"Well, duh," I answered, surprised at his ignorance. >"I dabbled in the movie business in the early nineties, but not aging made that a career that couldn't last long–even by Hollywood standards. I worked as a ranch hand in the sixties, but that got old pretty quick."
"Why even bother working?" I asked.
"Eternity has its draw backs, like boredom. You're the most interesting thing to come around in the last thirty years," he answered, winking at me. "Now, quit stalling. What are the terms of your parole?"
"They're really not that big a deal. Obviously, my aunt and uncle would like to meet you, which is reasonable."
"And?" he asked, seeing through my evasive answer.
"And they want you to stay for dinner," I answered brightly, going for a peppy cheerleader voice that just came out awkward.
"Oh, here we go. Is that all?"
"Um, Haniel will be at dinner too and we have to double date and there's nothing we can do about it if we want to see each other so just be cool okay?" I said in a muddled rush.
"We have to date with Haniel? What the hell?"
"No, no, not a double date with Haniel. We're going to double with my friend Lynn and her husband. Haniel is coming over for the dinner with my aunt and uncle," I clarified.
"You're serious? And Hannie agreed to this?"
"Sure," I answered, not admitting the complete truth that Haniel had grudgingly agreed to the whole plan.
"Riiiiiight. I'm sure Archie jumped right on board," he said sarcastically.
"Well, those are the rules. Take 'em or leave 'em," I answered abrasively. I drew the line at begging him. His kisses may make me melt like molten lava, but I'd be damned if I followed him like some lovesick puppy.
"I'll take them," he said, pulling me close in one swift movement.
"Good, 'cause you deserve a punch in the nuts for what you've been pulling," I warned as he dipped his head to my exposed neck.
"Why?" he murmured against my skin.
"You're always leaving me high and dry. Did you see my bathroom door?" I asked trying to keep my senses about me.
"Sorry, babe, but unless you want your aunt and uncle to catch us like this, I better head out," he said, looking at me with hooded eyes before nipping playfully at my lips. "I'll do your dinner thing tomorrow night if that's cool. It'll be entertaining to act like a human for a night," he added, dropping his lips one last time to mine and then he was gone.
Taking several breaths, I was relieved his kisses were still just as intoxicating and made my toes curl in anticipation. I wasn't acting like some fainting twit, was I? If so, I couldn't help it. His lips felt like a light rain on a peaceful day, sunshine on a cloudless day, a volcano waiting to erupt. They were everything I could never have imagined and everything I would've never thought to wish for.
I tried to shake the cheesy thoughts away, but one thing was abundantly clear. Fainting twit or not, I wanted more.
"Did you ask your friend about dinner?" Krista asked, coming up the stairs with water still dripping off her. It was clear by their somewhat guilty expressions that they had cut their nighttime swim short because of Emrys.
"Yeah, he's coming tomorrow night if that's okay?" I answered, shoving any further thoughts about Emrys's lips into a secret drawer in my head to be analyzed later when I was alone.
"That works," Krista said, accepting the towel Mark had retrieved from the outdoor cabinet.
"Thanks, babe," she said, hanging it on a hook by the outdoor showerhead Mark had installed.
"I'm whipped. I think I'm going to head to bed," I said, stifling a yawn as Krista and Mark rinsed off together under the shower. "You want me to clean up the kitchen before I hit the sack?" I asked, hoping she'd say no. All my extracurricular activities had left my body begging for sleep.
"No, we got it. You look worn out," Krista observed as Mark wrapped one of the striped oversized beach towels tightly around her body. "Trying to butter me up?" she quizzed Mark as he tucked her under the crook of his arm to help warm her. "Don't think that's going to get you off the hook, buddy," she warned lightly, shooting him a look that spoke volumes.
"Is that a fact?" he asked, pulling her in close.
I left them to their light flirtatious banter. Despite Krista's offer, I decided to detour into the kitchen anyway to give it a quick cleaning before bed. I figured it was the least I could do since they'd offered up an olive branch. Not to mention, judging by the smoldering stares they had shared, they'd be busy for a while.
By the time I was done with kitchen I was dead-ass tired. I climbed into bed with Mouse and within moments I was out. The last thought I remembered was Emrys. Everything after that…blank.