“Anytime,” Aspen murmured, daring to believe that Eve must have felt something similar by the way she stayed there, half-propped on her elbow against her side as she stared down at her, but she didn’t press her on it. They had time. And, okay, maybe not so much on this trip, but this thing percolating between them felt too real and good and precious to rush. She stroked Eve’s wrist with the tip of her finger and smiled at her reassuringly. “I really was comfortable if you want to lie back down.” When Eve didn’t automatically resist, she addedplayfully, “It’s poor form to be up before eight when you’re on vacation.”
“Oh really, now?”
“Yup.” Aspen made a show of wiggling deeper into the bedcovers and grinned up at Eve invitingly. Her heart skipped a beat at the slow, soft smile that quirked Eve’s lips as their gazes met and held, and she held her breath as Eve stretched out beside her.
“Is this okay?” Eve asked tentatively as she rested her head on Aspen’s shoulder.
“More than,” Aspen assured her softly.
Eve sighed and relaxed further against her side. “Tell me something about you?”
“Well, let’s see…” Aspen huffed a laugh. “You know, this would be easier with some kind of a prompt.”
She swore she could feel Eve’s cheek crinkle with her smile as she said, “Okay. what’s your favorite color?”
“Orange. And before you knock it—”
“Why would I knock it?” Eve laughed.
“Because everyone is always like ‘eww, orange’, like it’s some subpar color or something.”
“I like orange. It’s warm and reminds me of sunsets.”
And, well, Aspen had never really had a reasonwhyit was her favorite so much as it justwas, but now it was her favorite for exactly the reasons Eve just said. “What’s yours?”
“Blue. Boring, predictable, blue.”
Aspen shook her head as she pictured Eve’s brilliantly colored eyes. “Blue is anything but boring.”
“Maybe, but everyone always says blue. It’s like, the pumpkin-spice of the color wheel.”
Aspen sniggered at the comparison. “Well, first of all—no, it isn’t. Because I hate pumpkin in all forms, and blue is my second-favorite color.” Which was something of a lie, becauseshe hadn’t honestly had asecondfavorite color until this conversation, but the newly created position was absolutely held by blue. “And second of all, even if that were the case—which I’ve established it isn’t—you can always pick a different favorite color, you know.”
“I know,” Eve grumbled, sounding adorably put-out by it all. “But I really do love the color blue.”
“So basic,” Aspen teased. She yelped when Eve’s fingers dug into her side with devastating precision, and laughed as she caught her hand to still the playful torture. “Be warned that tickling is akin to a declaration of war, Eve. And youdo notwant to start a tickle war with me.”
“Oh?” Laughter danced in Eve’s eyes as she tilted her head to look up at Aspen. “And why not?”
That, Aspen had to admit, was a very good question. Why would she do anything to discourage Eve from touching her? “I…” She blinked. “I seriously can’t think of a single answer to that question right now.”
Eve smirked, looking positively radiant in her victory. It was a very good look on her. “And why’s that?”
Aspen licked her lips as she lifted her left hand to caress Eve’s cheek. Her stomach fluttered at the way Eve’s expression softened as she leaned into the touch.Because you are unfairly beautiful, and all I can think of when you look at me like that is how much I want to kiss you,she thought. And because that was an entirely inappropriate answer for the moment, she instead replied, “Where’s the coolest place you’ve traveled to?”
“Changing the subject, I see,” Eve teased. “Fine, I’ll allow it.”
“So magnanimous of you.”
“I know, right?” Eve sassed. “And to answer your incredibly smooth change of topic, probably Iceland.”
“Nice. I still haven’t checked that one off my bucket list. Did you go to take pictures of the Northern Lights?”
Eve nodded. “And I spent a week on a ship diving and photographing Orca pods.”
“Seriously?”
“They really aren’t a danger to humans,” Eve defended. “And they’re absolutely majestic in the wild.”
