Page 69 of A Simple Love

She lifted her head off my chest. “No, it’s fine. We had a lot of great years. Filled with so many good memories.”

“Until I fucked it up.”

“Until our lives changed. I don’t blame you anymore, Olly. I know the truth. It still hurts, and I will always mourn us. But that’s life. And this is pretty damn good.”

I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “But not forever.”

A shadow crossed over her eyes, but she nodded. “This time, we both know the expiry date. But we can enjoy the time we have.”

I was so tempted to ask her if we had to have an expiry date. But that was unfair. Her life was here, and she was happy. My life was in LA. She would never move there—she would hate it. We had agreed to our time here, and I refused to ask her for something she wouldn’t want to give.

“Are you filming late tonight?” she asked, bringing me out of my musings.

“No, today is an easy day for me. I have more horse-riding scenes.” I grimaced. “My old ass is gonna be aching tonight.”

She smiled. “The hot tub is available to soak in later.”

“Great. I think I’ll need it.”

I glanced at the clock. “I have to shower and get to the set.” I met her eyes. “How is it, time flies by when we’re together like this?”

She smiled sadly and sat up, tucking the sheet around her and moving to the edge of the bed. I hated it. It felt as if she was closing off, removing herself from me.

“That’s what vacations are like, Olly. Everything is great, but it’s not real life.”

“You’re calling what we’re doing a vacation?”

“After a fashion, I suppose,” she said. “Everything is new, fun, with none of the usual day-to-day routine to bore us. It would never work long-term.”

I frowned. “Why not?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“We’re two different people now. We live two very different lifestyles. Yours is lights and people—exciting. Mine is pies and numbers—simple. This—” she waggled her finger between us “—is a break from the norm. Not sustainable.”

I found myself wanting to argue with her, but I held my tongue.

She smiled and closed the subject. “You shower and get going. I have a lot of things I need to get done.”

“Can we do dinner tonight?” I asked.

“What would you like?”

“Wong Man?”

“That would be great.”

“Okay.”

Somehow, I couldn’t let her go quite yet. I stood and held out my hand. “Shower with me.”

“Olly—”

I shook my head. “Please.”

With a sigh, she let me lead her into the shower. Our soapy hands wandered and teased, and she ended up pressed against the wall, with me buried deep inside her, moaning my release into her mouth.

Afterward, it took all I had not to tell her that was the new norm I wanted. With her, simple sounded good.

I had a feeling she wouldn’t want to hear it. And she probably wouldn’t believe it.