Page 154 of Goodbye Note

“Arik?” I stepped inside. The hand-scraped hardwood floors creaked under my feet.

Had he fallen asleep?

I ventured further inside, looking from room to room and about to go upstairs, when I spotted Arik. He stood on the back deck, watching the tide roll in. I slipped out the sliding door, and he didn’t move. Lost in thought. Lightning flashed, reflecting across the water. Thunder sounded, but Arik didn’t flinch.

I didn’t want to startle him, but I wasn’t sure how to not.

I laughed, deciding to just come up behind him. He shifted a moment before I wrapped my arms around his middle, fingers splaying out over his stomach.

“My love.”

“Stardust.”

He leaned into me, and I accepted his weight, knowing it was more than he physically carried. The mental weight of the last six months nearly broke us both.

“God, I have missed you.”

He put his hands over mine. “Not as much as I’ve missed you.”

“I thought I was going to scare the shit out of you. What were you thinking about?”

“I didn’t hear you until right before you touched me. I had a momentary thought I could be about to be murdered, but other than missing you, I’d probably welcome the long nap.” He laughed, twisting his head to kiss under my jaw.

“So what you’re saying is you’re going to sleep our entire vacation?”

“Not a fucking shot. If I don’t get laid, I’m going to kill someone.”

“Mmmm, yes, give me that sexy talk, star boy. I love to hear about your murderous ways.” I skimmed my fingertips along the edge of his sweats. “I see you’ve already changed.”

“It feels good to not have to dress up and be on. Sweats sounded like heaven.”

“Naked sounds better,” I whispered into his ear.

“Much, much better, and we have four acres of buffer to be alone.”

“You have no clue how excited I am about it.” I rubbed my nose across his temple into his hair. I’d missed the way he smelled. I had a hard time falling asleep without it.

“Tell me how excited?” He turned in my arms, draping his around my neck.

“I feel like the Catholic girl who’s waited a year to be fucked by her boyfriend.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He laughed, and I loved him. “I’m the one who’s never been with a guy before. Should I play the role?”

“Not unless you’re hiding a Catholic school shirt in that bag of yours.”

His lips hovered over mine, soft and sultry. “I don’t have it in me to be shy or coy tonight. I’m going to take all the months I’ve missed you out on your body.”

My heart rate sped up. “I want it all. Every gentle touch along with all the pent-up aggression and rage we’ve built.”

He gripped the back of my tee, pulling it up and off. I let him but he didn’t touch me again after. He stood staring.

“What?”

“You are so sexy. I could come just looking at you.”

I smiled, face aching with it. “You don’t get off so easy.”

He tugged off his shirt before I could get to it. “I’m not wasting a minute.”

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