As she put her bags down in her room, she sent Spencer a text explaining the situation.
Spencer:So come over here.
He didn’t have to ask twice.She’d come home tired, but was getting a second wind at the thought of seeing him at his place, the one that had turned into a private love nest on her last day in New York.She moved some stuff back to her purse and headed out past the flight attendant party, saying something about a sudden craving for tacos.As options for Mexican food had been few and far between in Lake Placid, it wouldn’t have been a total lie.However, she ignored the local taqueria completely on the walk to Spencer’s building.
He buzzed her up, and she felt her face soften into an expression of wonder at the sight of him.Spencer looked similar to the way he normally did, dressed in dark gray lounge pants and a shirt with cut-off sleeves, but there was an air of contentment that she hadn’t noticed before she left.He’d said he was back in therapy, and it looked like it was helping already.
After weeks apart and that night of FaceTime sex, she had imagined she and Spencer would jump each other’s bones as soon as they saw each other again.But for now, she was happy to just drink in the sight of him, with his soft smile in such stark contrast to his powerful body.
He broke the silence.“Come in,” he said, opening the door wider.She followed him inside and fell into his arms before the door had closed all the way behind them.
“You got stronger,” he said, running his hands down her back.
“Hours of training every day will do that to you.”She basked in his touch and welcomed the feel of him under her hands.“You look good too.”
“Thanks.I was able to get some rest over the weekend and have a makeup therapy session after they were closed on Thanksgiving.”
“How’s that going?”Before he answered, she said, “Forget it, you don’t have to tell me about it if you don’t want to.”
“No, I don’t mind.I left a lot of shit from my injury unprocessed, but it’s getting a little easier every time.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah.How long are you here for?”
“I don’t know what time this party started or when it’ll end.”
“Stay as long as you want, but I meant how long until you have to report back for the Games.”
“They gave us the last of November and all of December to get our affairs in order and celebrate the holidays.But on January 3, I’m leaving for Canada.”The World Winter Games would take place in Calgary and felt like eons away and tomorrow at the same time.
She sighed.“I don’t know how we’re going to keep things going during that time.You’ve heard the stories about the accommodations...they make that Hampton Inn look like the Four Seasons, and I might not be able to sneak away for nights like that.”
“Whether we get to see each other face to face or can’t do anything but talk, we’ll figure something out.But for now, it’s so much better to see you in person.”
“You too.No weird FaceTime connections, no roommates...”Her voice trailed off as she inched closer.His lips touched hers, and the next several minutes fell away as they rediscovered each other.
“I’m gonna want a lot of time with you,” she warned between kisses.
“Is that supposed to be a problem?”he quipped.“Stay the night.Unless you were looking forward to having your own bed and room back.I remember what a relief it was to come home to my own space after some of those dorms on the circuit.”
It was the most openly she’d ever heard him speak about his past, and she welcomed it.“No, I’d like that.I got a bit of the own room thing back at Thanksgiving, and it’d be great to share a bed with you again.”
She glanced down at her travel outfit.“Even if I’m gonna have to wear the same underwear for two days.You’re worth it.”
“Thanks, but that's not necessarily true.You left some stuff here, and I put it in with my laundry.”He pulled away and reached under the bed for a pile of folded clothes.At the top was her Riverside Rockets t-shirt.
Her face lit up.“I was looking all over for this in my luggage!”
“It was waiting for you here the whole time.”The look on his face suggested that he might have been too.
Something on the nightstand confused her.“I didn’t think I left that there,” she said, picking up a tube of Glossier coconut lip balm.
“You didn’t.It’s mine,” Spencer said casually.“My lips usually get so chapped when the temperature drops, but it hasn’t happened once since I got this.”His expression turned more serious.“I also bought it to keep part of you with me while you were away.I could never figure out whether I was smelling your soap, shampoo, or what, but kissing you solved the mystery.”
Misty felt her heart melt at the most romantic gesture she had ever experienced or heard of.She touched her lips to his to find them softer than she remembered and as warm as ever.
“There it is again.”He’d barely pulled away, and his lips brushed against hers as he spoke.“Smells and tastes nice, but I like it better when I’m kissing it off you.”
