Page 56 of Falling Again
For a moment neither of them moved. Anthony’s face showed a myriad of emotions that Natalie couldn’t decipher, but she knew he would share when he was ready. He’d already shared so much. Slowly his grip on her loosened and he eased back. “I want to make this work. I don’t know how, but I need us to figure this out.”
Natalie nodded, turning to refill her coffee. She probably could use something stronger, but caffeine would at least keep them talking. “So let’s figure it out.” Her tone was sharp, much like when she scolded the kids or chastised a work vendor. “We are two type-A people, and I think it’s high time we acted like it and found a solution.”
Anthony chuckled, the first honest laugh he’d uttered that morning. “I can’t argue when you’re like this.”
“Good. Then pass me that box of cheesy bites from CeCe and let’s get down to business.” Another boom of thunder shook the house, but this time Natalie didn’t even flinch. She had a job in front of her, and she planned to nail it.
Anthony took his stool back but slid it closer to hers. He opened the box of cheesy bites and popped one in his mouth before handing Natalie her own stash of cheesy goodness. “Where do we want to start?”
Natalie bit into the tasty morsel and talked through the mouthful. “How about some house rules?”
“Lake house or Buckeye Falls?” Anthony asked, taking her seriously despite the spray of crumbs emanating from her full mouth.
“Both?”
Anthony nodded and asked, “Like rules to keep this going?” He gestured between them and raised an eyebrow to illustrate his point. Natalie couldn’t help but grin.
“Yes, I think so.” Natalie sipped from her coffee and straightened her shoulders. She was in full problem-solving mode. No doubt it helped that she was looking at their relationship like a work issue, taking the emotional parts out for the time being. “What is the first thing we should change once we’re back home?”
“Change?”
“Yes. Change. It flatters me that you’re having as much fun on this trip as I am,” she started, nervously licking her lips before continuing. “But I know part of the magic is that we’re alone.”
Anthony reached out and ran a hand down her arm, cataloging every freckle with his fingertips. For a moment she couldn’t help but watch the trail of his fingers, entranced by his soothing touch. “I love when you get like this,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “It’s always turned me on.”
“Oh yeah?” Natalie glanced down and saw the strain of Anthony’s pajama pants. Clearly she wasn’t the only one enjoying this newfound intimacy.
“I’d say sex is at the top of your list.”
Natalie scowled. “It’sourlist, and sex can’t be the top.” When Anthony’s face fell, she quickly amended, “Sex can be second.”
Ever a man, Anthony asked, “And what’s more important?” Right in that moment, Natalie couldn’t think of a damn thing beyond the tent her husband was pitching in his pajama bottoms. But that wasn’t the responsible train of thought, no matter how excited she was to explore it.
“I say no work at home, or at least very little. We make each other—and the kids––the priority again, no excuses. And no secrets. If something is bothering us, we need to talk about it.”
Anthony reached out a hand and took one of hers. With a gentle squeeze, he shook it and pulled her closer. “Deal. And once we’re done talking and prioritizing, we can fool around.” His eyes sparkled with mischief he hadn’t shown in far too long. Natalie closed the distance between them and kissed Anthony like her life depended on it.
Just as she tried to pull back, Anthony deepened the kiss. With a deft motion, he tilted her head to fit their lips perfectly together. “We can finish the list later,” he said in between kisses. “I think establishing the top two priorities is a lot of progress before lunch.”
“Oh yeah? And what do you propose we do now?”
As soon as the question was out, so was the power. The lights flashed and dimmed, the hum of the refrigerator falling silent. In its place came a boom of thunder, but Natalie barely winced. “Bedroom?” Anthony asked, already standing and scooping Natalie into his arms.
“I could probably walk,” she teased, but made no move to pull back.
“Safety first,” Anthony said as he plowed forward toward the bedroom.
For a fleeting moment, Natalie feared they were jumping back into bed too quickly. They had only scratched the surface of what they needed to talk about, but the tension in her belly wouldn’t allow her brain to function.Get him naked, get him nakedchanted her brain. Talk was cheap, but making love to her husband on a weekday morning was priceless.
*
Anthony hadn’t feltthis buoyant, this damn-near jubilant, in years. Yes, there were milestones in life that he cherished—like the birth of the kids and their wedding day—but this moment was fighting for its spot at the top. Laying in the bedroom of the lake house—naked, panting, and grinning like a goofball—Anthony knew he’d never grow tired of Natalie. Making her a priority seemed like a no-brainer, and he chastised himself again for letting things slide back home.
“Do you think the storm is over?” Natalie asked, her head resting on his chest. Her fingers combed through his patch of chest hair, and the primal need to take her again was almost overpowering.
“I hope so,” he sighed, pulling her closer and kissing her temple.
They had been at the lake house for three days, and not one thing had been packed, pitched, or cleaned. Yet Anthony didn’t give a crap. What they had accomplished as a couple far outweighed whatever would be gained by preparing the house for new owners.
