Thirty-four
Ethan
“This was the best date,” Lily says.
“I agree with you on that, Sunshine,” I say with a slow, easy smirk.
I lean forward, bracing my forearms over the steering wheel, turning my head to face her.
She sits curled up in the passenger seat, knees drawn slightly, facing me with that dopey, love-drunk look.
Her cheeks are flushed, a soft rose from the lingering warmth of the night air and our lovemaking.
She looks content, and at that moment, more beautiful than ever.
She is what I imagine an angel would look like.
My body is still a live wire, vibrating with want, a deep, aching need to have her again, to lose myself in her.
Her skin was so soft, like silk under my fingertips, and my lips already miss every inch of her.
A familiar rush, hot and insistent, gathers low in my belly.
Even after all this time, after all we have been through, she can still unravel me with a single glance, kiss, or touch.
I clear my throat, forcing myself to break the trance. “Ready to go in?” I watch her closely.
Did our lovemaking drain her energy? Did I take too much? Push her too far?
She purrs, a soft, sleepy sound, her eyes heavy-lidded, a slow, sensual smile curving her lips. The sight widens my own smile.
We step out of the truck and make our way toward the front door.
Lily squeezes my side. “Let’s sit out back in the hammock,” she suggests.
“Now?” I ask, surprised she isn’t ready to sleep.
“Yeah. Unless you’re too tired?” she asks.
I shake my head. “Never too tired for you.”
She nudges me forward, and we walk toward the backyard. I open the gate, letting Lily step through first.
I follow her to the hammock strung between two old oaks. She stops and turns to me, a playful glint in her eyes. “How are we going to do this without ending up on the grass?”
“I’ll go in first, and you lie on top of me.”
She flushes, a soft pink against her pale skin, and she nods, a genuine laugh escaping her. It is a sound I have not heard enough lately.
I step into the hammock, testing it, then hold out my hand. As soon as she sets her hand in mine, I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her on top of me, a soft oof escaping her lips before she giggles.
She adjusts her body until she’s comfortable. Her head rests on my chest, and her hand settles naturally on my stomach.
I rock us in the hammock, one arm behind my head and the other wrapped around her shoulders. We lie there, under the quiet stars, and for a moment, the world outside fades away.
I wish this moment could last forever.