Page 99 of Stay With Me
My legs shake as I fight to breathe.
Slowly, I float back to my body.
His eyes meet mine with a bright smile taking over his face.
He presses his forehead to mine. “I think that sealed the deal. Don’t you?”
I laugh, and he slips out of me. We both groan at the loss.
He kisses me softly as he drops my one leg still on his arm. “Wait here.” He walks over to the shower to check the water.
“Is there any hot water left?” I ask as he pulls the condom off and tosses it in the trash.
“Kind of. We have to be fast.” He picks me up and carries me to the shower before letting me slide down his body to set me on the ground.
“Maybe we can ask Amelia about her water heater that never has cold water unless you turn the cold water on,” I suggest, pulling the hair tie out of my hair and running my fingers through it to get it wet.
“Whatever you want, baby,” he says as he leans on the tile.
“Here, let me move a little so you can use the water too before it gets cold.”
He shakes his head. “You have it. I’ll shower when you’re done.”
I smile as I rush through showering so he doesn’t have to take an ice-cold shower before bed.
FORTY-FOUR
Luna
AsJessandIwalk into the bed-and-breakfast for my shift, I’m hit with the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls. We head into the kitchen to see Ann mixing the icing.
“Hi, Ms. Ann!” Jess says as she sets her bag by the table.
Looking over her shoulder, she smiles softly at us. “Hello, dears. You’re just in time for some breakfast. Come sit down.”
Jess pulls out a chair and starts talking to Ann about something she read in a book, and I walk over to the computer and power it on.
I was so happy when they allowed me to make them more digital.
Since launching the website, our booking process has become much smoother without the need for someone to be connected to the phone all day.
Griffin’s Den has become quite the destination spot with the farmers’ market, so as the market grows, we also get busier.
We have four check-ins this weekend. One is a couple on their honeymoon and is asking about nearby hiking spots. I quickly send an email back congratulating them and attaching one ofthe PDF guides I created with a list of the local hiking paths and maps. I let them know that if they have questions or are looking for anything more specific to reach out.
Then, I make a list of things I need to get done to make sure we’re ahead of the weekend. I check the refurbishment status of the two cabins that are currently being worked on by the local construction company to make sure they’re still on track to be done before Thanksgiving. With all that done, I power down the laptop.
“You need to eat before you start working, Luna,” Ann says as she sets a cinnamon roll in front of Jess and me.
“I just want to make sure we’re set up for the day. We have a busy couple of weeks coming up before it slows down a little when school starts.”
I cut into the cinnamon roll, then I dive into how many bookings we received this week, and we plan what to add to the cabin for the honeymooners. I also confirm that Joe has talked to Wayne, the owner of the construction company, about the status of the cabins as we finish breakfast.
Taking my last bite, I stand and gather our dishes. I wash them as Jess dries.
“Can I read on the porch?” she asks me as we finish up.
“Yeah, but come back after a couple of chapters to see if Joe needs help with the animals.” I glance at the clock, knowing that Joe will be here soon to get her so they can spend time doing what they both enjoy.
