“Join me in the shower and let’s have our way with each other again.”
“I don’t think I can move,” she said, but his shower called to her. It was perfection with multiple showerheads and just the right amount of water pressure. She probably loved it almost as much as she loved Jake.
She just wasn’t ready to tell him that yet—about loving him—the shower on the other hand…
There was no funny business in the shower, they were both too exhausted. Then they fell back into bed, her body tucked into his, their arms and legs intertwined as she drifted off to sleep in his warm embrace.
***
“I really needto get going,” Darcy said the following afternoon. They’d lazed around in bed until their stomachs had started growling so much she couldn’t stop laughing. Then he’d made her breakfast and disappeared to the gym so she could work on her project. It’d been blissful, but her shift at the coffee shop started in less than an hour and she needed to go home first.
“You should quit that job,” he said.
“I’m actually giving my notice tonight.”
“Really? Why?” he asked, straightening up on the couch where they’d been relaxing, trailing his fingers over her arm as a means of welcome distraction.
“It’s too much, with school and TAing and trying to finish everything—and my newfound love of hockey,” she said. Her newfound love of wanting to spend way too much time with him.
He grinned and rolled her under him so fast she struggled to catch her breath.
“I knew it. You totally love hockey. Best sport ever. There’s nothing wrong with admitting you were wrong about that tennis nonsense,” he said, in between kisses that had her laughing.
“Jake. Really. Stop,” she said. “Tennis is still great, but hockey is growing on me.”
He shifted his hips against her. “I’ve got something growing.”
She shoved playfully at his chest. “Eww. How did you ever get laid with those lines?”
“They took pity on me,” he said, and smirked.
When they first met, he would’ve said something even snarkier, but maybe he’d mellowed with her. He was real with her. This was real. God, she wanted it to be real. Last night had felt—different—amazing, yet she still couldn’t tell him that she’d fallen in love with him.
He moved off of her and sat on the sofa, pulling her into his arms.
“You okay?”
“What? Yeah.”
“Not that I think you should keep that job, but will you be okay financially, without that income?”
“Yeah. It was for extra spending money anyway. I’m tired of smelling like burnt coffee grounds and spilled milk.”
“You always smell delectable to me.” He leaned in and nuzzled her neck.
“Such a charmer. Jake, stop,” she said, playfully pulling away. She really had to go home and get ready for work.
“Will you come back after your shift? I sleep much better when you’re next to me,” he said, and her heart warmed.
“Me too,” she whispered. “Now that I’ll have more free time, we can go to that shark lecture. I hope it’s still running.” With both of their schedules, she hadn’t been rewarded with her winnings from their bet at Urban Putt.
“Didn’t we watch a shark thing on TV last week?” he said.
“Definitely not the same. Not to mention that you made that terrible joke about hammerheads. That alone deserves extra lectures.”
“My nailed it joke? It was funny.” He grinned, then pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “You know you like it when I nail you.”
“You’re ridiculous.”