Page 63 of Marry Me

“I like hearing that,” Megan said, grinning. She inclined her head in the direction of her bathroom. “I better hop in the shower and start making strides toward being a professional today. Interested?”

Allison’s cheeks dusted pink again before her eyes darkened. She nodded and gave the tie in the front of Megan’s robe a pull, prompting it to fall open. Megan passed her a look and a raised eyebrow.

“What? I’m helpful.”

With a laugh, Megan turned and led the way to the best damn shower she’d ever taken.

Chapter Thirteen

Sometimes it was the quieter moments that spoke volumes, Megan had come to realize. The mundane times with Allison, where they simply existed in everyday domesticity, had become her favorites. Working side by side on the couch at night. Reading books together. Did the back and forth between their houses, the schlepping of overnight bags, after-dinner meetups, and late nights in bed steal from her time and sleep? Yes. In a big way. Did she care? Not in the least.

As she sat on Allison’s couch going over her day planner as Allison constructed lesson plans for the upcoming six weeks of school, she took a moment to just absorb the perfection of the evening. Soft instrumental music played from the Bluetooth speaker in the corner. The windows were cracked, letting the cooler winter air sneak in.

“Are you busy this weekend?” she asked impulsively.

Allison looked up, taking a moment to pull herself out of the fourth grade and into the present. “Uh, let me think. I have a shift at the Nutcase, but nothing other than that. Are you asking me out?”

Megan laughed. “I am most definitely doing that.” She chewed the inside of her lip, realizing she was about to take a rather large leap. “Hear me out. I’m going to see my parents in Corpus Christi and thought, I don’t know, that maybe…you’d like to come.” She hurried with the next part, already selling it. “They live near the beach. It’s really pretty. I think you’d love it, actually. You could see where I grew up. Meet the important people who made it happen.”

“You’re dangling the beach as bait?”

She stared into blue eyes that danced. “I do what I have to do.”

“For the record, more time with you is all you need to dangle, butthe beach is certainly a bonus, as is meeting your parents.” She seemed to work a brief equation in her head. “I bet I could persuade one of the other employees to cover for me at the store.”

Megan crawled down the couch, eliminating the space between them. “Does that mean we’re taking our first road trip together? I like to sing really loud in the car and sometimes even direct my singing to the drivers ofothercars. They love my work. A passenger offers a whole new audience.”

“You can sing your heart out.” Allison laughed and leaned in to Megan, who was still on all fours. She hovered just shy of her mouth. “You pick the music. I’ll pick the snacks. Kissing is optional, but I vote for at least some.”

“The hell it’s optional,” Megan said, capturing Ally’s mouth. “Listen to me. You’re so cute when you work. I keep staring at you instead of my planner.”

Allison blinked, almost as if she was surprised to hear it. “I had no idea that I had you…preoccupied.”

Megan stole another lingering kiss. “You have me wet,” she whispered in her ear, “and you haven’t even moved from your spot on the couch.” She pulled her face from next to Allison’s ear and met her gaze, which went decidedly dark. Ally opened her mouth and closed it. Yep, that seemed to have gotten her attention. Allison calmly set her laptop on the end table and slid down onto the couch, pulling Megan’s body on top of hers. Wordlessly, Ally grabbed her face and pulled it down, meeting Megan’s lips in a hungry kiss and murmuring her appreciation as Megan settled her weight on top. She was fairly accustomed to Allison’s sounds, and that was a good one. “Wow, that was all I had to say?” Megan nipped at the spot just under Allison’s jaw just as Ally tugged Megan’s shirt up and over her head. Megan sat up, giving Allison access to what she knew she wanted.

“Yep. That did it. Those words.” Her palms found Megan’s breasts immediately. “Oh, hello.”

“Filing that sentence away.”

Allison laughed, her eyes never leaving Megan’s breasts. “You have to mix it up. That’s the fun part.”

Megan closed her eyes and swallowed at the wash of need that hit as Ally pulled the cups of her bra down and caught a nipple in her mouth. “Challenge accepted.”

As they lay in Ally’s bed an hour later, exhausted in the happiest sense, Megan began making plans for their weekend, imagining Allison meeting her parents, seeing the place she grew up. She dared to allow herself to imagine Christmases there, or visits in the summer. Maybe they’d rent a little place on the beach for a couple of weeks when Ally was out of school. Megan could work remotely. She trusted her staff, and maybe it was time she gave them a little bit more autonomy.

“You’re smiling,” Allison said, tracing her cheek. “The moonlight gave you away.”

Megan turned to the window and the great big moon that hung over everything as if offering its blessing. For tonight, she allowed herself to turn off her concern, silence her worry, and concentrate on what she could control—the here and now. She had to say, the present was pretty damn awesome, and why not let herself bask in that for a while? “I’m just really happy right now.”

Allison, her blond hair splayed across the pillow, her face glowing in the dim blue light, beamed back at her. “Me, too. Really happy. I mean not alone with you on a beach happy, but pretty damn close.”

Megan laughed. “Soon.” She placed a soft kiss on Allison’s nose and pulled her close. “You’re gonna love it.”

* * *

The sun against that clear blue sky was gorgeous. Ooh la la. She could get used to the sound of those waves, too. Allison had been to Corpus Christi a couple of times as a kid. It was half a day in the car and an easy vacation for parents who couldn’t exactly afford Disney World. But knowing it was where Megan grew up had her seeing it with fresh eyes. They’d paused on their way into town for a short walk on the beach to say hello. As they walked barefoot through wet sand, the tide tickling their feet, Megan, who had her hair up with little wisps flying in the breeze, smiled at her.

“I always relax the second my toes touch the sand. They know I’m home.”

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