Page 28 of Survivor
Hearing footsteps coming up the stairs, he sat up and grabbed the pillows so he could comfortably lean back against the headboard. The sight of Taylor in nothing but his boxers and an apron had him almost falling out of the bed, he was laughing so hard. His man was carrying a lap tray that held coffee, juice, toast, boiled eggs, and a white rose from Meredith’s garden. “Morning, gorgeous.” He held his arms up so Taylor could place the tray in front of him.
“Good morning to you too.” Taylor leaned in for a kiss before tossing his long, lean body onto the bed, climbing over Frank and the breakfast tray without knocking anything over. “I was going to wake you when I came back up. Once you finish, we should have time for a stroll along the tide before we have to leave to catch our flight home.”
“I wish we could stay longer; it feels like we only just got here.” Frank grabbed a boiled egg and ate half, turning and feeding the other half to Taylor.
Watching Taylor chew and smile was a sight to behold. “We’ll be back for the holidays. And hopefully you and I will retire here one day. Just the two of us and the water that stretches as far as the eye can see.”
“That’s all I want Frankie—you, me and forever.” Taylor cupped his cheek, running his thumb over Frank’s bottom lip before kissing him softly. “What do you say, we go ahead and pack so we can spend our last few minutes with our toes in the sand?”
Thankful he didn’t have much to gather, Frank got dressed and stuffed everything he’d be taking with him into his roll-aboard and backpack and met Taylor downstairs. Hand in hand they walked along the beach until it was time to head back and have Hubert drive them to the airport. Frank’s emotions were cloudy, an ominous feeling roiling in the pit of his stomach, but he chalked it up to nerves. He knew Taylor loved him and wanted them to be together, yet there was a sliver of doubt Frank kept buried in the back of his mind. Taylor was young and vibrant and deserved to be happy. What if it was all too much? What if the actuality of their relationship paled in comparison to the one Taylor had imagined? What if he grew tired of the expectations that came with being the partner of a cop?
“Babe?” Taylor’s voice was laced with concern.
Frank shook off the doubt and concern and turned to Taylor. “Sorry, just thinking about how much fun this trip has been and how sad I am that it has to end.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Frankie. Our adventure is only just beginning,” Taylor assured him, sealing his promise with a kiss.
