Chapter 24
TWENTY-FOUR
Maren drifted off to sleep in Colin’s arms. Sometime later, she was awakened by the musical sound of water pouring into a glass.
“I thought you’d be thirsty,” he said in the tenderest voice she’d ever heard, but rough-edged, a sexy morning voice.
“Is it morning already?” she asked, yawning. It was dark in the bedroom.
“Not yet.” He set the large water bottle on the nightstand and settled back into bed beside her with his own water glass.
She was thirsty, and she quickly drained the glass. Then she curled back into his arms and drifted off again into the best sleep she’d had in weeks. Or perhaps ever.
Maren woke to warmth.
Colin’s arm was around her waist, her back pressed against his chest, his breath steady against her hair. They’d shifted in the night—tangled together like they’d been doing this for years instead of hours.
I should feel awkward. I should be second-guessing everything that happened last night.
Instead, she felt safe and calm.
Maren turned carefully in Colin’s arms, not wanting to wake him yet, wanting to just look at him. The lines around his eyes had softened. His mouth was relaxed. He looked peaceful.
I did that.
“You’re staring,” Colin rumbled without opening his eyes.
Maren’s face heated. “How did you—”
“Felt you turn.” He cracked one eye open as he gave her a sexy smile. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She touched his face, unable to help herself. “Better than okay.”
Colin caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “No regrets?”
“None.” Maren meant it. “You?”
“Not even close.” He pulled her closer, and she felt exactly how not-regretting-it he was against her hip.
“Oh,” she said softly.
“Sorry. Give me a minute and it’ll—”
“Don’t you dare.” Maren shifted against him deliberately. “Don’t apologize.”
His breath caught. “Maren.”
“What?” She shifted again, watching his face. “I thought you said all night.”
“I did.”
“Pretty sure it’s still technically night. Sun’s not entirely up yet.”
Colin’s laugh was rough, sleep-worn. “That’s the worst logic I’ve ever heard.”
“But is it working?”
“Oh yeah.” He moved suddenly, rolled her onto her back, and settled his cock between her legs. “It really is.”
Maren wrapped her arms around his neck. “Good.”
He leaned down to kiss her. This kiss was different from last night’s kisses. Still passionate, yes, but less desperate. Colin’s hand slid down her side, over her hip, teasing her skin and making goose bumps rise.
“Tell me what you want,” he said against her mouth.
“You. Just you.”
“You’ve got me.” He kissed her throat, her collarbone, and then went straight for the spot below her ear he’d found last night that made her gasp. “What else?”
Maren’s brain was starting to fog. “I don’t—what do you mean?”
Colin pulled back just enough to look at her. His eyes were dark and intense. “I mean, do you want slow again? Fast? Do you want me to—” He demonstrated with his hand, sliding down her stomach. “Or do you want me inside you right now?”
Heat flooded her face and other places, too. “I—God, you can’t just—”
“Can’t just what?” His fingers brushed lower. “Ask you what you want?”
“It’s not fair.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re—” She gasped as his fingers found exactly where she needed them and rubbed tiny circles. “You’re really good at that.”
“At this?” He stroked her clit again, watching her face. “Or at asking questions?”
“Both.” Maren tried to glare at him and failed spectacularly when he added pressure. “You’re a menace.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I don’t want you to stop doing what you’re doing, but I also want you inside me.” The words came out breathy and in a rush. “Right now.”
Colin’s grin was pure, devilish satisfaction. “In a moment.”
“In a moment?”
“Yes. But first…” He kissed his way down her body—slowly, deliberately—and Maren let her eyes fall closed.
This. This was what she’d been missing. Not just the physical connection, though God knew that was incredible. But the playfulness. The ease. The feeling that she could breathe.
That she could want something just for herself.
When Colin’s mouth finally reached where she needed it, Maren’s back arched off the bed.
“Still good?” he asked against her.
“So good.” Her fingers found his hair. “Don’t stop.”
He didn’t.
Colin took his time with her. And when she finally came against his mouth for the second time, Maren felt something shift inside her.
Felt herself choosing this.
Choosing him.
He shifted back up to her. He lined himself up, and Maren wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him closer.
“Impatient,” Colin observed.
“Hey, you’re the one who took the detour.”
Colin laughed. “Fair point.”
He pushed inside her in one slow thrust, and Maren’s back arched off the bed.
“Still okay?” Colin asked, his voice strained.
“God, yes.” She rolled her hips, taking him deeper.
He started moving inside her. This was different from last night, too. Less caution, more certainty. Colin knew what made her gasp now. Knew the angle that made her thrust back at him. He knew exactly how much pressure she needed to start climbing toward her orgasm.
And God, he used that knowledge ruthlessly.
“Colin. I’m so close. I can’t—I’m going to—”
He shifted slightly, and the new angle sent sparks up her spine. “Yes, baby. Let me feel it.”
She came with his name on her lips. Colin sped up, thrusting deeper. With one last, powerful thrust, he came with a groan that she felt everywhere.
They stayed tangled together, breathing hard, hearts racing against each other.
Finally, Colin shifted to the side, pulling her with him so they were facing each other.
“Good morning,” he said.
Maren laughed softly. “Good morning.”
“You good?”
“Very.” She touched his face, still marveling that she was allowed to do this. “You?”
“Same.” Colin caught her hand and wove their fingers together. “This is—” He stopped and frowned.
“What?” Maren asked, suddenly worried.
“I was going to say this is new for me,” he said quietly. “But that sounds stupid.”
“It’s not stupid.”
“I just mean—” He looked at their joined hands. “I haven’t done this in a while. The staying part. The morning-after part. Not since Lindsey. Usually I’d be—”
“Gone?”
“Yeah. Sorry. That’s probably not what you want to hear right now.”
“Actually,” Maren said slowly, “it kind of is.”
Colin’s eyebrows rose. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She squeezed his hand. “Because me too. I haven’t—this hasn’t been—” She stopped. Started again. “The last time I woke up next to someone was my ex. And he was gone not long after Juni.” Maren looked away, embarrassed.
Colin gently took her chin and turned her head to face him again. “Hey. This is me. I’m not going anywhere.”
Maren’s throat tightened. “Even though my life is a complete disaster right now?”
“Your life isn’t a disaster. Your circumstances are complicated.” He stroked her cheek. “There’s a difference.”
“Semantics.”
“Important semantics.” Colin’s thumb brushed her cheekbone. “And for what it’s worth, I think you’re incredible.”
Maren felt tears prick her eyes. “You barely know me.”
“I know enough.” Colin pulled her closer. “I know you put everyone else first. I know you’re brave even when you’re terrified. I know you make terrible jokes when you’re nervous. I know you cry when you’re overwhelmed but you don’t let it stop you. I know—”
Maren kissed him to shut him up.
When they broke apart, both smiling, Colin said, “And now I know you do that when you don’t want to hear nice things about yourself.”
“Guilty.”
“I also know that I love you.”
Maren’s heart stuttered. “What?”
“You heard me, Maren Walsh. I love you.”
“But you…you haven’t known me long enough.”
Colin shook his head. “I have known you long enough. Long enough to want to take you on a proper date once this is all over.” Colin’s mouth curved. “Introduce you to my family. Let Juni spoil my mom’s dogs rotten.”
Maren stared unbelievingly at him. “You’ve thought about this.”
“Yeah. I’ve thought about almost nothing else since last night. But, if this is too soon for you—”
“It’s not.” Maren surprised herself with her words. But it was true, she realized. It didn’t matter that she’d only known Colin for such a short time.
“I love you, too, Colin.” She smiled. “So much.”
They lay there in comfortable silence for a while, wrapped around each other as the darkness outside started to fade toward dawn.
Finally, Colin said, “We should probably get up soon. Before Juni gets back.”
“Probably.” Maren didn’t move. “Five more minutes?”
“Five more minutes.” Colin pulled her closer. “Then I’ll make you breakfast.”
“You cook?”
“I can operate a waffle iron without burning the house down. Does that count?”
Maren laughed. “That definitely counts.”
“Good.” He pressed a kiss to her hair. “Because I’m planning on making you breakfast a lot.”
“Are you?”
“If you’ll let me.”
Maren thought about that. About Colin in her kitchen. About Juni chattering over waffles. About normal, everyday moments that felt impossible two weeks ago.
About choosing to want this.
“Yeah,” she said quietly. “I’ll let you.”
Colin’s arm tightened around her. “I love you,” he whispered against her hair.
“I love you, too.”