Page 38 of Starting Back
We ate in bed, talking so easily for hours about everything but what we’d do after Kristina was back in New York and I was back to my empty, fly-by-night lifestyle that now seemed even more hollow.
I dreaded any double shift. While I kept myself fit, I wasn’t getting any younger. I’d worked for so long to get my RN degree so I could split my time between the department and nursing, but I hadn’t applied to any hospitals yet. It was almost as if I was afraid to make the dual commitment.
Or it was exactly like that.
I was fully aware of my issues, but they never bothered me as much as they did now. A stranger had shone a spotlight on what I never wanted to see about myself and how lost I’d always been.
Kristina joked that she didn’t have any answers, but it made me uneasy how hard she seemed to push me toward the ones I didn’t want to find.
“So how private do you think this is?” she asked me as she came up to the railing, leaning over as she swept her gaze along the beach. The hem of my shirt fell halfway down her thigh, treating me to a nice view as she bent over. I liked her in my shirt as much as I liked her.
Too much.
“And why do you ask?” I came up behind her, wrapping my arm around her waist as I swept the hair off her shoulder to nuzzle her neck.
“I don’t know,” she said, leaning into me. My dick and I should have been exhausted after being inside her so much for most of the night, but when she brushed the sweet curve of her ass against me, we were both ready for more.
“Maybe the pool brought out the exhibitionist in me.” She reached back and looped her arm around my neck. “I did want to get our money’s worth in the suite. How many rooms can we tackle in a day?” She chuckled as she pulled me in for a kiss.
I kissed her back harder than she was expecting, spinning her around in my arms and backing her against the railing. I swallowed her sweet whimpers as I kept going, exploring and tasting her as our tongues tangled, so easily lost in each other once again.
It made no sense to miss someone before they were gone, and it was even more insane to miss them after only knowing them for thirty-six hours.
“I had no idea terraces made you this hot or I would have suggested it earlier.” She grabbed my face, but I stilled before she pressed her lips back to mine.
“I have a double shift tomorrow. So I have to leave in the morning to get ready. I work the next two days.”
“Oh” was all she said as her smile faded. Her gaze broke from mine for a minute before she lifted her head, a sad smile pulling across her lips instead of the playful one from a minute ago. “I didn’t realize—”
“I didn’t say,” I said before pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Asking you to spend the day with me was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I hated leaving you last night and needed to see you again, and I didn’t want to think about saying goodbye. Still don’t.”
“I actually get that.” She laughed and shook her head. “I guess I’ll have to sort out fun for the next two days alone.”
I nodded and tried to smile back, even if the picture of her chatting at the bar with someone else while I was working at the station filled me with a confusing white-hot rage.
“I’m sorry. I managed to forget about it for most of the day, but…” I trailed off when she shook her head.
“Neither of us planned this. Or expected something beyond this week. So why don’t we…” she said, pausing to feather her hands down my chest. Goose bumps followed her touch even though the air was thick and hot. “Appreciate this for the gift that it is.” She shrugged. “We have until the morning, right?”
“Right.” I slid my hand to the back of her neck. Those green eyes killed me as they held mine, translucent even in the soft light.
“Okay, good. There’s still time to work on my vacation story.”
A laugh slipped out of me. We both had quite a vacation story at this point.
“You’re incredible, Kristina. Please know that and take it home with you. Don’t ever let anyone make you think anything different again.”
“Stop.” She held up her hand. “That’s a goodbye speech, and you said we have until the morning. None of that yet.”
She tilted her chin toward one of the chairs. I nodded, surprised all of that had poured out of me, but it was true. I was almost tempted to leave while she was sleeping to avoid anything else falling out of my mouth before I could help it.
I dropped into one of the chairs, jerking back when she hopped on my lap.
“I wanted a cake with frosting, but frosted brownies aren’t a bad substitute, I guess.” She broke off a piece, licking her fingers again. “Just messy.”
I grabbed her wrist and swallowed the brownie in her hand with one bite, sucking on her fingers as I pulled away.
“I may have a new appreciation for brownies after I leave this place,” she said, her voice breathy and soft.
