Page 94 of Indigo Sky

She pulled her hand away, and I whined pitifully with a needy ache.

Then, she rolled over, laying her body over mine beneath the blanket, and whispered against my lips, "Me."

Threads of sunlight poked through the slats in my bedroom window blinds, and they lay over her cotton-candy pink hair, the strands sparkling in the early morning light. She kissed me, and I kept my eye open half-mast to watch the flush of her cheeks bloom like the petals of Mom's roses on the bush she’d taken from my late grandfather's house. Kate's fingers stroked over my beard and lifted to touch the scar that stretched from my cheek to my forehead, and I didn't flinch away or wish for her to stop. Instead, I melted into gratitude that this woman could enter my life with the strength to not shy away from the monster I'd become on the outside and see through to the man beneath this tarnished skin.

She opened her eyes, saw that I was watching, and pulled away. A sweet smile graced her lips as she tipped her head and asked, "What?"

"I just still can't believe you're really here," I whispered, choked by a love I was so grateful to call mine.

"I'm here, baby," she whispered back.

"I love you."

Her eyes swam in pools of crystal tears. "I love you too."

My hand left her shoulder to glide over her bare back to her ass. My palm molded to her silken skin, squeezing, kneading.

"So, back to what you were saying about doing you all day—"

Knock! Knock!

"Rev?"

Dad's voice came from the other side of my bedroom door, and Kate lifted her head to look in the direction of the sound.

A sigh escaped my lips as I closed my eye and said, "Yeah, Dad?"

"Hey, bud, it's already six. You're gonna be late for work."

I opened my eye and met Kate's adoring gaze. I mouthed a,Sorry, before calling back, "Yeah, I, uh … I think I'm gonna call in—"

"What? You okay?" He tried the doorknob, finding it locked.

"I'm fine," I hurried to say. "I just had a late night and, um …"

Dad was quiet for a moment, and I thought he might've gotten the hint. I held my breath, waiting to hear his telltale footsteps against the hallway carpet, but they never came.

I laid a hand over my forehead as Kate buried her face against my neck, stifling giggles, while I wished I’d made enough money to afford my own place on expensive-as-fuck Long Island.

Then, there were whispers. Mom's voice had entered the chat, and she was speaking to Dad.

I couldn't make out what was said, only that Dad finally uttered a drawn-out, knowing, "Ohh …"

"Oh, good God," I grumbled beneath my breath, dropping my hand to the bed.

"All right, Rev, uh … I'll just be downstairs, okay? Gonna make some breakfast if, uh …youwant any. I'll makeextra."

"Great, Dad," I called. "Thanks."

Then, two pairs of footsteps shuffled away toward the stairs. Kate lifted her head to look at me, her bottom lip clamped between her teeth as she brushed the hair off my forehead.

"So, um, that was my dad," I said sheepishly, tucking my smile into the corner of my mouth.

She nodded, her jovial eyes glinting. "He seems nice."

"He is," I agreed.

She leaned in, touched her mouth to mine, then said, "I'd like to meet him. Your mom too. Plus, I hear there's breakfast, and I'mstarving."

---