Page 55 of Fault Lines
His voice dropped lower. “I hope that never changes. Happy birthday, baby.” He leaned in and kissed me. Mint and heat and a rush that made me dizzy.
“Coffee?” he asked, eyes glinting.
“Doesn’t really go with toothpaste,” I pointed out.
He waved me off. “Don’t care. I need the energy. You wore me out last night.”
He wasn’t wrong. Three orgasms in a row—I was still impressed with myself.
I poured two mugs, doctoring mine with cream and sugar, and handed him his black. He took a sip, frowned thoughtfully.
“Did you switch brands?”
“A while ago,” I said. “You never noticed?”
He tasted it again. “I noticed. Just didn’t ask. This is better, though.”
“It’s a new flavor of the same brand. Raspberry notes.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Since when did you become a coffee connoisseur?”
I shrugged, stirring mine. “They sell it at Mr. Porter’s shop.”
“I thought it was antiques?”
“Mainly, but he does coffee and books too.”
He grinned, a little sly. “You must spend a lot of time there.”
I rolled my eyes. “Not really. I just go through books fast. It’s my favorite place…”
He cut me a sideways look. “Is it your favorite because of a certain grandson?”
“Don’t start that again,” I groaned. “I told you. We’re friends.”
He dropped it, hands in the air. “Alright, alright. But you should get ready.”
“Says the man in a towel,” I teased.
He whipped the towel off his waist and snapped it at me, and I shrieked, laughing, fleeing to the bedroom.
I picked out a pink flowery bikini, threw a sheer white cover-up over it, and slipped on matching pink sandals. Hair up in a messy bun, sunglasses, done.
“I’m ready,” I announced, popping out of the bathroom.
Cam had changed into his own swimming trunks and a tank, looking like an ad for beach vacations everywhere. He was so annoyingly hot it made my knees tingle.
“We’ve got all night for that, babe,” he winked, seeing my reaction.
We locked up the cabin and followed the winding path down to the rental booth—a mile or so, shaded and quiet, the songs of birds rising overhead.
“Sometimes I wonder why we ever wanted the city,” I mused aloud. “It’s so peaceful here.”
He snorted. “Jobs, babe. Not a lot of tech startups out here.”
“There’s more to life than money.”
“That’s easy to say when you already have it.”
