“Jesus,” he breathed eventually, still stunned.
She laughed softly, and in that quiet, spent warmth, Joe thought that if he had to pick one moment to live in forever, it might just be this one.
He couldn’t bear the thought of how little time he had left, before he had to go.
TWENTY-SEVEN
KRISTA
Sunday, Day Three of the Summer Swap
For the first time in her life, Krista woke up with a man in her bed and her first thought wasn’t how quickly she could get rid of him. They’d eventually left the Hideaway last night, and despite all the swap rules, Krista couldn’t bear the thought of parting after the intimacy they’d shared.
And of course, it continued back at her apartment with his mouth on hers in the hallway, hands everywhere, whipped cream grabbed from the kitchen with a bottle of wine…
Now, the room was still dim, the first rays of sunlight slipping through her blinds. Her comforter was a soft, tangled mess around her hips. Frankie was a warm, snoring ball pressed into the curve of her stomach. Joe lay behind her, his arm slung over her waist, his hand resting on her chest.
She stared at the wall for a second, waiting for the panic that usually came with this kind of situation—the old familiarwhoops, what have I done, and the mental list of polite, efficient ways to get someone out of her apartment before Kit made breakfast.
It didn’t come.
Instead, she felt… content.
Krista wasn’t sure exactly what this was with Joe, but it couldn’t just be a one-time thing. She knew that as clearly as she knew her own name. She wasn’t naïve; she knew he was leaving, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t come back, or that they couldn’t find a way to make this work.
Heat flickered low in her belly at the memory of last night, of his hands, his mouth, the way he’d held her like she was indescribably precious.
Behind her, his fingers flexed against her shirt, a slow, unconscious brush over her collarbone. “You awake?” he murmured, voice rough with sleep.
“Unfortunately,” she said softly, fluttering her eyes closed.
Frankie immediately stirred, pushing up on his stubby legs and stretching before proceeding to lick Joe’s hand, then hers for good measure.
“Hey now,” Joe said to the pup, half laughing. “I’m not ready to get up. We’re still cuddling here.”
Krista laughed and relaxed back into him. “Afraid he’s not going to listen.”
Frankie took that as encouragement, bouncing around the bed, barking in short, excited bursts, getting more wound up by the second.
“Alright, buddy, alright.” Joe rolled onto his back, Frankie scrambling happily onto his chest to accept ear scratches. “Want me to let him out for you?”
“That’s okay. You don’t have to,” Krista started, even as he was already shifting. She rolled onto her stomach, hugging her pillow, watching as he tugged his shorts back on and disappeared toward the sliding door, Frankie trotting at his heels.
Hot sex and he lets the dog out in the morning? Yeah, I’mdefinitely in trouble.
But by the time Joe and Frankie padded back into her room, she’d already started mentally juggling the next few days.
She was going to be swamped the next few weeks. They had three more days left with the swap and then she’d be running the Hideaway full time, keeping the campground afloat, and lining up Alice’s rehab and home care. And in the middle of all that, she really, really wanted to keep seeing Joe.
He climbed back into bed like he’d been doing it for years, settling beside her and tugging her into his side. She went willingly, draping her arm across his stomach, resting her cheek against his chest.
“What’s your plan for the day?” he asked, his words rumbling under her ear.
“I’d love to stay like this, truly.” She tipped her head back to look at him. “Last night was…I hope not a one-of-a-kind situation.”
“Oh yeah?” Joe’s mouth curved. “Here I thought it was just a job perk. Maybe I was employee of the month.”
She snorted. “Ha, ha. Aren’t you cute,” she said, giving him a playful swat.
