Page 79 of Stay With Me

I feel so many things right now. Cared for, protected, cherished, and loved. But there’s something else that I haven’t felt in a long time, and I can’t quite place my finger on what it is. I don’t know how long I lie here thinking about it, but when Charlie places a kiss on my head and wraps his arms around me even tighter, it comes to me.

I feel at peace.

CHAPTER30

CHARLIE

As I attempt to extricate myself from the tangle of arms and legs that Emily has me wrapped in, a low growl emanates from her sweet mouth.

“No. Don’t leave,” Emily whispers into my chest, her eyes still closed.

I chuckle. This woman isnota morning person.

Her lying on my chest like this, it’s more than I ever dreamed could happen. I place a soft kiss on her forehead, lingering there for a moment.

“I’m gonna go make us some coffee, sleepyhead. But you sleep in as long as you want.”

“Mhmm,” is her only response.

As I slip the rest of the way out of the bed, she snuggles deeper under the covers. She looks so beautiful and peaceful in my bed, nestled on her side. I take the edges of the comforter and tuck in up by the back of her neck, making sure she’s wrapped good. Her half-aware sigh tells me she notices.

In the two weeks since Emily and I started sharing a bed we’ve not slept apart once, and I’ve learned that she likes the room cool—almost cold—when she’s sleeping but wants to be burrowed in a nest of blankets. Oh, and shehateswhen she has any part of her from her neck down that is exposed to the air.

After I throw on some shorts and a T-shirt, brush my teeth, and grab a pair of socks, I head downstairs. In the kitchen, I go straight to the coffee bar area and scoop some beans into the grinder. As the beans grind, I inhale deeply and enjoy the rich, aromatic scent while I look out the window over the sink at the steadily falling rain.

The trails of water on the glass of the window are mesmerizing as they race down the pane. I’m actually glad for the rain, hoping it will take some of the thick August humidity out of the air. I’m also not going to complain that it gives Emily and me a reason to stay indoors today.

It occurs to me to check if we have enough half-and-half for Emily’s coffee this morning. As much of the night as we spent making love, it’s going to be a multiple cup day for both of us. I walk over to the fridge, pick up the carton and shake it a little. Definitely not enough for even one cup like she enjoys it, and certainly not for two. I take the next few minutes to start the coffee brewing, scribble out a note for Emily, then grab my keys and head out to the truck.

It’s about a fifteen-minute drive into the main part of Elladine from my home on the outskirts. I spend that entire time thinking about what’s happening between Emily and me. It feels serious. It has from the moment she dropped her robe in my bathroom. Was it sensual? Fuck, yes. But that’s not what made it feel serious. It was the look of vulnerability, yet trust, in her eyes as she did it. I know that couldn’t have been easy for her—putting herself out there like that after the betrayal she suffered in her marriage, and, hell, even after I freaked out about our kiss a few months ago.

I’ve known for a long time now that there’s no one for me besides Emily. Sure, I’ve dated some, telling myself that maybe there could be a shot with someone else, but deep down I think I’ve always known that being with anyone else was like trying to put a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. Those relationships were doomed from the start because no one was ever going to be her.

She came into my life like a whirlwind almost ten years ago and imprinted on my heart in a way that hasn’t lessened, even after all these years. No matter how much I tried to deny what I feel for her.

Still, there’s that voice in the back of my head asking me what Trina would think, and worse, telling me I’m not good for Emily. But I just can’t listen to that right now. For the first time in forever, things feel right. Like there was a piece of my soul missing for years and it’s finally found.

When I arrive at the small grocery, I take less than five minutes to run in and pick up a large carton of creamer and get back in the truck. I’m eager to get back to her, but I decide to make a stop at Elladine Bakehouse and grab a couple of donuts. It’s only a ten-minute diversion, and I know it will make her happy.

I’m back at the house by nine a.m. and am just about to put the creamer away when the creaking of the bedroom door opening alerts me that Emily is awake. I pour us both a cup of coffee and pull two small plates down from the cupboard.

When Emily pads into the kitchen, she glances at the steaming cups of coffee waiting on the island and a sleepy smile breaks out on her face. She walks over to me and stands on her tiptoes, giving me a soft kiss on the lips.

“You’re the best.” She turns and wraps her delicate hands around her mug and takes a sip. Then, she closes her eyes and releases a satisfied sigh.

“Well, if you’re impressed with a cup of coffee, you’re really gonna be happy when you see what else I have for you.”

Her eyes pop open. “Ooh, you know I love surprises.”

I chuckle. “Yes, I do.” I pull the donut box out from behind my back and her eyes greedily take it in.

“Is that what I think it is?” she whispers.

“If you think it’s a box with your favorite donuts inside, then yes, it’s what you think it is.”

Her pretty mouth curves into a sweet smile as she takes the box from me and bites her lower lip when she looks inside and sees the treats.Damn, there’s nothing she can’t make look sexy.

After we plate our donuts, I carry our coffee and she carries the plates outside to the covered area of the deck. I recline on one of the chaise-loungers and I pat the area between my legs. She doesn’t hesitate to climb into the space. And we pass the next half hour sipping our coffee and eating our donuts.

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