Page 69 of Chasing Sunrise

“I am one hundred percent.” She yawned.

“Your exhaustion suggests otherwise.”

“The sunrise is as beautiful as the one we saw the morning I met you for camping.” She yawned again. “The night before I joined you, I told Quinn I’d be chasing sunrise to get there and get home as soon as possible, thinking I’d have a horrible time. But I wish I’d stayed with you a few days so we could chase sunrise together each morning.”

~

Amanda woke, restedand her body out of distress. Sunlight filtered through the curtains. She rolled onto her side and replayed watching the sunrise with Kasey before he tucked her into bed.

She’d invited him to stay, but he’d admitted he couldn’t be trusted not to touch her, and they both needed sleep. She’d been exhausted from the hangover and emotional rollercoaster of telling Kasey about her parents and her self-loathing because of their deaths.

Her phone read eleven a.m. She rose, showered, and brushed her teeth. Quietly, she padded down the hallway to the kitchen and snatched a container of watermelon out of the fridge and a plastic fork from a cup on the counter. She stepped back down the hall and didn’t stop at the bedroom she’d been using. Instead, she went to the other bedroom door.

Kasey was asleep on his stomach.

Silently, she approached the bed and sat beside him.

He rolled to his side and opened his eyes.

She stuck the fork into a piece of watermelon to hold it and ran her fingers through his hair. “Is it okay I’m here?”

“I love that you’re here, but I still can’t be trusted,” he answered, his voice gravelly.

“Good. I’m one hundred percent. No headache, no body aches, no tears, no regrets.” She smiled and offered him a piece of fruit.

“Is that right?” He took the bite and chewed while studying her. Desire flared in his hazel eyes.

She wanted to forget everything and lose herself in his arms, in his touch, in his kiss. “I’m here because I want to be with you. You’re the first guy I’ve even been attracted to since my divorce. I know you’re leaving tomorrow. I accept that. I’m not asking you to rearrange your life for me.” She fed him another bite and took one more herself before she put the container on the side table. Pulling back the covers, she slid in next to him, faced him, and aligned their bodies. His heat encompassed her immediately.

She pressed her lips to his. His mouth was cool and sweet. His arms encircled her, tugging her body even closer, deepening the kiss. She felt suspended, almost like she was falling into him. The kiss reminded her of their first. It felt right, new, and different from what she’d ever experienced. When she expected him to take the lead, he held back, teasing her in a way both exciting and unsatisfying at the same time.

She buried her head in his neck while moving her hand to his chest. Then she let it wander lower. He softly moaned as she captured his lips again.

He pulled her atop him and situated her knees on either side of his hips. “You’re in control, Amanda. Whatever you want.”

He knew. She wasn’t sure how, but he knew how much she needed to be in control of something in her life. She concentrated on pleasuring him, eager to learn what he liked and what made him impatient.

She took his shirt and shorts off and kissed him from head to toe. He grasped the shirt she wore and pulled it over her head. He rolled them over and stripped her out of the rest of her clothes while exploring her body—an extraordinarily blissfully, whisper-soft sweet exploration. Pleasure sparked in her every cell like the crackling of firewood. Sensual heat warmed her everywhere.

When neither of them could stand anymore, he reached for his wallet on the nightstand and pulled out a condom. She grabbed it from him and took care of it, then lifted her body above him again. He gripped her hips and guided her until her body settled fully on top of his. The world came down to only them, nothing else existed. Only Kasey driving her out of her mind with tender ecstasy.

~

Amanda stayed on topof Kasey; her sated body draped over his. “I thought you’d be more a conqueror than a coaxer,” she said.

He tenderly rubbed her back. “I didn’t think that’s what you wanted this time.”

“It wasn’t. It was perfect.”

“Agreed.” He kissed the top of her head.

“I might like to see your conqueror side one day.”

“You name the time and place, honey. I’ll be there.”

She raised her head and met his gaze. Her heart kicked. She wasn’t sure when it happened, but the protective walls she’d erected around her heart had crumbled. She knew without a shadow of a doubt, she loved him.

Unsure what that meant for their future, she forced herself to concentrate on the here and now. Instead of blurting out, “I love you,” she said, “Remember I told you how adept Barry was at lovemaking?”

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