I absently hear him groan behind me, and then his hips press completely into mine and still as the sound of our heavy breathing fills the room. Resting my forehead on the bed, I try to catch my breath and get my heart rate under control. Having an orgasm before him was a crapshoot, but with Zach, it happens every time, and every time, it takes me by surprise.
“Stay,” he commands, pulling out slowly. I whimper at the loss of him then turn my head and watch him walk into the bathroom, hearing the water start up.
Coming back a second later, he has a washcloth in his hand and his eyes lock on mine. I learned during our second time together not to argue about this or to tell him that I can clean myself up. I don’t know why he insists on doing it, but he does it every time without fail. Relaxing onto the bed, he gently wipes me, and then I feel his lips on my back. Another thing he does sometimes if I’m on my back, he kisses my mouth or stomach before going back and rinsing the rag.
“You’re good now, baby.” He says softly.
“Thanks,” I say shyly, then reach down and grab my panties and jeans from the floor.
“What should we do for dinner?” he asks, tucking himself back into his jeans and buttoning them up.
“I don’t know. Something healthy-ish, because the kids ate all that junk food on the boat then on the plane,” I say, pausing with my own jeans pulled up to mid-thigh. “What?” I question, seeing the look on his face.
“Nothing.” He grins, and I shake my head.
“I think they have a Subway across the street. We could do that.”
“Healthy,” he mutters, and I feel my face scrunch up.
“What?”
“It’s cute that you’re always trying to make the kids eat healthy.”
“Vegetables are important, Zach.”
“They are,” he agrees, smiling bigger, but the smile on his face says he thinks I’m being cute and I blow out a breath.
“I know you, Steven, and Hunter believe lettuce and tomatoes count, but they don’t,” I say, jumping up to get my pants up over my hips then fastening the button.
“Why’s that?” He raises a brow, resting his hands on his hips, and my eyes scan over his torso, wishing we didn’t have to get dressed. “You were saying?” he prompts, sounding far too cocky.
“Well, for starters, lettuce is roughage and has no real nutritional value, and second, tomatoes are a fruit, so they don’t count either.”
“Not sure they are going to have a buffet of vegetables at Subway, baby.”
“Well, it’s better than Burger King or McDonald’s,” I mutter, grabbing my bra from his hand and putting it on. I take my shirt, which he picked up, from his grasp, only to be tagged around my wrist and pulled into his chest.
“It’s a vacation. The kids never get to eat McDonald’s or Burger King, so if they want that stuff tonight, they can have it.”
“What about you? You’re not as young as you used to be. You should be eating healthy too,” I say, and his face moves closer to mine.
“Are you calling me old?”
“No,” I breathe against his mouth, as his hand moves down, grabbing my ass, pulling my pelvis flush against his.
“Good.”
“Are you going to let me go, so I can put my shirt on?”
“Don’t really want to, but yeah.” He nips my bottom lip then lets me go, and I slip my shirt on over my head.
“Are you sure you and the boys will be okay all sleeping in here?” I ask, looking around the room with two double beds, a dresser, and a chair that pulls out into a bed.
“It’s all good. I told you to stop worrying.”
“I know. I just feel bad one of you is going to have to sleep on the pullout, while Aubrey and I each have a big comfy beds.”
“Next trip, we’ll have our own room, the boys can share, and Bre can get a room for herself. They probably wouldn’t care now, but I want to give it—”
“I agree with you,” I say, cutting him off. “It’s too soon.”
He steps toward me, getting in my space, and I lean my head back to look up at him.
“Sooner than later, I want you and Hunter at my house. I want you in my bed, next to me at night.”
“You don’t have a spare room.” I point out quietly, and he dips his face closer to mine.
“Then we’ll sleep over at your place.”
“Do you think Steven will be okay with that?” I ask softly resting my hands against his chest.
“He’ll be okay.” He slides a piece of my hair behind my ear. “Hunter is one of his buds now, and he loves the way you are with Aubrey. I know it’s taking longer for him to warm—”
“I get it,” I interrupt him. “I love that he loves his mom and is loyal to her. I know this isn’t easy for him, but he’s been awesome, really awesome about everything.”
“We have time to figure this all out, but I don’t want to wait a year either. The kids start school soon, and when they go back and winter rolls in, things around town slow down. I’d like to have some kind of plan in place before the first snow falls.”
“Are you talking about moving in together?” I ask as my eyes widen.
He sits on the side of the bed and takes hold of my hips, settling me between his spread thighs. “Moving in together, putting my place on the market.” He slides his hands up under my shirt. “Unless you want to move in with me. If we did that, Hunter and Steven would have to share a room. I don’t really want to do that to either of them. I’d like them to each have their own space. You have three more bedrooms than I got in my house, so it makes sense for us to move in with you.”
“You’re serious?” I breathe, and his head tilts to the side, studying me.
“Yeah.”
“I don’t think this qualifies as going slow,” I point out, and he grins.
“It’s slow to me.”
“What if things go bad?” I ask, and he pulls me impossibly closer.
“I don’t see that happening, but if it makes you feel more secure, we can rent out my place for the winter to the skiers who come in, make some money off it, and save the cash for our wedding.”
“Now you’re talking about marriage?” I feel my eyes go impossibly wider, and he looks somewhere to my right, muttering something under his breath. “This is not slow!” I cry, smacking his shoulder.
“The kids are happy. I am happy, and I think you’re happy too, unless I’m missing something.”
“No, I’m happy, and I think the kids are happy, but living together and marriage…” He tugs me down to sit on his thigh then places his face an inch from mine, running his fingers through my hair, holding me in place.
“I want us to start a life together—you, me, and the kids. I want to come home to you, go to sleep next to you. I want to hear you nagging the kids about eating vegetables over dinner, and listen to you call my daughter gorgeous in a way I know she feels it. I want all of that and more with you, until I take my last breath.”
“If you make me cry, I won’t be able to explain that to the kids,” I say, feeling warmth spread through me and that hole inside of me fill up even more.
“Then don’t cry. Just tell me you’re on the same page as I am. Tell me you want the same things I want.”
“I want that—well, except the nagging part, since it’s not nagging, but good parenting. Kids should eat vegetables, and you could help me with that by eating them as well, without complaining,” I ramble, watching him smile.
“I’ll eat my veggies, baby, as long as I get to eat you for dessert.”
“Don’t turn me on before the kids come back either,” I grouch, and his smile turns smug.
“Fuck, but I wish we had time,” he says against my mouth, before kissing me deep and wet, making me wish we had more time before the kids are due back.
“What do you think about this top?” I ask Aubrey, holding up a cute, long-sleeved, navy blue shirt that is shorter in the front and longer in the back.
“It’s cute,
but I don’t know if it’s me,” she says, and I hold it out in front of her, closing one eye.
“It would look really adorable with a pair of the leggings you picked up, that black vest you chose, and your black mid-calf boots you wore a week ago,” I propose, and she takes it from my grasp, looking at it.
“Do you really think so?”
“Just try it on. If you like it, they have it in a few colors,” I suggest, and she shrugs then goes to the dressing room with an armful of clothes.
This morning, before we left the hotel, I asked Zach about Aubrey’s clothing choices, and he told me that Tina has always been in charge of taking the kids clothes shopping. Since Aubrey has refused to be a part of it, Tina has just gotten her whatever, probably thinking if it’s hideous she will want to pick out her own stuff.
I didn’t point out that her plan wasn’t working, but did ask if I could go with her to a few shops and show her some stuff. I’m not sure if he was just being a man or if he really wanted me to take her, but he agreed to my plan without any argument.
Taking a seat outside the dressing room, I look at my phone and send a message to Zach, letting him know we should be done soon. He, Steven, and Hunter all left us two hours ago with plans to see some superhero movie. Hunter and Steven were done shopping and made it clear they wanted out of the mall. Zach wasn’t far behind them in reaching his limit, which was fine with me.
“Do you really think this is okay?” Aubrey asks, stepping out of the room she went into moments ago. I drop my cell into my bag and lift my head.
“Oh, my God,” I whisper. The shirt fits her perfectly and shows off her waist, and the leggings make her look young, hip, and very stylish. “It’s perfect, but how do you feel?” I ask, seeing she seems unsure.
“I don’t know. It’s not what I’m used to, but it’s still comfortable.” She shrugs.
“You look beautiful, honey,” I say gently, setting my bag in the chair next to me and standing. “And clothing doesn’t have to be uncomfortable to be stylish.”