Page 53 of Holiday on the Rocks
She nodded, her eyes still closed. “But only for a few minutes. Then you’ll do all the good stuff, right?”
“Right.”
She spoke in a whisper. “Yeah, I like all of it.”
I got her out of her dress and wrapped in the comforter, and just watched her for a bit. Not like a total stalker, just a medium stalker.
I crawled in next to her, took a good long peek under the covers, and pulled her close. I was home.
TWENTY-THREE
ALLIE
MORNING HAS BROKEN
I awoke to a sprained liver and the most handsome man in the world by my side. He was sleeping and next to me was a water and bottle of pain reliever tablets. I took two and lay facing him. My phone read it was six thirteen. I scooted as close to him as I could, and watched him sleep for nearly an hour.
My heart whimpered at the thought of closure ending. My mind wanted to relive every minute with him; the way he made love to me was nothing short of poetry and just left me wanting more. While I knew it was just a temporary state of being, in his arms I felt wanted and desired like with no other. I felt alive. Even the sound of his voice had a grounding effect; it took away the noise of my brain.
His eyes cracked open, and I smiled at his crooked grin and messy hair.
“Morning.”
“Good morning.”
I kissed his cheek and relished in the heat of his warm skin against mine, like a perfectly body blanket. “How’s your head feeling?”
He let out a long sigh. “I don’t remember all of last night, but considering I need sunglasses to look at the nightlight says something.” He peeked under the covers and looked at me. “The best way to wake up.”
His finger ran lightly under my collar bone. “I like it.”
“What?”
He popped a brow. “You don’t remember?”
“What?”
A boyish laugh bounced around the room. “Oh no. You don’t remember dragging us into the tattoo parlor?”
“Oh my gosh.”
“You promised you’d remember. Now don’t be pissed, I tried to talk you out of it.”
“I remember.” I got out of bed and to the mirror on the wall. “Wow.
“So you’re okay with it?”
I looked over. “I absolutely love it.”
He let out a breath. “You wanted something to symbolize strength and a new beginning, you got it.”
My eyes traveled the delicate infinity loop, etched in black ink just under my collar bone. As it curved around the tiny word dream in a beautiful font was on the second loop.
He held up the covers and I crawled back into bed. I looked at the new addition on his arm; identical to mine but larger.
He nodded. “I like it.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “I guess we both needed something new.”
We lay facing one another, my bare chest against his, while his fingers lightly tickled my arm. My phone pinged and he grabbed it from the nightstand and handed it to me.
