Lachlan
The aroma of lavender and vanilla seeped its way into my subconscious as I stirred from sleep, more rested and sated than I thought possible after that fateful phone call a week ago.
It was surreal to think it had only been a week since I spent the night in jail before Brett bailed me out, instructing me to go home to Hawaii to be with family. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since then, but also like I blinked and it was suddenly a week later.
Especially considering in just two days, Julia would board a flight to Atlanta and our time together would be over.
Our agreement would be over.
One moment, I was convinced it was for the best. Our lives were too complicated. All rationale and reason told me Julia would only end up being a bigger distraction than she already was. And the absolute last thing I needed in my life right now was a distraction.
But in those quiet moments, when we brushed our teeth together, or cooked together, or even sat on the couch and read together, I found myself entertaining the possibility of more.
Was it even a possibility, though?
I wasn’t sure.
“I can feel you thinking,” she murmured, voice husky with sleep.
“You can feel me thinking?” I mused, pulling her closer and peppering kisses along her shoulder blade.
“I sure can, Mr. Hale.”
“How so, Ms. Prescott?” I teased back, hand skimming her frame, her skin so soft and smooth.
“I can’t explain it.” She rolled over, meeting my gaze. She ran her hand through my hair, her touch lighting me on fire. “I just can.”
God, she was gorgeous first thing in the morning — eyes heavy from sleep, hair tangled from sex.
“Okay. You got me. I was thinking.”
“About?”
“You.” I lowered my mouth to hers. “Always you.”
At the gentle brushing of my lips against hers, she moaned, our tongues touching in a sweet kiss. It wasn’t the carnal, lust-filled exchange that typically accompanied our more passionate moments. But it still drove me wild.
My heart squeezed over the notion of never again experiencing her kisses once she left Hawaii. Which confused me.
Before Julia, I didn’t give much thought to the women I invited into my bed. They were there to serve a purpose. To make me forget.
While Julia certainly helped me forget, she also helped me forgive, the guilt I’d been carrying no longer as heavy a burden.
All in just a week’s time.
“What exactly were you thinking?” she asked when I brought our kiss to an end.
I pushed a few tendrils of hair behind her ear. “About Monday,” I confessed.
Her expression fell, a sad smile pulling on her lips.
Over the past few days, I sensed her struggling with our original agreement, especially with all the time we’d spent exploring my favorite spots on the island. The Mermaid Caves. The Botanical Gardens. Hell, I stole her away from her commitments yesterday and all we did was stroll through the farmer’s market, something I normally hated doing. But with her, it was new and exciting.
That was the thing about Julia. It didn’t matter what we did. Everything was exhilarating when I was with her.
Better.
Brighter.