“Done.” I flop down on my back next to Julia. She pulls my arm out to the side and settles against me, resting her head on my shoulder. She wiggles around until she’s comfortable and I can’t help chuckling.
“What’s so funny?” she asks, craning her head up to scowl at me.
Something about the way she pushed my arm around and arranged herself reminded me of a puppy circling a bed trying to get it just right, but I’m sure as hell not going to compare her to a dog. I may not be the brightest man out there, but at least I know better than to do that.
“Nothing, you’re just really cute. That’s all.”
She huffs, her breath warming my chest through my shirt. “I’ll take cute, I guess.”
“What would you prefer?” I ask, angling my head to get a better look at her.
“Hm… devastatingly beautiful? Intimidatingly intelligent?”
“Oh, Jules. You are the most devastating and intimidating woman I’ve ever known. You’re also really cute when you’re trying to relax.”
She bites my chest playfully before laying back to look up at the branches above us. There’s a long pause, the wind rustling the leaves above us as we stare up at the little bits of sky that dance between the swaying tree limbs.
“I love this,” she sighs.
“Me too.”
I loveher.
I love every little thing about her. Every freckle, every hair on her head, and every word out of that smart mouth of hers. She feeds my soul and brings me to life.
21
Julia
“Ilove this.”
That’s the chicken shit version of “I love you, but I’m not sure if I can say it out loud.”
But I do.
Mateo gets me in a way that I don’t think anyone else ever has or ever could. It’s not just that he remembers my favorite sandwich or buys me my own lemon tart so I don’t have to share. Those things certainly don’t hurt, but it’s deeper than that. He seesme. I’ve never felt so loved and cared for in all my life.
Mateo watched me go toe to toe with Janelle and when I came out the other side hungry and growly, he already had this planned because he knew exactly what would make me feel better. And God, was he spot on. There isn’t an ounce of stress left in my body, though that might have more to do with the mind-blowing orgasm than the sandwich.
We lay on the blanket, staring up at the sky. The fall breeze blows over my bare legs, just chilly enough to make me shiver. Before I can even react, Mateo reaches over me, grabbing the edge of the blanket and wrapping us up in our own personal cocoon.
I close my eyes, feeling his chest rise rhythmically under my hand with each breath. If there’s one moment in my life I could choose to live in forever, I think this would be it.
I don’t remember falling asleep but when I come to, Mateo is softly stroking my hair with his fingertips, his cheek pressed to the top of my head. I get a brief moment of deja vu, remembering the way I fell asleep on his shoulder at the hospital, all tucked up in his suit coat.
It’s almost funny when I recall how irritated I was with him after Olive’s wedding, and how hard I tried to fight down my attraction toward him. What a waste of energy that was.
Arching to look up at Mateo, I stretch against his side. He smiles down at me.
“How long was I out?” I ask.
“Ages. And I didn’t realize you snored so hard,” he says with a teasing smile.
“I do not,” I say indignantly. Mateo laughs, the warm sound tugging at my heart.
“No, I’m just messing with you. I have no idea what time it is. I just woke up a couple minutes ago.” Mateo presses his lips to my forehead,
“Best. Nap. Ever,” I yawn, sitting up and flopping over his chest.