“You never said why either.”
I sigh, stretching out my legs and leaning my hip against his. “It got too quiet, I guess, and the wind picked up, making the trees scrape against the window. I guess I got a little freaked out being all alone in the middle of nowhere. I’m fine until nighttime.”
“Well . . . whenever you get scared or freaked out by a sound, just give me a call and I’ll make sure you have nothing to worry about.”
“Even at two a.m.?”
“Even then.” I can hear the serenity in his voice.
“Okay, don’t be mad if you get multiple calls through the night, though. There are a lot of trees by my windows. Noisy owls and trash-digging raccoons too.”
He laughs. “Sounds like either way one of us will require a nap or lots of coffee the next day.”
“Or you can solve both our problems by not leaving.” I blink my eyes, giving my best begging expression.
Laughing, he kisses my chin. “You’re making it really hard for me to say no here.”
“Not hard enough, I see.”
He lets out a drawn-out breath. “Look . . . how about after the holiday, I take you somewhere warm and we’ll sleep in the same bed at the same time for a whole weekend straight?”
“Hmm. I guess that could work.” I tap my mouth.
“That’s if you still want me to stay by then.”
“I will,” I press, inching my face closer to where his heavy breathing is coming from.
“We’ll see.”
“We will. Now, for this dinner . . . We eating here or at the table?”
“Wherever you want.”
I press myself tighter to him, sliding a leg over his. “Here is good.”
His lips press into my hair and he inhales deeply. “Yeah, it’s good. How about you go get cleaned up and I’ll set up our little table here.”
“Okay.” I peel myself off the couch, wobbling a little before catching my balance. Working my way to the bathroom, I feel a wonderful sense of freedom. I’m finally able to move around here without the cane, while also feeling Rafael close by ready to be my eyes whenever I need him to be.
Twenty
Rafael
He returns to the living room looking snuggly in baby-blue flannel pajamas and two different socks. One has snowmen while the other is red-and-white striped like a candy cane. I smile as he gets closer, his hand sticking out a little in front of him as he rounds the couch to sit beside me.
“You wiped my stomach while I was sleeping.” It’s a statement, not a question.
“I did. Waking up stuck to your blankets isn’t fun stuff, let me tell you.”
He barks a laugh. “You sound a little too familiar with the experience.”
“Only a little bit.”
“Thank you. It at least helped me spare my couch a little too,” he says between chuckles, and my lips tilt higher.
“Oh, and I cleaned that too, so no more cum cushions. Well . . . for now at least. It is only a little after five.”
He shakes from more laughter, covering his mouth with his hand, and I lower it with mine. “Don’t do that. Don’t hide yourself from me.”
