Page 38 of While You're There
She was glad he was still asleep. He’d been restless and not sleeping well lately. She’d caught him tossing and turning, getting out of bed at all hours of the night over the last few weeks. His insomnia was all stress-induced. It was hard to watch him struggle, knowing she was the root cause of some of his worry.
But she was confident that things were going to get better soon. The wedding was here. They were leaving at lunchtime tomorrow for their honeymoon. He’d be settled into his new apartment and officially full time at NorfolkStar Transport in less than two weeks. They’d be out of the in-between soon enough, and they could finally start to figure out some semblance of a routine. That’s what a lot of this was about. Rhett would be better once things weren’t so in flux.
She watched him sleep for a few more minutes, taking in the easy rise and fall of his chest and admiring the hard planes of his shoulders and arms. It was rare to catch him in bed like this, even when he wasn’t struggling with insomnia. The man was almost always up first, making her coffee, getting ahead on emails, or going for an early morning run.
“Hi, beautiful,” he murmured without opening his eyes. Her heart picked up in cadence on its own volition at the sound of his voice.
“Hello, almost-husband.” She leaned into his space and draped herself over his chest. Rhett’s arms circled her lower half on contact as he shifted her up his body. Once she was lying on top of him, he opened his eyes. A sly smile graced his lips as he began stroking her bare back underneath her T-shirt.
“Almost-husband, huh?”
“Yep. You’ve been promoted, Everhett Wheeler. You’re more than just my fiancé today, but not quite my husband. Not yet at least.”
“I’m more than ready for that final title,” he admitted, raising his hips up just an inch so she could feel his morning wood. They had made love last night as quietly as possible since their friends were sleeping in the basement and the loft, but that didn’t matter. His erection finding its home in the apex of her thighs inspired all sorts of ideas.
Tori realigned her body, then swiveled her own hips against the solidness beneath her. She ran her tongue along the outline of his collarbone, then bit down into the fleshy part of his shoulder.
“Hey, almost-wife?”
“Hmmm?” she hummed as she savored the skin stretched along the column of his stubbled neck.
“Don’t start something we can’t finish,” he warned. Rhett reached over to the side table and flipped over his phone. “It’s 8:40 already, beautiful. I don’t think I’m even allowed to be here in another twenty minutes.”
Damn. He was right. The girls had hair and makeup starting at nine, and she still needed to shower.
“But, but, but,” she fake-protested, grinding her hips against him with each objection. She pressed her lips to his one more time, then raised her head to let her hair canopy around both their faces.
“Tonight.”
One word. A million promises.
She smiled down at the man she loved, nodding her head so the ends of her hair tickled his bare chest.
“Tonight,” she repeated, grinding her hips against him one more time for good measure.
Now it was Rhett’s turn to let out a disgruntled moan. He rose up onto his elbows, forcing the muscles in his arms and upper chest to flex as he held the position. She couldn’t help but scan up and down the body she was straddling. She admired the hollow V at the base of his throat, the defined ridges of his pecs and abdomen.She licked her lips without conscious thought.
“Victoria,” he warned.
“Jusssst looking,” she sing-songed. He loved it when she eye-fucked him, and they both knew it.
“Hey, I need to talk to you about something before I head out for the day.”
She stilled at the shift in his tone. He wasn’t teasing now.
“Is this an off-the-lap conversation?”
Rhett grinned and placed his hands on her hips, firmly holding her in place. “Nope, you’re good. Please remain seated.” He bit his lower lip and winked, which instantly forced her to clench her thighs together. She didn’t know any other man in his mid-twenties who could get away with a legitimate wink.
“You love it here, right, beautiful?”
“Here? Like in this bed straddling you?”
“Here at the cabin,” he clarified, his tone soft but serious.
“This cabin is one of my favorite places in the world. You know that.”
“Good. Because it’s yours now. Or ours, I should say.”
