb swipes the moisture from my bottom lip. “You ready to go? I cannot wait to be locked in a cabin in the mountains with you for the next couple of days.”
My inhale is shaky with arousal, but I manage a nod and a weak, “I’m ready.” I glance back at the couch. “I feel bad that Hank will be here by himself.”
Chris scoffs. “Please. He’ll be living his best life, sleeping undisturbed anywhere he wants. Besides, Mandi’s going to stop in tomorrow just to check on him.”
I sigh. “That’s true. He’ll love the long naps, so he probably won’t even miss us.”
He swats my ass, causing a giggle to pop from my mouth. My hand flies to my lips in embarrassment. I haven’t giggled like that in maybe forever. Blake would’ve absolutely made fun of me for that if he were still here.
Chris just smirks and intertwines our fingers, dragging me behind him as we make our way to his car. Despite everything going on around us, I also can’t wait to be alone with him for a few days.
Once we’re on the interstate, I stare out the window, watching the city disappear, allowing my stress and fears to do the same. Even if I don’t miss the way Chris’s eyes keep darting to the rearview mirror or how we’ve gotten off the interstate, driven around on side streets for a little bit before getting back on.
I’m leaning into trusting Chris, and that’s what I’m choosing to cling to as we fly down the open road toward a weekend of relaxation.
Chris reaches over and captures my hand. He pulls it toward him and places a kiss on the back of it, his eyes never leaving the road. He rests our conjoined hands on his thigh and asks, “Were you able to get off work on Monday?”
I squeeze his hand. “Yep, I texted my boss and let her know I needed to take it off so I could get out of the city on a little mental health trip. She told me to take more than just Monday if I needed to.”
He throws a wide grin at me before looking back at the road. “Don’t tempt me, because I’d be more than happy to keep you locked away and have you all to myself.”
I bite my bottom lip, and butterflies take off in my stomach.
“Tell me about how you got your job. I know you told me a little bit, but I’m curious.”
His question sounds so genuine, and it’s still so unnerving in the best way possible that he’d even want to know about me. About my life.
“Uh, sure. Okay, well, I told you about how I first started there as an administrative assistant.”
He nods.
“I worked for a woman named Cheryl. She was the president for a very long time. That was her position when I first started. She was one of the two founders of our firm. And she’s truly the best at what she does.” I smile when I think about the relationship I formed with Cheryl. “After about a year, Cheryl saw how hard I worked and took me under her wing. Honestly, at first, I didn’t even know she was doing it. She just started giving me more and more responsibility, teaching and guiding me along the way until, finally, she satme down and told me I’d outgrown my role. I was so scared. I thought she was firing me, and I was devastated. My job was the only good thing I had to look forward to every day. But she didn’t fire me; she promoted me.”
