Page 57 of From Air

“In the morning, will you pretend this never happened?”

Fitz straightens the wadded blankets. “Of course.” He stretches out on the sofa, forcing me to scoot to the edge.

For a second, I frown, unable to hide my disappointment.

“Night, Fitz.” I stand.

“Is Melissa waking up soon?”

I rest my chin on my shoulder. “No.”

He holds up his blanket. “I’ll have you in her bed by sunrise.”

How did this happen? How did I fall so fast and hard for Calvin Fitzgerald?

I can hide my grin as I step back toward the sofa.

“I think your shirt will make us too hot,” he says with a serious face that lasts two seconds before he breaks out his winning grin.

Losing the shirt first, I crawl up his body, and he covers as much of us as possible with the dinky blanket.

My face hovers over his. “You just like my breasts pressed to your chest.”

“Fuck yeah, I do.”

I rest my cheek high on his chest. “I’m going to listen to your heart until you feel the need to make me think you don’t have one.”

Fitz doesn’t respond with words. He rests one hand on my back and the other on my butt.

My person.

Chapter Seventeen

CALVIN

She is . . .

Unexpected.

I find myself stretching my emotional capacity, giving her more than I think I have to give—which isn’t much.

As the sun rises, I kiss her head. She’s nestled herself between me and the back of the sofa. I’m barely on the edge. Hot and sweaty. Yet I feel something akin to contentment.

It can’t be that. My life is unsettled with chaos, pain, and regret. I’m driven in one direction. Death chases me. I can’t outrun it forever, but that sobering truth doesn’t stop me from trying.

“You need to go to bed,” I murmur next to her ear while resting my hand on her hip, giving it a gentle shake.

Her eyes flutter open. I can’t help but grin. She’s so beautiful. I have a handful of mental pictures that occupy a permanent spot in my memory. This one will join them.

“What time is it?” Her sleepy voice fills the intimate space between us.

“I don’t know. But the sun’s rising.”

“’Mkay.” Jamie maneuvers herself over me, standing and stretching before rubbing her eyes. When her tired gaze lands on me, her lips curlinto an airy smile. “I dreamed we did something we weren’t supposed to do.” She pulls her nightshirt over her head and threads her arms through.

“You and your dreams. You’re such a perv.”

Her grin doubles. “Oh, Fitzy, you have no idea.” She pads her way to the bedroom.

---