“Wouldn’t be ruining it at all.” I step inside and look at the mess left by animals. “Hey, we’re old friends, neighbors really, and Canadian at that. I’m just being nice.”
She opens and closes her mouth, like she’s trying to find her words, find the right way to protest, but really, my dome has a big bed, and a bunk above it where you can unzip the dome and stare at the stars as you fall asleep. She thought of everything.
“You can take the bed or the bunk. I’m okay with either.”
“I…um…”
“That’s mighty nice of you, young man, and it makes perfect sense to me.” George’s blue eyes narrow in on me, and then his head jerks back like I might have just slapped him. “Jesus wept, and Moses slept, and Adam came on crutches.”
I laugh, having heard my grandmother use those words when something surprised or shocked her.
“You’re Wes Hatfield.”
“I am,” I say and hold my hand out for a shake. He readily accepts and gives my hand a good squeeze. “Nice to meet you, George.” I catch the grin on Charlie’s face. I think she’s getting used to all the attention I get wherever I go.
“I’ll be damned.” He lets out a loud laugh. “The missus must have lost her mind when she saw you, and then talked your ear off.”
I laugh with him. “She was quite gracious,” I tell him.
He turns to Charlie. “Luv, I think staying in Wes’ dome here is a great idea. No sense in letting the spare bed go unused or driving back to our place after dark. Traffic, you know.”
She shakes her head, like the world is conspiring against her. “Yeah, a regular freeway here on the island where the ferry brings over all of ten cars at a time.”
“Like I said, traffic.”
Her gaze slides to mine and her freckles bunch as she crinkles her nose. “You sure I won’t be imposing on your vacation?”
“Only if you snore.” I make a face like I ate something distasteful and shake my head. “Oh no. You do snore, don’t you?”
“I do not,” she shoots back, and picks up a pillow, ready to hurl it at me. Instead, she fluffs it and sets it on a nearby chair.
“All settled then.” George nods. “I’ll let you two get sorted out in your dome and I’ll clean this up.”
“Thanks, George,” she says and we both head out into the late morning sunshine. She walks past me and goes to the Jeep to get her bags, and I hurry and walk to my dome, and hold the door open for her.
She looks less than impressed as she steps inside. I follow her in and nearly crash into her when she comes to an abrupt stop. “Do you like top or bottom?” she asks.
A noise I have no control over crawls out of my throat as I visualize her on the big comfy bed, me on top of her, beneath her, always inside her.
She spins, and her cheeks turn bright red. “I mean do you want the loft or do you prefer to sleep on ground level.”
“I know what you mean.”
She glares at me. “Then why did you make that sound…like I was asking about…about…”
“Sex?”
Her chest rises and falls quickly. “Yeah.”
“I knewyouweren’t asking about sex, but you should probably know, I was thinking about it.” I give a non-apologetic shrug. “What can I say, I’m a guy and you’re a beautiful woman.”
She blinks at me, like she’s trying to understand the compliment, and if this woman isn’t told she’s beautiful every day, that’s on those around her, not her. You know what else? She brought us here to have a relaxing vacation, yet I can’t help but wonder when she last took a break. I’m guessing she doesn’t. Maybe I’ll do something about that this weekend. Maybe I’ll turn this around and treat her to a little rest, or rather Wes, and relaxation. I grin, liking the idea of that.
She eyes me, her head angled, suspicion dancing on her face. “Why are you smiling like that?”
I reach out, and slide her back pack from her shoulder. “Because I’m on vacation, and I don’t care if I’m on top or bottom. You pick.”
Her brows furrow, and I guess she’s trying to figure out what I’m up to. “It’s really nice to sleep with the dome open so you can see the stars,” she finally says. “You might like that.”