28. Carina
TWENTY-EIGHT
CARINA
Henrik is the absolute best. Last weekend when I stayed over and he said we were going hiking, I was nervous.
I hadn’t been kidding when I said my hips, despite their voluptuous size, weren’t up for the type of hiking he enjoyed.
I needed to work up to it. Let my underutilized muscles get used to regular activity before I willingly put them through hell.
But he’d considered my limitations, and decided on a nice, tame hike that even allowed for beachcombing.
It was the best of both worlds. Even though hikers usually clocked thirty minutes on the loop, we took our time walking, talking, exploring, and laughing.
Our conversations ranged from shallow to deep.
He’d made me laugh with crab jokes. My favorite: what’s the difference between a dirty bus stop and a crab with breast implants?
One is a crusty bus station and the other is a busty crustacean.
This morning, when I wake up in Henrik’s bed all alone, my heart sinks.
Often, he gets up before me and makes us coffee.
Then he’ll return with a mug for each of us before climbing back into bed to snuggle until I’m ready to start my day.
I’m not a morning person, and the thought of getting out of a toasty, comfortable bed on the weekend depresses me.
To get me moving, Henrik sometimes has to lure me out with promises of fun in the shower.
Today, though, he has a commitment at the docks, so there won’t be any morning snuggles.
“Brrr.” I moan, my voice echoing in the sparsely decorated room.
I snuggle deeper into the blankets, hoping a steaming cup of coffee will magically appear.
Glancing at the nightstand, my hope goes up in smoke.
It’s empty. I purse my lips. This is not the ideal way to wake up.
I struggle through it during the week, and now that I have an incredible boyfriend, I figured I was done. At least on the weekends.
I miss him. Pulling his pillow close, I close my eyes and inhale his rugged, woodsy scent.
Images of us fill my mind, and my chest fills with warmth.
Over the last few months, we’ve gotten to know each other well during what seems like hundreds of conversations.
We share everything. And he’s become my best friend.
However, when the conversation touched on parenting the other day, my mouth spoke before my brain thought. Even a week later, I still don’t know why I told him my thoughts on becoming a parent someday. Maybe it’s because I was curious how he’d respond.
The longer we date, the more intense my feelings for him grow.
Every time he’s near, my body buzzes with anticipation.
My heartbeat increases, and butterflies flutter wildly in my stomach.
These feelings are unnerving and unfamiliar, yes, but they’re not unpleasant.
I suspect I’m in love, but I don’t have anyone to ask.
Because of Uncle Jakob’s death, Mom still holds reservations about dating a crab fisherman. Stacy is too far away, and as far as I know, she’s anti-relationship. And I can’t ask Mia because Henrik is her brother. I guess I’ll have to figure this out on my own.
With my increasing obsession with romcoms, and my devout dedication to the Hallmark channel, I question whether my expectations about love are accurate.
Probably not. Henrik is dreamy like the heroes in all the good romances, and sometimes when he’s brooding or grumpy it’s sexy as hell.
Other times, when he’s being a stubborn jerk over something trivial, I feel the complete opposite of swoony.
That’s normal, right? I think so, but I still wonder.
Is it too soon for me to feel this way about him? Is our relationship at that stage yet? We’ve only been dating a handful of months, and haven’t had any big disagreements yet. Is there a magic formula or something to let you know when you’re ready to say those three little words?
“Ugh.” Conflicted, I throw back the blankets and kick out my feet.
When the cool air hits my naked flesh, my nipples pebble.
A shiver tears through my body and goose bumps spread out in every direction.
Sitting here, I take stock of all the feelings coursing through me.
It’s undeniable I care deeply for Henrik, but is it as serious as love?
Desperate for an answer, I ask myself a series of important questions. Does anyone else interest you? “No,” I scoff, annoyed with myself for even considering that. Can you see your relationship with Henrik being long term? “Yes,” I easily answer.
Suddenly, visions of me in a white dress and him in a dark suit fill my mind, bringing a smile to my face. Reaching up, I feel my happiness as I trace the curve of my lips.
The ringing of my phone on the nightstand disturbs me from my reverie. “Hey, Siri, answer the phone.” Then I say hello before I know who’s calling.
“Hello, gorgeous.” Henrik’s deep voice enters my ear, and my heart races.
“Hi,” I answer, wishing our conversation was face-to-face, and I was snuggled in his muscular arms.
“I’m calling to see if you want me to bring lunch home. We’re going to be done here sooner than I thought.”
Surprised, I blurt, “Lunch? What time is it?”
Henrik laughs. “It’s ten. Are you still in bed?”
“Maybe,” I answer.
He let out a deep groan that I feel throughout my body and mutters. “I wish I were there with you.”
“Me too,” I confess. “But I was just getting up to take a shower.”
“Thanks for that,” he chastises me.
“What?” I ask.
He laughs. “Now, instead of focusing on the boat’s engine, I’m going to have images of you all hot and soapy floating through my mind.”
Smirking, I answer back, “It’s only fair. Do you think waking up in your bed surrounded by your masculine scent is easy? It isn’t. My body is primed and ready for some action. And I’m all alone.”
His deep growl fills the line, and my body heats up. “I’ll be home in half an hour, and you’ll be my lunch.” Then the line goes dead.
Sitting up, I process his words. He’s coming home soon.
Suddenly giddy, I hop from the bed and head to my bag.
“Perfect,” I say as I flip the cap to my new mandarin orange and vanilla body scrub.
It reminds me of an orange roll, and I know Henrik is going to love it.
He’ll be nibbling all over me in no time.
I’m just finishing my shower when I hear the garage door open. He’s early. I can hear my pulse racing in my ears. My excitement grows. When he appears in the doorway, his feelings seem at odd with his face. He’s wearing the sexiest smile, but he’s growling.
“What is that smell?”
Eep. I suck in a breath, my eyes go wide, and I stutter, “D-do you not like it?”
He shakes his head. “With just one whiff, it’s making me insane.”
He stalks into the bathroom, and I freeze.
Apprehension rolls through my veins. Again, his face contorts.
His massive chest rises and falls, and his nostrils flare.
Desire is all I see when I look at him. In moments, he’s shed all his clothes, donned a condom, and is coming straight for me.
He picks me up like I’m as light as a feather and walks me to the wall.
Bracketing his hands on my hips, he lifts me higher before lining up and slamming into me.
I groan while arching against him, throwing my head back.
Once he’s fully seated, he nuzzles his nose into my neck, nibbling and taking deep inhales against my skin. “That scent. It’s the fucking best thing I’ve ever smelled.” He pumps his hips, hitting me in just the right spot.
“Right there,” I say on a moan as I lower my hands between us.
One goes to a nipple, and the other lowers to my throbbing nub.
Like solving a Rubik’s Cube, I expertly twist and turn the parts of me needed to solve the equation of my orgasm while he continues to thrust, hitting me deep within.
It only takes a few moments before I shout, “I’m going to come!
” I explode around him, gripping his cock tightly with my muscles.
“That’s it, beautiful,” he encourages as he thrusts through my orgasm. Not long after, his body tenses against mine and he stops pulling out so far. I tighten my legs around him, pulling him even deeper. After a couple more thrusts, he grunts. And my name is a moan falling from his lips.
Sated and showered, we dress and head downstairs. “Did you finish everything you needed to get done on the Brina this morning?” I ask.
He laughs. “Well, I may have left an hour or two early.”
“What?” I croak.
Henrik laughs. “It’s fine. My dad was there. He knows the ins and outs of the Brina better than anyone. When I told him you were having an emergency and needed my help, he didn’t question me and told me to go.”
My mouth falls open. “What am I supposed to say when he and your mom ask about it this week at your family dinner?”
“Shit. I forgot about that. We’ll make something up. It’s no big deal. Really. As soon as I knew you were naked and taking a shower, my mind backfired, and I would have said or done anything to get home to you.”
I rest my hands on my hips. “That’s cute, but we need to make sure that story is ironclad. I will not be cornered by your mom and forced to admit that there was no emergency, and that you ran home to rail me against the wall.”
Henrik laughs as he pulls me into a hug and kisses my head. “Maybe I’ll suggest again to Mom that she should invite Eirik. With Mia already there, their constant uneasiness with each other is bound to provide a great distraction.”
I frown at him. “What’s up with those two?”
He shrugs, then strokes his beard. “Your guess is as good as mine. When we were younger, they used to be tight. She was a cool little sister, and we were the three amigos. But when we hit our teens, suddenly neither could stand to be around the other. Considering he’s my best friend, run-ins were unavoidable.
Now there’s just a weird tension between them.
Sometimes they get along great and sometimes they bicker like cats and dogs. ”
Having been around both of them often, I understand exactly what he’s saying.
Maybe because he’s a guy, or because he doesn’t read romance, he doesn’t understand that their relationship is the typical enemies to lovers.
Knowing that now, and considering how long it’s been simmering, I’m positive it won’t be long until there’s a blowup of some kind.
How it hasn’t happened already is a complete mystery to me.
“Yes, Eirik should definitely be invited. The more the merrier.”