Page 53 of Fast Currents
“Yep.” He sounded smug, but he’d earned it.
The sky was magnificent. I couldn’t look away as the colors shifted and flared, fading before brightening the sky again. We were far enough from the light pollution on land to catch it in all its glory – the greens and reds. Clay gathered me into his arms, and I snuggled closer, seeking his heat.
“Beautiful.” The reverence caught me by surprise. But it really was magical.
He kissed the top of my head, nuzzling at my ear. “Yes, you are.”
I lost track of time, entranced by the sky dancing in cascades of brilliance above, Clay’s arms around me. If life could be just like this, always, it’d be perfect. But nothing perfect lasted forever. Slowly, the northern lights waned, and I yawned.
Clay’s warm breath stirred my hair. “Ready to pack up and head home?”
“No. But yes,” I admitted, shifting. My legs had grown stiff, lying on the hard ground.
We packed up, flicking on our headlamps before hiking back to the truck. We walked in silence, content with the quiet that had settled around us.
“Thanks for tonight.” I glanced across the bench seat at him as he drove us back to town. “It really was magical.”
He reached for my hand, kissing my knuckles before landing our clasped hands against his muscular thigh. “It was my pleasure, honey.”
We didn’t speak as we climbed the steps. Maybe neither one of us wanted to break the spell just yet. Clay followed me inside, dumping the cooler and blanket in my living room before following me to the bathroom to brush our teeth. Our late night would leave me dragging tomorrow, but it was worth it.
Lying in Clay’s arms under the northern lights was a memory I’d cherish. But just brushing teeth with him, his hip bumping mine companionably, was special too. Maybe because I could picture myself just like this, every night forever.
Clay leaned over the sink to spit and rinse, his shirt riding up enough to expose one of his Sharpie freckles.
I grinned around my foamy brush. The man didn’t know when to quit, and I had to admit, I was coming to love it. Maybe even count on it.
Chapter 22 Lucy
The week before the Halloween benefit passed in a haze, each day folding into the last. Work every day, make love with Clay every night. We bounced from house to house, depending on Clay’s schedule and desire to cook.
Midweek, we dropped off the last of the artwork with Chaz, holding back our giggles at his reaction to Gran’s contributions until we were safely outside.
Clay looked downright pleased when I accepted his offer of a drawer in his bathroom for my things. I’d finally given up on telling myself we weren’t serious. That he wasn’t.
As promised, Clay’s casual proposals had stopped. And if I was honest, I kind of missed them. How silly was that? He told me I mattered in other ways. But I’d grown used to him spouting off an offer to marry me every time I put my dirty dishes in the dishwasher or said something mean.
Is it still a praise kink if it’s hyper-specific to one man, one voice, and a single question?Marry me. He’d said it so many times. In so many throw-away situations. Conditioning me tohear the words. Now I wanted them. Craved those two little words.
I insisted on dressing up for the Halloween benefit at my place, though I gave in to Clay’s suggestion that he pick me up so we could drive together. I wanted my costume to be a surprise. He’d been tight-lipped about his, and I couldn’t wait to see what he showed up in. Given his decked-out house, I expected him to bring the heat with something over the top. It was just his way.
My outfit was sure to draw comment, but I figured if I was going to brazen my way through tonight’s show, I had to own it. Dress the part. I pulled on the fishnets, adjusting the seams so they outlined the curve of each calf. My red dress was short, but not scandalously so. I left the job of shocking everyone to my cleavage. Loud and proud, the girls were fluffed up until I nearly overflowed from the red bustier. The horns were the final touch, completing my transformation into the Devil.
If Clay had any lingering fantasies about being tempted, I was making them come true tonight.
I smoothed my skirt over my thighs and pushed to my feet when he knocked, opening the door with a flourish. Clay’s gobsmacked expression made the time I’d put into my costume worth it. Eyes wide, mouth slightly open, his gaze zeroed in on my cleavage. He rolled his bottom lip between his teeth.
The red edges of my birthmark mottled the edge of each breast, adding an irregular contour to the neckline of my top. I pushed up my breasts, not quite shoving them in his face, but not being subtle either.
“See anything you like?”
He raised one hand, finally pulling his gaze from my exposed chest. “All of it… I’ll take all of it.”
I grinned, letting it grow cheeky with promise. “Later, Hotshot. We’ve got an art show to get to.”
“If I may say, your Honey Crisps lookoutstandingtonight. And I don’t say that because they’re practically standing out of your shirt.”
The corny compliment widened my smile.
