A smile touches my lips as I lean in and kiss him slowly.
I kiss him first on the lips, then trail kisses down the side of his neck, riddled with scars, until I trail them back up to meet his mouth again.
He lets out a low groan as I kiss him, sending a wave of butterflies through my body.
We must stay like that for twenty minutes, tangled up, exchanging lazy kisses, neither of us willing to break the spell.
My fingertips trace the strong line of his jaw, down his throat, and over the warmth of his chest.
He shivers and laughs softly. “I could wake up like this every morning, sunshine,” he says, brushing my hair out of my face.
“Me too,” I reply, pressing a kiss to the corner of his smirk.
His arm tightens around me as he presses his face into the crook of my neck, remaining silent.
We eventually drag ourselves out of bed because he apparently has plans for us. He tells me to get dressed and meet him out back, no hints, just that boyish grin he reserves for me.
He leaves the room once he’s dressed. I quickly follow suit, throwing on black leggings and grabbing Reed’s muted yellow flannel, my favorite.
I scuffle down the hall, barefoot, flying toward the screen door like an ape, and open it with such force that I’m shocked it didn’t fly off the railing.
When I step outside, I stop dead, instantly feeling tears swell at my lower lash line.
He’s set up a picnic blanket under a large oak tree, with a spread of food that feels like a brunch daydream.
Fresh fruit, croissants, sandwiches, and small pastries that smell divine. Two iced coffees cool in the sun, mine with vanilla, his with caramel.
And beside them?
Two blank canvases on small easels, and a complete set of paints, with colors ranging from neutrals to bright.
He stands there with his hands in his pockets, his glasses catching the sun, a shy smile tugging at his lips, as if he’s unsure whether this is too much.
My heart somersaults and stops right here in this beautiful moment, with this gentle man watching me like I’m his whole world.
“Reed…” I breathe, already walking towards him.
“I know you fly back in soon,” he says, voice softer now. “And I just wanted to spend today doing something that makes you happy.”
I throw my arms around his neck because words aren’t enough.
He laughs into my hair, his arms rising to hold me tight, squeezing gently as he kisses the top of my head.
“It’s perfect,” I whisper against his skin. “You’re perfect.”
He groans as his forehead rests against mine. “You keep saying things like that, I’ll never let you leave.”
Maybe that’s the point, maybe I don’t want to leave.
We settle onto the blanket, our knees brushing, our shoulders touching.
He hands me my iced coffee, and his thumb brushes the back of my hand as I take it.
“I’m soooooo excited!” I screech, staring at the blank canvas.
He dips a brush into the yellow paint and sketches a small sunflower in the corner of mine, a simple thing that shows he’s been paying attention.
“Well, get to it, sunshine,” he teases, leaning in to press a kiss to my cheek.
