Page 93 of One Foggy Christmas
I push her bedroom door open with my foot and carry her the rest of the way to the bathroom, where I sit her down to turn on a warm shower.
She faces the mirror as she takes off her shoes and socks. “My hair is icicles!”
“Forget about that. We have to get you warm.” I begin peeling layers off of her as we both laugh.
“I can’t believe you dumped us in the lake.” She smiles, letting me pull her jacket off.
“Epic fail.”
I start to lift up her shirt but stop as our eyes lock. Suddenly, everything goes warm. The steam from the shower floats around us, shifting the mood to something entirely different, as if a fire has been lit inside our bodies.
Her frozen hands slide under my shirt, pressing against my chest. It’s the lighter fluid exploding the flame inside me. I drop my head, kissing her more passionately than I probably should, but she returns the desire, melting her wet body into mine.
Passion and excitement collide, intensifying everything. Her hands roam up and down my torso in a way so satisfying it’s maddening. I pull Sadie closer, feeling like no amount of her is enough.
My arms wrap around her waist, lifting her body to sit on the bathroom counter, knocking things over in the process. This kiss is different than the other one we shared on the pier. Hot and frantic desire replaces the slow gentleness from before.
This kiss rivals some of the best kisses of our marriage.
My body craves the next step so badly, to feel like we’re one again.
I know the survival guide stuff. I know we need to remove our wet clothes and use direct body heat to raise our core temperatures. I could easily justify my carnal desires, pass it off as something innocent. We’re married, after all. It’s nothing we haven’t done before, but no matter how much I want that—heck, maybe even need it—I know Sadie is not ready to add physical stuff to the emotional complications already in the mix.
So I stop.
The kind of control and willpower it takes to stop drains my soul. I’m a battery pack with nothing left to give.
My lips pull back, and I press my forehead against hers. I grab her hands out from under my shirt and hold them between our two bodies.
“I want this. I wantyou,”I breathe.
“So do I.” She presses her body into mine, trying to reignite what burned hot seconds ago.
“No, you don’t. Not like this. Not until you’re sureI’mwhat you really want.”
I kiss her on the cheek and exit the bathroom, rolling shut the barn door on my side, hoping for a day when Sadie truly feels like my wife again.
SADIE
I enterthe kitchen the next morning in a bad mood, quickly silencing the light chatter between my mom and Nash. I open cupboards, stare aimlessly inside, then slam them shut again.
“Can I help you find something?” my mom asks. I can feel her exchange a glance with Nash behind my back.
“Don’t you keep any cold cereal around anymore?” I huff, whirling around to face her.
“No, but I can buy some today.”
“It’s fine.” The eye roll I give says otherwise.
“Did something happen to make you so upset?” My mom’s voice is soft, as if her words are walking on eggshells.
“I started my period this morning,” I announce as I swing the refrigerator door open and grab the jug of orange juice. I figure since Nash is my husband, he can handle sensitive topics like this.
“That does happen once a month.” My mom smirks like I’m being some dramatic teenager.
“Yeah, but it used to not happen to me. Not since I got an IUD put in five years ago. So now, I need to figure out if it’s not in the right place or if something is wrong from the accident. It just feels like another thing added to my already full plate.”
“Well, we can call Dr. Lucero and make an appointment for later today just to check things out.”
