I could hear and smell the ocean before I even opened my eyes, and it made me smile.
“I hope you’re smiling because you’re thinking about last night.”
My eyes flew open, and I found Brian, still shirtless looking like something Michelangelo carved, sitting up in bed next to me with his phone in his hand.
“Were you watching me sleep, weirdo?”
“Only a little. I mean, I wasn’t staring or anything—I’d just glance over occasionally. But you’re so damn cute, you’re lucky I didn’t wake you up and have my way with you again.”
I couldn’t help but smirk. “Who says I would have minded that?”
He put his phone on the nightstand and lunged for me.
I squealed and quickly covered my mouth with the sheet.
“No! I have to pee and brush my teeth!”
That made him pause, and he reluctantly rolled away. “You’re such a tease.”
I put my feet on the floor and stood up. “A tease implies I’m not good for it.” I took a few steps toward the bathroom then looked back at him. “And we both know that’s not true.”
The look he shot me made me want to run into the bathroom. “Oh, you’re good all right.”
I shut the bathroom door behind me, still grinning.
From the other side, Brian called, “Don’t take too long, Sunshine. I’m starving, and I want to go to breakfast before we head to the grocery store.”
I laughed as I turned on the faucet. “Look at you, Sergeant Orgasm by night, Sergeant Domestic by day.”
“Baby,” he said without missing a beat, “I’m Sergeant O’ twenty-four-seven.”
I put toothpaste on my toothbrush, then opened the door to look at him while I responded before brushing my teeth.
“Oh my god. You’re Sergeant Cheesy.”
“Cheesy, charming… you say potato, I say potahto.”
I shook my head, but inside I felthappy. I had amazing sex last night and woke up to the sound of the ocean with a charmingly cheesy sex god next to me. And I got to spend nine more days with him.
What was there to beunhappy about?
****
Brian
My hand was on Jade’s hip when I opened my eyes that morning and loved that I could leave it right where it was.
I wasn’t lying when I said she was lucky I hadn’t woken her up for Round Two. She was adorable when she slept.
It’d been nice waking up next to her. I needed to remind myself not to get used to it, because that would be all too easy to do.
She came out of the bathroom with her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun and walked over to where she’d stashed her backpack on a chair, only to wince when she opened it. “I’m going to need to buy some clothes. I only packed for an overnight trip.”
“I’m sure we can find a clothing store around here. Do you have something you can wear to breakfast?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s just”—she held up a pair of jean shorts and a pink t-shirt—“this is all I have left. Well, this and my bathing suit. I mean, I saw there’s a washer and dryer here, but I’d liketo have something more than a pair of yoga pants and a pair of shorts to wear for the next ten days.”
“I get it. We’ll go between breakfast and the grocery store.”
