Chapter 72
CHAPTER 72
MARLOW
I closed the door, following Spencer into the living room. He looked around and then at me. “Is it weird that it feels empty in here?” he asked.
Spencer’s mother had moved out that afternoon. We had just come from her new place, helping her unpack and set up the new furnishings Spencer insisted on purchasing for her.
“Not weird at all,” I replied.
“She didn’t even have any furniture here.” He laughed softly.
“It’s her presence you’re missing,” I told him, walking into his arms.
“I guess. But I’m glad she’s got her own place.”
“Me too.” I nodded.
Kim’s departure left a bittersweet calm in the apartment. Christmas was only a few days away, and I was utterly spent. Work had been crazy, my emotions had been on an all-time high, and Spencer and I had been staying up late every night, screwing like rabbits.
“How about we call it an early night?” he said. “I don’t know about you, but I’m beat.”
“Thank God,” I murmured.
He laughed. “If you’re tired, why didn’t you say so?”
“Because we had things to do,” I told him.
“Take off your shoes and relax,” he said. “I’ll order dinner. Tonight, we do nothing. We don’t think about work. We don’t pack or unpack. We just veg out.”
“That sounds like a very good plan.” I nodded. “I’m going to change into my pajamas.”
As I left the room, I took a moment to look back at Spencer, who was already whipping out his phone to place our dinner order. The sight of him, his features softened with contentment and ease, brought a rush of warmth to my heart. I would never get tired of seeing him happy.
I returned a short while later in my comfiest pajamas, my hair tied up in a messy bun, ready for an evening of total relaxation. Spencer had dimmed the lights and lit a few candles. The fire was going in the gas fireplace, creating a perfectly beautiful atmosphere.
He looked up when he saw me. “Aw, you look so comfy.”
I laughed. “I guess the honeymoon period is over. I don’t have to be dressed to the nines with my makeup done. I get to be just me.”
“And just you is perfect,” he said, getting up from the couch to meet me halfway. He wrapped his strong arms around me. “Isn’t this better than being all dressed up?”
I nodded against his chest, savoring his embrace. “Much better,” I agreed, closing my eyes and breathing him in.
He let go of me and held out a hand. “Come on, dinner will be here soon.” He led me over to the plush couch situated neatly in front of the fireplace. The entire room was bathed in a warm, orange glow. It felt cozy. Homey.
“I’m going to change as well,” he said. “Sit tight.”
He returned to the couch, dressed in sweats and a T-shirt. We scanned the offerings on TV and settled on a home improvement show. Neither of us had any carpentry skills, but it was fun to watch the transformation from a dump to a beautiful home.
We drifted in comfortable silence until the doorbell rang. Spencer reluctantly disentangled himself from our embrace and rose to answer it. He returned moments later with bags of food. Placing them on the coffee table, he began to unload them, filling the room with mouth-watering scents. There was sushi from our favorite Japanese restaurant, spicy kung pao chicken from the Chinese place down the street, and even a box of donuts from the bakery we loved. It was an eclectic mix, but that was what we both craved. It was the perfect comfort food after a wild few days.
We dug in, talking about our day as we shared bites of sushi and spicy chicken. We shared our opinions about the various details on the makeover project we were watching on TV. All through this, I kept stealing glances at Spencer. He looked so at peace, sitting there on the floor, eating Chinese food with chopsticks. There was no pretense or tension in his body. This was our life together, and I knew then that it was everything I had ever wanted. The simplicity of it was pure joy. It would just get better from here on out.
After dinner, we cleared up the containers and settled down on the couch again. He draped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close as we continued to watch the show. I could feel myself slowly drifting.
“Let’s go to bed,” he said.
“I’m sorry to be a party pooper.”
“You’re not a party pooper,” he said.
“I’m exhausted, Spencer,” I said softly. “I’m sorry.”
He leaned in and kissed me sweetly on the forehead. “Never apologize,” he whispered, his lips brushing against my skin. “In fact, I know exactly what you need.”
Then he got up, heading toward his bedroom. I heard the sound of water running and got up to see what he was doing. “What’s this?” I asked.
“I’ve run you a bath,” he replied.
I watched as he lit candles and dumped in bubble bath. “It will help you relax so you’ll fall right to sleep.”
“Spencer, this is so thoughtful.”
He gave me a quick kiss. “Get in. I’ll get you a glass of wine. Do you want music? No music?”
“No music,” I said.
“I’ll be back.”
He walked out of the bathroom, leaving me with the scent of lavender. I had meant to go straight to bed, but the luxurious bath was too good to pass up. I stripped off my clothes and sank into the warm water with a content sigh. Spencer returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. He poured one for me and set it on the edge of the tub.
“There you go.” He smiled, looking down at me. “I’ll be close if you need a refill.”
Spencer turned to leave, but I caught his wrist. “Join me?” I asked, looking up at him with a hopeful smile.
He didn’t need to be asked twice. He quickly shed his clothes and slid into the tub behind me, pulling me against his chest. The water enveloped us both. I felt my tension begin to melt away.
We lay there for a while, just enjoying the warmth and closeness. The bubbles fizzed and popped around us. “I’m so excited for Christmas,” I said, breaking the comfortable silence. “Going home to spend it with my family and with you. Are you sure your mother doesn’t want to come?”
Spencer kissed the top of my head. “She’s excited to stay here,” he said. “My father finally reached out two days ago. He’s flying back to New York to join her for the holidays and go to a therapy session with her. It’s what she asked for for Christmas.”
“That’s wonderful,” I said, feeling a wave of relief and happiness for his mother. “She’s taking such brave steps.”
“She is,” Spencer agreed, his voice filled with pride. “I’m really proud of her.”
“Do you think she’ll move back to Florida?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied with a sigh. “I think my dad likes it there. If they do work things out, I’m sure that’s where they will end up.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“Absolutely.” He chuckled. “I bought them the house there. I’m not upset that I bought it, but I think that’s where they will be the happiest. I don’t need them right next door. I told my mom they can keep the apartment here and use it when they visit.”
“I don’t know,” I said with a small laugh. “Your mom seemed pretty happy in that place. After hearing the way she talked about your apartment being too small and then too big, I never imagined that would be the thing that made her happy.”
“I think my mom just needed to bitch for bitching’s sake.” He laughed.
“You might be right.” I chuckled, leaning my head back against his chest. “But hey, at least she’s making progress.”
“Yeah, true enough,” he agreed. His hands gently smoothed circles over my arms, chasing away the last vestiges of the day’s tensions.
I closed my eyes, breathing in the comforting scent of lavender and the masculine hint of Spencer’s cologne. This was what I needed, moments like this where nothing else mattered but us. No deadlines, no family drama, just us.
“Spencer,” I whispered.
“Hmm?”
“I love this—us.”
He paused for a moment before responding, his heartbeat thrumming against my back. “I love us too.” His voice was barely above a whisper, as if he didn’t want to break the tranquility that had enveloped us.
For a while, we lay suspended in that peaceful silence. The only sound in the room was the gentle lapping of water against the edges of the tub and the occasional pop of a bubble. The candlelight flickered around us. I sipped my wine before giving him the glass to take a drink as well.
We lay there for a few more minutes, feeling more at peace than I had in days. Spencer’s hands caressed my body under the water. I felt a familiar stir of desire.
“I’m not all that tired anymore,” I murmured, tilting my head back to look at him.
His eyes darkened with a mix of love and lust. “Is that so?” he whispered, his voice low and teasing.
I turned in the tub, straddling his lap, and leaned in to kiss him deeply. “That is so,” I teased.
He grabbed my face and kissed me again. The water sloshed around us, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was the feeling of his lips on mine, his hands on my body, and the love that flowed between us. Our tongues danced and dueled, growing in urgency as we explored each other’s mouths with tongues and teeth nipping at each other.
The warm water surrounding us felt almost too hot now. My hands slid down Spencer’s muscled back, tracing the lines of his spine as I leaned into him, kissing him harder, needy for his touch. My breasts slid over his wet chest, slick from the bubbles. I slid my mouth away, sucking the sensitive flesh at the base of his neck into my mouth. His moan filled the room.
Spencer pulled away from the kiss slightly, looking into my eyes with a smirk on his lips. He cupped my face gently, tracing my jawline with his thumbs. I let out a soft sigh against his lips before pulling back entirely.
“Mmm, I love this,” I purred softly against him before planting a new kind of kiss on him. My tongue slipped into his mouth, tasting the wine on his lips as he let out a low groan deep from his core.
We broke apart again for air, both panting heavily with our shared need for each other.
“Bed,” he whispered.
I nodded and slid back. He was the first one out of the tub, pulling a towel from the towel rack. He quickly wrapped it around his waist, then held out a hand to help me out.
I took his hand and stood, water cascading down my body. He grabbed another towel, gently drying me off with a tenderness that made my heart flutter.
“Thank you,” I whispered as he finished, wrapping the towel around me.
“No need to thank me,” he replied, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “It’s all part of the service.”
I laughed, loving his goofy sense of humor. His fingers found their way to mine, and he led me out of the bathroom into the bedroom.