Page 96 of Night and Day
He looked at her and the bed, seasick. He wanted to show her how much he loved her, how much he’d missed her, but his head felt funny. The air was so different here. Everything was different. Dry, solid, echoey. Unreal. Izzy swallowed.
Mia closed the distance, wrapping her arms around his waist, speaking to him in quiet whispers. “Izzy. Isaiah. I love you. I love that you’re here. I know it’s probably overwhelming. Let me help you. You can sleep if you want to.”
She sat on the bed and he joined her, tiredness shaking his body. “I want to be better than this.” He hung his head. “I’ll get the hang of this place. I’ll learn the language and the customs and everything—”
“Shh. You don’t have to.” Mia’s arms closed around him and she pushed him back on the bed, climbing on top with a warm smile. “Izzy, take me home. I want to go back with you. If you buy me a ticket, I’ll make it up to you. I’ll start right now.” She peeled off her top and dropped it on the floor, smiling victoriously, revealing a black, lacy bra. God, she was beautiful.
“Are you sure?” Izzy stared at the perfect pair of breasts bursting out of a bra he immediately wanted to rip off. “Don’t joke about it, because I’ll take you. I’ll steal you forever.”
“You need a date for your brother’s wedding. Maybe we can come back here in the summer, for a visit?”
Izzy nodded. Maybe he could do that. Travelling together – it sounded better. “We’ll have to make some money.” A thought hit him. “Which reminds me...” He unearthed a tight roll of twenty-dollar notes from the pocket of his jeans, stuffing them into her bra.
“What the hell?” She grasped at the bundle of money, laughing. The notes unravelled themselves into a flurry of green plastic, spreading all over the bed.
Izzy flashed her a cheeky smile. “I told you I didn’t want your money. So I came to return it.”
Mia huffed, still chuckling, and gathered the notes. “Your money looks ridiculous, like some fake boardgame money.” She placed the notes on her nightstand. “But if you insist on giving it back, I’ll put it towards my flight ticket.”
“The best use I can think of.” His eyes lingered on her bra, warm relaxation flooding his guts, draining blood from whatever overactive part of his brain was currently freaking out and transporting it down to his groin. “I have enough for our tickets, and I can always earn more—”
“We’ll do it together! We can produce and edit videos. I’ll find us some better paying gigs. I’m good at that stuff. And you’re way under-priced.” Her smile sparkled with faith.
Izzy couldn’t help smiling back. “I thought I couldn’t love you more, but I think I was wrong.”
Mia removed her bra and threw it on the floor. “I honestly don’t care about money. I thought I did, but when I look at you...”
“Sorry? Did you say something? Your boobs were talking.” Izzy pulled a silly face, feeling a million pounds lighter, and increasingly hard.
“Ha-ha.” Noticing his excitement, Mia reached down to unbutton his jeans. “We can talk later. I’ve missed you too much.”
“Same here.” He gathered her in his arms and turned her over on the tiny bed, his mind flooding with memories.
As he lowered his mouth on the woman he craved, he noticed the absence of something. The sense of urgency had disappeared. His heart beat a little slower and his mind rested, knowing they could take their time, slow down and enjoy every second of being together. They’d make it work – in any time zone, any city, any room.
She was his other half, day to his night, and he’d never let her go.
