I settle into the sofa, her head resting against me and my arms wrapped around her. The scent of peach and mango fill the air, and everything is right. Exactly how it’s supposed to be.
“Hey Eighty-Seven,” she whispers. “Thanks for waiting for me.”
I close my eyes and hold her tighter. “Always, baby. Always.”
And for the first time in five damn days, my worries fade.
Bliss.
That’s the first wave that washes over me, and then a familiar scent comes, but not what I washed my bed sheets in. Pine and fresh air fill my nose, the smell so familiar it pulls a sleepy smile out of me. My arms stretch out and connect with a solid surface. It smells divine, but it’s not my pillow.
A deep chuckle rumbles underneath my cheek.
“Well, good morning to you too,girlfriend.”
My eyes snap open.
I’m nuzzling his neck.
The moment I latch onto his gorgeous ocean eyes staring down at me, glimmering with amusement, I jerk backward so fast I fall off the sofa. I hit my leg on the side when I stand.
“Ow, ow, ow. Crap,” I repeat, hopping up and down, my leg cradled in my hands.
“You okay there?” he asks, those eyes sparkling in delight.
“We fell asleep.”
Way to state the obvious, Erin.
“I can see that.” His grin stretches wide when he catches me eyeing him as his shirt lifts, giving me a peek at his washboard abs.
Wow.
“See something you like?” he asks, standing from the sofa.
“I just wasn’t expecting us to fall asleep.”
“We woke up around two in the morning. I was going to go, but you wrapped around me like a koala bear and asked me to stay. You were out again right after.”
“I did?” I ask, not remembering it.
“Yeah.”
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“For what, baby?”
“For staying.”
“You never have to worry about me leaving you, sweetheart.”
Would it be okay if… I mean, now that we’re together, I’d really like it if you could sometimes stay the night,” I say, my words faltering as a rush of sensation shoots up my neck, like I’ve been caught in the sun for too long. “Maybe we can talk about what that means so that there’s no confusion, assumptions, or wrong impressions.”
His brow lifts, amusement dancing on his lips. “Such as?”
“Um, well, you know.”
“No, I don’t.”
