Page 77 of On the Rocks

So, I held on tight, willing it to be true, willinghimto be real.

My body succumbed to the darkness, my mind following quickly, every part of me slipping into the promising black space around us like it was the open arms of a long-lost friend.

If he was a dream, I would sleep, just so I could keep him a little longer.

I’d sleep, and maybe — just maybe — I’d wake on a day where I got to keep him forever.

Noah

God, I don’t want to wake her.

It was all I could think the next morning as I sat on the edge of my bed, watching Ruby Grace sleep. Her hair had fallen out of the tie she’d fastened it in at some point in the night, and wild, red tendrils splayed over my pillow like flower petals. Her mouth was open just a bit, one leg kicked out of the sheets, eyes fluttering a bit behind her lids.

She was dreaming.

I hoped it was of me.

I sighed, watching her with a sinking feeling in my gut. She hadn’t stirred since we fell asleep together, which was late afternoon yesterday, other than when I’d woken her up somewhere around midnight because her sweet ass was rubbing against my erection. We’d slowly made love, both of us on our sides, our eyes still closed, and as soon as we’d both reached our climax, she’d passed out again.

But my body woke me again at five — craving her, craving so,somuch more of her.

So, I crawled out of bed — begrudgingly — and got a workout in.

I needed to dosomethingwith all the pent-up energy.

And the entire time I did my calisthenics, I thought about the girl in my bed. I ran over my memories of the night, searing into my mind what it felt like to touch her so I’d never forget it. And beneath all of that, I worked through the heavier feeling in my chest, the one that was as foreign as it was somehow familiar.

It was deeper than sex.

Now that I’d had her, I knew I couldn’t live in a world where Ididn’t.

I wanted to let her in, let her see all of me, and I wanted to see all of her, in return.

While I’d spent the morning working out and planning every word I wanted to say to her, and knowing exactlywhereI wanted to take her to say it all, she’d been here, in my bed, sleeping. Knocked out. Completely exhausted.

After everything that had happened yesterday, I knew she needed rest, and I didn’t want to take that from her.

But it was Sunday in Stratford, and there wasn’t an excuse outside of being dead that could get Ruby Grace Barnett out of going to church.

I was still a little sweaty from my workout as I swept a strand of her hair from her face, running my fingertip down the line of her jaw. She stirred a little, stretching her arms up above her head and pointing her toes before her eyes fluttered open.

The moment they locked with mine, she smiled.

And my heart nearly burst at the sight of that sleepy smile.

“Well, good morning,” she said, voice raspy. “You’re sweaty.”

I chuckled. “And you’re sleepy.”

She groaned, rubbing her eyes. “I really am. I feel like I could sleep for years.”

“Here,” I said, offering her the cup of hot tea I’d made her. “Earl Grey. Just a little bit of caffeine, but it should help.”

She took it in thanks, scooting up until she was seated against the headboard, and after her first sip, she hummed.

“That’s good,” she said, wrapping her hands around the warm mug.

My sheets pooled at her waist, but her breasts were bare, exposed, just sitting there right in front of me in all their perky glory. Ruby Grace followed my gaze and gave me a knowing smirk.