“No, you’re not. Making it heavy usually makes it worse.”
Luna goes quiet for a moment. “I wouldn’t want you to suffer through a sleepless night, so what if we just enjoy the rest of the evening—order champagne, take a bubble bath?—”
“A bubble bath?” I arch a brow.
“Don’t knock it. I come here for the comfy bed and the massive tub,” she says, combing her fingers through my hair. “Warm water helps with relaxation.”
Smiling lazily, my eyes slip to half-mast at the slow drag of her fingers across my scalp. “Whatever it brings, I’m not about to turn down being naked with you in a tub… or anywhere.”
“I like that answer.” She grins. “You order the champagne, and I’ll run the bath.”
Twenty minutes later, we’re chest-deep in bubbles and sipping champagne. Luna’s hair is piled inside a pink satin shower cap, and we’re sitting face-to-face, her legs straddling mine.
“To the best first—no scratch that,” I say. “To the best date I’ve ever had.”
“It’s better than anything I ever imagined. Thanks for being just what I needed.”
“That goes both ways.”
We tap our glasses across the fragrant bubbles.
“What do you think of the bath?” She cups water in her free hand and pours it over my shoulder.
“The last one I took was when I was eight or nine, I think. With Neo. Not even close.”
“I imagine not.” She laughs.
I love the sound of it—throaty, full, unfiltered. She’s a woman who feels deeply, who lets herself enjoy things, like hotel stays, champagne, and bubble baths.
“What are your plans for the weekend?” I ask.
“Spa treatments tomorrow and Saturday. Lounging in bed with room service and my crossword puzzles. I’ll probably watch movies and FaceTime with my cousin before I head home on Sunday and get down to business.”
“Are you excited about the new opportunity?”
“Very. It’s bigger than anything I’ve done before, so there’s some fear and nerves too. No doubts… okay, maybe some. But I really want this. To make an impact.”
“Sounds important.”
“It is.” She studies me. “What about your new job? How are you feeling about it?”
“The truth?”
“Of course.”
“It’s a step back. That’s hard to get excited about. But at least the work sounds interesting, and the pace will be slower. Healthier.”
“Part of that complicated life you mentioned?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Luna’s fingers idly trace the ink pattern on my forearm. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I shake my head. It’s not that I think she will judge me if she knew what happened—it’s that I still judge myself. So, I give her a partial truth. “I’m trying to keep my focus on moving forward and not looking back.”
“I get that.” She presses a hand to my cheek. “For what it’s worth, a healthy pace and interesting work sounds pretty great. Sometimes the unexpected path turns out to be the best one. I hope it turns out well for you.”
I bring her bubbly hand to my mouth. “I hope the same for you.”
