Page 46 of The Lyrics of Love

She smiled against his mouth. “That sounds like a line in a song.”

He rested his forehead against hers. “It just might be.”

They lay looking into one another’s eyes. Nash was incapable of thought, only knowing how right this moment felt. This woman. Here. With him.

Forever.

He clamped his jaw tightly, not wanting those words to spill out. Not wanting her to run from him like a scared deer from a hunter.

“Nash? Are you all right?” Rylie asked, worry apparent in her voice.

“I am. Because I’m with you, darlin’.”

He kissed her again, losing himself in her scent and taste. Contentment washed over him.

Slipping out of her, he stepped into the bathroom and removed the condom, tossing it in the trash, and then returning to the bed. He gathered Rylie in his arms, her cheek nestled against his chest.

“Your heart is beating really fast,” she observed.

“Well, you gave me quite a workout. Not as much as SUP-ing. But close.”

She giggled, a sweet sound that made him want to always make her laugh.

“Can I stay a while longer and just hold you?” he asked.

“As long as you like.”

Nash sensed when she dropped off to sleep. Rylie’s breathing became slow and even. He enjoyed the feel of her in his arms a few more minutes and then slipped from the bed. He only had the one condom with him. If he stayed longer, whether a few hours or the entire night, he would not be able to resist making love to her again.

Quietly, he gathered his things and switched off the lamp, pausing a moment to listen and see if she stirred. Then he left the room, closing the door behind him, and dressed in the living room. Nash turned off the lights which were still on and opened the front door. The bottom lock would lock without a key, and so he pressed it in and softly closed the door behind him, listening for the click. He had about a two-mile walk back to his place. It would give him time to think.

About exactly what he wanted from his relationship with Rylie Robinson.

CHAPTER 16

Nash woke, feeling a bit adrift as he reached for Rylie. She wasn’t there. She was in her own bed at home, while he was in his. He still believed he had made the right decision to return to the cottage he was renting instead of staying the night with Rylie—and keeping her up most of it.

He picked up his phone to see if she might have texted him before she hit the water this morning. Nothing. It was a few minutes past six. More than likely, she was already SUP-ing or surfing. Nash decided he would leave her a message instead of texting, just so he could hear her voice on the recording.

After three rings, he heard a sleepy, “Hello?” Then a pause. “Oh! It’s late. Nash?”

“It’s me, darlin.’ Just wanted to say hi. I gather you didn’t get up to work out this morning.”

He could hear the bedclothes being tossed aside in the background. “No. I never sleep this late. Ever. I don’t set an alarm because I’ve never needed to. My internal clock seems to go off around the same time every morning.” She paused. “Why aren’t you here?”

“Do you want me to be?” he asked seductively.

“Yes. I thought... well, I guess I thought you would stay. Or I should have told you that before I fell asleep.”

Nash chuckled. “If I would’ve stayed, you wouldn’t have gotten much sleep.”

“Oh!”

He could see the blush staining her cheeks.

“Actually, I only had the one condom with me. I was afraid if I stayed, I would need a whole lot more.”

“Nash!”

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