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A smile curved my lips, then grew into an all-out grin as I cuddled with James. His body was cooler than mine. I’d stolen the blankets again. After wiggling, I could untwist them and toss the heavier one over him.
He didn’t wake up.
The scent of him filled my head, and I shifted to rest my head on his shoulder. Still asleep, his arm came around me.
The unconscious action made me smile.
My mind had gone and taken this crazy turn. A few months ago, I never would have imagined it—imaginedhimor my reaction to James. Now it was getting harder to envision a time without him.
On the heels of that thought came a sadder one.
Generally, on a Sunday, I’d be deciding what to take to my parents’ house for our regular weekly dinner. There, I’d play with my niece and nephew, tease Dina and Ned, and let my mother fuss over me while Dad told her to stop hovering.
I’d visited my parents, but I hadn’t talked to Dina much. Not since she’d exploded over James being in my life.
I hated the emotion she’d brought out in me. I felt I had to choose between the man I was falling in love with and the family who’d always supported me.
Time,I told myself.She just needs time.
Her biggest concern was James would use me, then drop me and leave me humiliated. When that didn’t happen, she’d come to see she was wrong, and we could move on, right?
The dismal feelings sapped the buoyant energy inside, and I lost interest in going for a run. Instead, I burrowed even closer to James and closed my eyes.
* * *
We spentthe hottest part of the day in the pool and relaxing on the nearby chaise lounges that rested under the protective shade of a cheerily striped cabana.
Despite the shelter and my repeated applications of sunblock, by mid-afternoon, I called it quits. “I better head in, otherwise I’ll be redder than a lobster.”
James gathered his towel and phone.
“You don’t need to come in,” I told him.
“I know.” He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, nuzzling my bare neck, except for the collar. “I have this urge to strip you out of your bathing suit and fuck you senseless.”
“Oh…well, if you insist.” I smiled, heat already unfurling in my belly.
“I do.”
* * *
Several hours later,I woke alone and disoriented, staring at the TV in front of me. Why was I sleeping on the couch?
We’d gone swimming, had a shower…James had fucked me senseless, just as promised. A late lunch, we’d settled down to watch a movie…and I’d fallen asleep. From the sight of the soft golden light falling in through the blinds, it made me think the day was pretty much gone.
Somewhere behind me, I heard my phone ring, followed by a muttered curse from James.
Yawning, I sat up and twisted to find him standing there with a resigned look on his face and my phone in his hand.
“Guess that was a waste of energy,” he teased as I took it.
The ringing had already stopped, but the notification flashed over the screen. A missed call. One of several.
“It was your sister,” he said, coming to join me on the couch. “I was trying to dismiss the call.”
“Really?” I cocked a brow at him.
“Really.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to my lips, a hard, decisive one. “You dropped off a little before seven, figured you must have been exhausted. I didn’t want her waking you up.”