Page 71 of Fight Or Flight

“No. Your house.”

“I am boring, though.”

She shook her head. “You’re not boring. You just like things that most people find boring.”

“That’s essentially the same thing.”

“No, it’s not. You like nature, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, to people who don’t like nature, you would be boring. But to other nature lovers, you would be super interesting. Truly boring people are the ones who never do anything.”

“Hmm,” he said. “I guess I never thought about it that way.”

He closed the distance between them, reached up, and raked his fingers through her hair. The feel of her soft strands in his hands had become the best feeling on earth. Natalie’s eyelidsfluttered closed, and she leaned into him. She always seemed to relish his touch, which was perfect, because he loved touching her.

“So what would you suggest for my house, then?”

“Well, for starters, I pictured you living in the woods, not suburbia.”

Ethan laughed. “Like a homeless person?”

She let out a soft chuckle that ended with a sigh when he traced her ear with his fingertip. “In a house in the woods, I mean. With lots of windows and an enormous deck.”

“That actually sounds amazing.”

She hummed an agreement. “I imagined you’d have an outdoor fireplace in a little clearing, too. With some comfy furniture where you could cuddle up under a big blanket and look at the stars.”

He leaned down, kissed her softly on the lips. The picture she described came across so clearly in his mind, but he could see her on the couch next to him. He was smart enough to know it was pure fantasy, but it raised about a million questions.

He pulled back. Watched her eyes slowly open. “What would your ideal house be like?” he asked.

A little crease formed between her eyes. “I’ve never really given it much thought.”

“I’m guessing it’s not a twelve-bedroom Victorian manor?”

She laughed. “Definitely not, but . . .” She looked down, tilted her head a little. “I think it would be nice to have a bathroom.”

Ethan smiled. “Bathrooms are pretty standard in homes.”

“I mean, I would like to have a really nice bathroom. With a long counter that I could leave all my stuff on without having to pack it all away every day. And a great big bathtub with jets and one of those pillows that sticks onto the side of the tub.”

“That’s it? A bathroom.”

“Yes. And slippers and a bathrobe and very fluffy towels. I’m talkin’ like—” She gestured with her fingers, showing her desired thickness. “Oh! And I’d like tacky souvenirs all over the place. Bobble-heads and magnets and snow globes. Even if it means I have to dust. It would be nice, I suppose, to collect things when I’m travelling.”

He smiled as he skimmed his hands down her body, leaned down, and kissed her again. She ran her hands up his back, just as she had before, and took off his hideous green shirt.

“Much better,” she said, throwing the shirt on the floor. “Now you look like you.”

He couldn’t hold back any longer. He pulled her to him, covered her mouth with his. The only piece of furniture in the room was a large sectional that ran along the wall, but he wanted her in his bed more than he wanted his next breath, so he broke the kiss, took her by the hand, and led her down the hall.

He kicked open the door and drew her to the bed where he took her in his arms once more and gently laid her down. She pulled him down with her, wrapping her legs around his waist and kissing him as he reached for the hem of her shirt, lifting it up. He hadn’t known whether he’d ever feel her skin under his hands again. Now that she was here, in bed with him, he couldn’t keep his hands off her.

He reached for the button on her shorts. “This okay?”

She nodded, then lifted her hips off the bed so he could slip them and her plain nude panties out from under her. He slowly pulled them down her long tan legs and discarded them on the floor as they both let out a collective moan.

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