Page 51 of Things I Read About

The noises he makes are primal, animal. I love them. Each time he shudders or sighs or cusses under his breath, I’m invigorated. I have only done this once before. I don’t think I’m very good at it, but I also don’t think he lasts that much longer than I did.

I stand and smile up at him, beaming at how shocked he looks. Shocked and also deeply satisfied.

He shakes his head before kissing me. His kiss is hard but hurried before he pulls back and smiles down at me. A real, wide, full smile. It annihilates me.

He’s too gorgeous. Too big, too sweet, too hot. He is a dream. And he looks down at me like he’s thinking I’m a dream too. And yet, we didn’t actually do the deed.

“Are you okay?” I ask him.

“I’m happy as a clam, baby.”

“At high tide.”

“What?” He rinses his hair one more time.

“I… I have a thing with idioms and phrases. The expression is actuallyhappy as a clam at high tide.You should know that; it’s from New England, early 1900s.”

“I’ve only ever heard the first part, but I wasn’t exactly hanging around with literary geniuses as a kid.” He turns back and moves out of the spray, guiding me by the hips to shift back in the warmth. He watches the water fall down my neck, shoulders, and chest. He bites his lip. “Man, I’m so glad I took the contract for this week.”

I laugh and he kisses me again.

“Best job of my life.” He backs up. “Stay, take your time. I’ll order you some coffee and I’ll see you tonight, okay?”

“Okay.”

_____

I am in a dreamlike state for the rest of the morning. Which ends abruptly at lunch.

As I am about to head out the door to the patio restaurant, Kat and Janie barge in.

“Sal? Why aren’t you packing?”

“Huh?”

Janie laughs. “Okay. Nate really must have kept you alive last night. You’re hopeless.”

Kat holds up her phone. “Your texts, doc. I guess the Clarks have had a schedule change, and it’s their jet, ergo, we have had a schedule change too. Some emergency board meeting. The plane is on its way to get us right now. Get a move on.”

“What?” I pull out my phone and scan. Sure enough, Emerson’s family jet is landing in Park City in an hour. “Wait, we should have one more day.”

“That’s the downside of using your brother-in-law’s fancy-ass Gulf Stream.” Kat laughs. “Kidding, there are no downsides. It’s amazing.”

“Agreed,” Janie says as she heads to her room. “I’d much rather leave now than fly home commercial.”

“You would?”

“Yes, it’s so fun. Maybe you’re used to it but I’m definitely not. Plus, we couldn’t get flights right now if we tried.”

My mind races. “But we could try. Have you tried?”

Kat stomps over and puts her hands on my shoulders. “Sally. There is a bazillion dollar jet already on its way here and guzzling fuel, all of which probably costs more than my house and is killing off a small chuck of the atmosphere as it goes. We can’t tell them to just turn around.”

I sit down, shocked.

“No, no sitting. Packing.”

I get up and start throwing everything into my giant bag.