Present
Bright sunlight filters in through the plantation blinds, rousing me from my peaceful sleep. Rolling over, I find the star of my sweet dreams lying on his stomach, hugging his pillow, three days’ worth of stubble covering his jaw as he snores lightly.
I smile to myself, slipping from the bed and reaching for one of his shirts.
Floating on a cloud of pure bliss, I make my way to the kitchen and start a pot of coffee then call my mother to speak to Caroline.
“Hey, sweet girl. How was your weekend?”
“Hi, Mom, it was great! We went to the movies and Nana took me to the bookstore.”
The excitement in her voice is contagious. “Wow, that all sounds wonderful. I wanted to let you know that I’ll be staying a little longer than I planned.”
“I know. Nana told me. That’s okay, Mama.”
“I miss you so much, sweet girl.”
“I miss you too, Mama.”
We spend the next ten minutes chatting about her weekend and what activities she has going on for school this week before she lets me go. I don’t want to hang up. It’s only been a couple of days and I miss her like crazy. I’ll be a mess by the end of the week.
When I hang up, I turn around to find Linc standing in the doorway of the kitchen wearing nothing but his boxer briefs. He walks toward me, scratching his chest, his bedhead making him look incredibly sexy.
“Morning, baby,” he greets in his sleepy voice, taking me in his arms.
“Morning.” I smile, melting into him.
After a long hug, he drops another kiss to my head before picking up one of the mugs sitting in front of the coffee maker. Then he pours himself a steaming cup. “How’s Caroline?” he asks quietly, his voice still thick with sleep.
“She’s good.”
He takes a drink from his cup before setting it down and rounding the counter. He wraps one arm around my waist, pulling me close. My hands rest on his chest, warmth invading my entire body. “You okay?” he asks, concerned.
“Yeah, I just miss her, that’s all. I’ve never been away from her this long.”
Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, he kisses my forehead. “I know it’s hard for you but you need this time for yourself. We need this time. For us.”
“I know. I just feel so selfish taking it.”
“Don’t. You’re an amazing mother. You’ve dedicated your life to her. There’s no reason to feel selfish about this.”
“You’re right. I shouldn’t. I’ll try not to dwell on it too much.”
“How about I keep your mind and body so occupied you don’t even have time to think?”
“That sounds lovely.”
His hand drifts down to my backside and he groans when he finds me bare underneath. “Jesus, woman. You tryin’ to kill me this morning?”
“Maybe.” I laugh and he captures it with his mouth. After a long, sensual kiss, his eyes find mine once more. “So when can we get married?”
“I don’t remember saying yes,” I tease.
His lips are still feathering mine. He tilts his head from one side to the other, dropping tender kisses to my lips, his hand still gently kneading my heated flesh.
“Hmm…you are a good kisser,” I tell him and he plunges his tongue deep into my mouth.
He walks me backward until I bump into the table where he lifts me to sit. Nudging my legs apart, he takes up residence between them, never once breaking our kiss. I wrap myself around him, clinging to him as he devours me. “When we get home next week?”
