Page 29 of Forever

CHAPTER 11

WILLIAM

I have to admit, I love being in Zadar. Especially in the spring.

The early April day air has a slight bite to it, although you can see the sun rise slowly on the horizon. It’s quiet and the streets are empty. There is saltiness in the air coming from the sea that’s just around the corner.

Who doesn’t like that?

The university is situated in the Old Town of Zadar. It’s basically a peninsula surrounded by stone walls that are probably as old as the city itself. Anabel’s apartment is close to the university, just an easy five, ten tops, minute walk from her place.

Although I’m enrolled in a gym all year round—you never know when I might pop in for a short visit—I like to get up early and go on for a jog while the rest of the town is sleeping. Including Anabel.

I tried to get Tink to go jogging with me once, but she didn’t even open one eye, yet she managed to throw the pillow at my head before snuggling more firmly under the comforters and going back to sleep.

So much for being clumsy.

She probably faked falling that first night we met all those months ago to grab my attention. A man can hope, right?

After that I didn’t even try to wake her up or ask her to join me. I usually wake up when the sun starts rising and go for a run. After hour or so, on the way home I grab some breakfast and coffee to-go in the bakery.

Another thing Croatians don’t have? Starbucks. Yeah, no Starbucks. I think I wanted to cry the first time Bel told me that. How can they live without Starbucks? At least there is McDonald’s. They don’t live completely in the Stone Age. For now.

With coffee and breakfast in tow, I sneak back into her apartment. Sometimes the smell of coffee and sweet baked goods is enough to wake her. Sometimes I have to be more creative.

Those are my favorite days.

Softly closing the door behind me, I look at the bump on the bed.

Another thing about Bel? She likes to sleep in the middle of the bed. And she always sleeps on her side or stomach, never on her back. Her hands hug the pillow and at least one of her legs is pulled up to her chest.

The blinds are still pulled on the window and the room is dark. Bel is softly snoring under at least five blankets.

When I’m here I push them down at the bottom of the bed and Bel drapes herself over my body in search of heat.

Moving a few papers on her desk only enough so I can lay down our breakfast—another lesson I learned pretty early, do not, under any circumstances, touch Bel’s creative mess. I take off my running shoes and get on the bed next to her.

Snuggling under the covers, my hands wrap around her naked frame and I pull her closer to me. She murmurs something incoherently in her sleep.

Gently chuckling I move a strand of the hair behind the ear.

Looking at her like that, all beautiful and innocent warms my heart and makes me love her even more.

How much can a person love before it become too much? Before there is no place left to hold all those crazy, beautiful, unnerving feelings inside? Is there a limit to how much you can love somebody? If there is, I don’t want to reach it. I love falling for her, and I don’t want to give up that feeling.

Tink stirs against me, her body arching into my touch as if she can sense me even in her dreams.

I pull her closer to my chest. My lips find the crook of her neck and plant one long kiss on the sensitive skin behind her ear.

“Good morning, sleepy head.”

“Morning,” she murmurs softly, her butt arching back and rubbing against my groin. I inhale sharply, my body reacting to her proximity in an instant.

“You have to stop doing that because I might flip you on all four and give you a good morning fuck,” I growl in her ear.

She tries to brush her ass against my dick again, but I curl my fingers stronger around her hips, keeping her still.

“Maybe I’d like that.”

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