Page 29 of Finally Home

He lunges for me, tickling my side, and I nearly leap off the bed. After a few minutes of his hands on me, I ask for a truce. I was slightly worried that things would be awkward after thingstranspired between us, even though we hadn’t had sex, but I’ve never felt more relaxed.

Oliver pulls me into his side, and I settle my cheek against his chest again.

“So, what’s something no one knows about you?”

I shake my head. “I mean, how the hell does one follow up a story like that?”

“It’s not a competition, babe. Plus, you can tell me anything. I just told you all about my wieners.”

“I seriously don’t know that I can ever look at you the same after this.”Not that I will ever see him again after this.Sadness washes over me, and I wrap my arms tighter around his waist. I wonder if he is thinking the same because I swear his hold on me tightens as well.

If only we could keep time from moving forward and stay like this.

I try to steady my breaths and calm the tears that threaten to spill over. How can I already miss someone who is still right beside me?

A truth for a truth. He was honest with me, no matter how ridiculous the story may be. He opened up to me with a secret. It’s only fair I do the same.

“I told you the reason that I never come home is that I chose not to follow the path my family wanted for me, and they view me as the black sheep. It’s honestly more than that. It never felt like home. My love of travel and exploring new places stems from my need to find a place that feels like home, a place where I belong. I made a rule for myself that I never stay in one place longer than a month. I’ve never broken it. Honestly, I’m scared that I’ll spend my entire life searching and never find that feeling. How sad is that?”

We went from one extreme to another. Why couldn’t I have just told a funny secret or made something up? Why did I have to confess something so brutal and honest?

“I’m so sorry you felt like that, baby.” He presses another kiss to my temple before lifting my chin with his finger. He slowly lowers his mouth to mine, and we both get lost in the kiss.

What I confessed may have been true, but if I’m being honest with myself, here, wrapped in Oliver’s arms, for the first time, I finally feel that this could be home. And I just don’t know what to do with that right now.

Chapter 14

Ollie

Ifight waking up for as long as I can because I’m half expecting to wake up alone in my bed and realize that all of this had been a dream—including meeting Hollie. A sexy, delicious dream. But as I shift and the smell of coconut hits my nose, I know it’s a reality, and I don’t mind waking up because reality is even better than a dream.

Hollie is still asleep beside me. Her dark hair fans the pillow, and her creamy skin peeks out from under the sheet. Neither of us got dressed after fooling around, and while we spent the rest of the evening talking and kissing, it felt just as intimate had we continued exploring each other’s bodies.

Unable to resist the carnal urge to touch her, my fingers dance along her sides, causing her to stir.

I move a few strands off her neck and press my lips to the smooth skin. “Good morning, beautiful.” A man could definitely get used to waking up like this.

“Mmm, good morning,” she replies, pressing her ass against my dick.

I trail kisses from the base of her neck to her ear. “This isn’t a dream in case that’s what you’re wondering,” I tease, making fun of the same way we woke up yesterday. Only when she realized she wasn’t dreaming, she shot out of bed like a damn rocket. It would have been a funny moment if she hadn’t looked so panicked.

She acted as if my touch had burned her. Little does she know that not only did her touch burn me, but it left a brand on my skin.

When she hums an “uh-huh” in response, clearly not planning to escape, my fingers move to the front of her body, first teasing the space between her breasts before trailing south. Her breath hitches as I circle her belly button.

“I don’t want you to stop,” she pants.

“Then I won’t.”

Her body stiffens. “But I need you to, because oh my God, my bladder is fully awake.”

I belt out a laugh as she hops up from the bed, grabbing my shirt from the rumpled pile of clothes on the floor, and bolts for the bathroom.

Well, it’s not exactly a repeat of yesterday.

I push up to a seated position and run my hands down my face. I’m not ready to return to the real world just yet.

The bathroom door opens, and Hollie appears, flipping the light off.

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