Isaac ran his hand over her hair. “I’ve found a certain measure of peace knowing he’s in a better place. That he’s not suffering anymore. But, damn,” his voice roughened, “I miss the hell out of that guy. My parents, though… Seeing their pain is really hard on me. They’re great people. Amazing parents. But that’s not something you get past, you know, losing a kid. I see it in their eyes every time they look at me. I remind them that they should have two sons, not one.”
“God, that’s…heartbreaking.”
He kissed her head. “Sorry to pull such a heavy subject into our perfect night.”
She cupped his cheek. “It’s just made our night even more perfect. I love knowing you.” Yeah, she loved knowing him way too much. “So that’s when you took a step back from engineering and opened the shop?”
“Yeah. I was no good at work. I was scattered, distracted, forgetting things. My brain wouldn’t function right. I started Revival as a sort of therapy. In a place where I could find peace but be close enough to my parents for regular visits.”
That warmed her. “You three must be close.”
He smiled, nodded. “I lucked out. They’re fantastic.”
“I’m glad they have you.”
He emptied the rest of the bottle into their glasses and asked their waiter for the check. Then he turned to her, took her chin between his fingers, and said, “Stay with me tonight?”
She relaxed and smiled. “Haven’t had an offer that good in years.”
10
Ava’s lids fluttered open to white sheets, tan skin, and a cool breeze. Isaac sat propped against the wall with his laptop open on his boxer-brief-clad thighs.
The loft was nothing but an open space of white walls and a couple of dormers with windows. His furniture consisted of a mattress on a metal frame and milk cartons for everything from his one nightstand to his one TV stand. A tiny bathroom that violated every building code in existence was tucked into a corner along with apartment-style, stacked washer and dryer.
Ava had never been so happy with so little.
Joy and contentment coursed through her body, making her smile. “I’m in heaven.”
He grinned and stroked a hand over her hair.
Ave reached out and traced his ab muscles while his fingers massaged her scalp. “Oh my God,” she breathed on an exhale of pure comfort. “You make it so hard to go back to reality.”
“Ah…” He sighed dramatically, a big smile on his face. “My job here is done.”
She laughed as he leaned down and kissed her head, her cheek, her jaw, her neck.
“You smell like me.” His rough whisper shivered over her ear.
“I love smelling like you.”
He snuggled with her another moment, ignoring whatever he’d been doing on his computer. She couldn’t remember Matthew ever doing that. He was always distracted with something more important.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“For you? Always.” She propped herself up on her elbows.
“What about food?” he asked, stringing kisses down her neck. “There’s a great diner about five minutes away. That will give me energy to play another day of hooky with you in my bed.”
She lifted a smile to his. “Do you have a stash of Viagra around here somewhere?”
“You are my Viagra.” He set his computer on his milk-crate nightstand and tossed aside the sheets over his thighs. His cock was thick and stiff.
She started laughing. “How in the hell?”
He reached for his phone, lifted it toward the ceiling, and took a picture.
“Hey,” she said, dragging at the sheet to cover herself. “Did you just snap my bare ass?”