Page 34 of Two Weeks in Tahoe

“Hey, I mean it.” And I really do. She’s the most beautiful fucking thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on. She’s only gotten better with age. “Also, those little whimpers you let out when I’m touching you…”

She turns even more red, but she’s smiling, wrapping her arms around my waist. There’s a fire in the kiss we share, and I’m instantly hard again, but then she pulls away.

“Hey, we cannot forget those cookies again,” she says with a firm voice.

We finally finish baking the cookies, pop a frozen pizza in the oven, and snuggle up on the couch with our favorite Christmas movie on. By the end of it, she’s fallen asleep against my shoulder. I look down at her with Cocoa nuzzled in her lap and smile. I can get used to this.

22

Layla

I wake up to some movement, feeling disoriented. It takes me a moment to place the spiced woodsy smell and realize Liam is carrying me to his room. Once I figure out what’s happening, I cuddle up into him more, feeling safe and comfortable in his arms. I feel the soft bed beneath me, and Liam’s soft lips as he gently places kisses on my head and cheek. I’m groggy and my eyes are still shut, but I feel the bed move beside me. He scooches closer and curls his warm body around mine.

“Goodnight, Layla.”

He pets my hair in a gentle manner, and I fight to stay awake, wanting to enjoy the moment.

“You’re good with computers,” I mutter sleepily, not quite delivering what I wanted to say.

“Huh?” His hand stops.

“Why didn’t you find me?”

“I tried Layla. I really did,” he says gently. I’m drifting but I’m almost sure there’s melancholy in his voice.

“Get some sleep,” he says, pulling the blankets over me.

23

Layla

The next morning I wake up in Liam’s empty bed. It smells like him, but he’s nowhere to be seen. I’m not the type of person to jump out of bed first thing in the morning, I like to hit a few alarms, then lie there for a bit, enjoying the warmth and thinking about my day.

Today, I’m thinking about a million different things. What am I going to do about my cabin? I can’t impose at Liam’s all week. Also, how can I be leaving back to Sacramento in a week? What about Liam and Jackson? It hasn’t been very long…but part of me feels like I never want to go back to Sacramento. And not only because of Liam. I feel…at peace here. Or maybe that’s the vacation goggles talking.

I pull the covers over my head and lie in the cozy bed until I hear some clanging coming from what I think is the kitchen.

I pop into the bathroom to see what I can do about my hair and face in a rush. I rinse my face with water and comb out my hair with my hands.

When I enter the kitchen, I find Liam with his arms crossed, leaning back against the counter, chewing on his lip, and looking deep in thought. He looks good when he doesn’t know anyone is watching. His face is more relaxed.

“Morning,” I say in greeting as I reach him and wrap my arms around his waist.

“Morning beautiful,” he replies, resting his arms on my shoulders and kissing my head. “Sleep good?”

His voice is extra gravelly in the morning.

“Great,” I respond with a mischievous smile, tilting my head back to look up at him. He looks down at me like he’s staring into my soul, and I think I could melt in his eyes

“Good,” he says with a smile, then kisses me slowly. My stomach flutters.

We pull apart and I make my way to the coffee machine. “May I?” I ask.

“Already done.”

“How are you so good to me?” I smile.

“Easily,” he replies. Even though we had an incredible, intimate night, that simple phrase and the way he smiles at me with his messy morning hair is what really makes me realize how screwed I am. I don’t regret the night we spent together at all, but I might need to pull back before this turns into something more.

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