With my arms wrapped around him we both start to fall asleep. I want to ask him more about his visit with his parents and I’m starting to get hungry, but right now, I need to hold my boyfriend and revel in this newfound interest. I will definitely be letting Evan take control in bed again.
When I open my eyes, I’m surprised to find it dark in the room and the bed cold next to me. Where is Evan? I push myself up and blink a few times letting my eyes adjust. I have no idea what time it is or where I left my phone when things got hot and heavy. I wince at the slight, but oh, so delicious, sting in my ass as I climb out of bed. It’s the best feeling–a small reminder of the mind-blowing sex we had.
I stumble to the bathroom to take care of some business then pull on a clean pair of boxer briefs. The hallway light is off, and the house is quiet. When I get to the kitchen, a quick glance at the microwave tells me it’s a little after eight. The lights are on in the backyard and there’s an open bottle of red wine and a clean glass on the counter. I pour myself a glass and take it to the backyard where I find Evan, sipping his own wine and reading a book.
“Hey,” I smile when he looks up at me, “did you enjoy your nap?”
“It was great. Sorry I fell asleep for so long,” I apologize.
“Someone wore you out.” He smirks.
“You definitely did and in the best way possible.” I kiss his cheek then drop onto the small couch next to him. He’s wearing a pair of black sweatpants and a solid red shirt. He came prepared. “How long have you been awake?”
“About two hours. I only napped for thirty minutes. I couldn’t fall back asleep, so I borrowed your key and went home to shower and change then came back with an overnight bag and some dinner. You were still asleep, so I made a snack and came out here to read. It’s a gorgeous night and the breeze feels great.”
“You should have woken me.”
“I tried. You didn’t budge, so I figured you needed the rest.”
“What are you reading?”
“It’s a murder mystery I picked up when I was out with my parents yesterday. I started reading it on the beach. It’s really good. Lots of twists and turns.”
“Sounds good. Maybe I’ll read it after you finish. I’m not much of a reader. I always enjoy it, but I never think to grab a book instead of watching mindless television.”
“I’ve always been a big reader, but I haven’t read much since moving here.”
“We should go to the bookstore soon and pick something out we both might like.”
“It’s a date! You enjoy that glass of wine. I’m going to go get our dinner. Help yourself to the snacks,” Evan says, rising from the couch and pointing to the plate of cheese and grapes.”
“Can I help you?” I offer.
“No, thank you. I want to do this for you. It will only take a few minutes.” Evan disappears into the house, so I pick up his book and read it while he busies himself with dinner.
TWENTY-ONE
EVAN
The visit with my parents last weekend was great and I was sad to see them go, but the time with Isaac after they left was nothing short of perfection. Once I got past the initial shock of doing something to him that he had never experienced and got Mike out of my head, I felt damn proud of myself for teaching Isaac something new.
We’ve spent every night this week together and sometimes I wonder why we pay for two places. I’m not ready to bring that up to Isaac yet. We’ve only been together aboutsix weeks.
Today, Isaac leaves for another away game and then next week, his family will be here.
Normally, I don’t come into the office on Saturday when the boys are away, but there’s a huge concert at the stadium tonight, so we need all hands on deck. Hope is here, too, and Isaac promised to stop by before the team leaves for the airport.
Carter walks in followed by Tyson and Isaac. It’s not quite the goodbye I was hoping for. Isaac isn’t going to kiss me with an audience. Good thing I took care of my boyfriend last night and again this morning.
Isaac speaks to Hope then walks over to me while Carter and Tyson talk to her. All I want to do is jump into his arms, but I stay glued to my spot and wait for him to approach. Keeping my features unreadable is almost impossible, but I will do anything for Isaac even if it means pretending he’s just a friend.
“I’m going to miss you,” he whispers, so no one else can hear.
“Me, too,” I choke out. It worries me every time he gets on a plane. I know the chances of something terrible happening are slim, but I worry until I get the text telling me they landed safely.
“Thank you for that amazing sendoff this morning.” He winks and shows me his sexiest smirk. Damn, him. All I can do is nod. Words refuse to form, so I stare deep into his dark-brown eyes.
“Isaac,” Tyson calls, breaking the trance. “Let’s go.”