Even sleep deprived and deliciously achy in places that were not ordinarily sore, I wore a smile that was likely visible from space. I’d been with other men in my life, but nothing could ever have prepared me for what taking that step with Gage would be like. I felt more connected to him in every way. Mentally, emotionally, and physically, the entire experience was new to me. I wasn’t complaining about that, either.
I realized he was awake when he reached out with his hand, moving it until he found me. He placed his palm on my leg and ran it up until it came to rest at my hip. There was the hint of a smile on his face when he said, “You’re awake.”
“Mmmhmm.”
“What time is it?”
I darted a glance at the clock that sat on the nightstand. “Almost eleven.”
He frowned as he opened his eyes. “Shit. I didn’t mean to sleep for that long.”
“I think we both earned some shut-eye,” I pointed out.
“We did, didn’t we?” he laughed.
Boy, had we. After we’d made love the first and second times, we’d taken a break and gone to the kitchen. There, he’d heated a delicious chicken casserole that the chef the studio hired for him had dropped off earlier in the day. He’d quenched his thirst with water while I’d gone right for the grape Kool-Aid.
We’d gone from the kitchen back to his bedroom where we got back into bed and talked for almost three hours. That was another thing that made me feel so much closer to him. When he asked me questions, it wasn’t just to make conversation. He both asked and listened to my answers because he was interested, and I felt the same way about him.
The soft touches and kisses we’d shared while we spoke became more prolonged, and then they turned heated. It wasn’t long before we were making love again. We’d showered after, and even though we were both wholly wrung out, neither of us wanted to go to sleep, so we’d cuddled in his bed while we binge watched a bunch of episodes of Designated Survivor. Once again, being that close eventually led to more sex. I’d fallen asleep at his side sometime after dawn, unable to keep my eyes open for another moment.
“We did,” I agreed, smiling at him softly. “And if we’re going to do it again anytime soon, I need to be revived with a shower. After that, I’ll need some coffee and some toast.”
He raised a brow. “Toast is going to fill you up and bring you back?”
I shook my head. “No, but it will stop my stomach from eating itself long enough for you to take me to Chick-fil-A for breakfast.”
“It’s eleven, which means it’s lunchtime. But if you want breakfast food, I could make you eggs, toast, and bacon here,” he offered.
“It’ll be breakfast for us,” I laughed. “And while I adore you for offering to make eggs, I’m craving a spicy deluxe sandwich, a Greek yogurt parfait, and some of their lemonade. It’s the best.”
That earned me a sexy grin that made me question for a good three or four seconds whether food was even necessary. Luckily, I realized that a growling stomach during sex would throw the mood off. Probably.
“I think you might have the best palate of any person—man or woman—I’ve ever known. You had me at spicy deluxe, but I’m going to ask Shawn to pick it up for us because I want to keep you all to myself while you’re here.”
“That’s fine by me. As long as he doesn’t forget the parfait and lemonade,” I said with a saucy grin.Our incredible day together was quickly winding down. It was just after eight, and at midnight, I'd be on another plane bound for Los Angeles. We'd spent the day cuddling, kissing, and watching more episodes of Designated Survivor. Now we were in the giant garden bathtub in the master bathroom. My back was to Gage's front, his arms were around me, and beneath the frothy vanilla-scented bubbles, his hands were traveling up and down my skin.
“I wish time would stop moving so damn fast,” Gage sighed from behind me.
I made a soft sound of agreement.
“We need to work on coordinating our schedules from here on out,” he added.
I caught my breath. “Really?” I asked, my voice damn close to being a squeak. What he'd said meant he saw us together for the long-term. Although he seemed serious about me, definitively saying that we needed to align our schedules so we wouldn't be apart was a big step. One I was ready to take, but still, I couldn't help how giddy the way his words made me feel inside.
He hugged me to him. “I hope you aren't surprised by that,” he said, squeezing me tight. “I've been clear about my intentions where you're concerned, beautiful. Have you not been paying attention?”