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"Wait, what?" I asked, shaking my head to clear it
"This You Us I don’t want to screw this up," he insisted, sitting up underneatharound to his back
"Okay, so don’t," I ventured, unsure where this was going
"I mean, you need to know, I have no experience with this"
I raised an eyebrow "I have a wall back hohed, and he crushed me to his chest, inexplicably hard "Hey, hey…what’s up? What’s going on?" I soothed,up and down his back
"Caroline, I, Jesus, how do I say this without sounding like an episode of Dawson’s Creek?" He stu into my neck
I couldn’t help it, I chuckled a little as Pacey flashed into ht him back I pulled away a bit so I could see him, and he smiled ruefully
"Okay, Dawson’s be dairlfriend since high school, and I have no clue how to do this But you need to know, that what I feel for you? Shit, it’s just different, okay? And, whatever your ould say back home, I need you to know that this? What we have, or will have? It’s different, okay? You know that, right?"
He was telling me I was different, that I was no replacement for the harem And this, I knew He looked at me so earnestly, so seriously, and entle kiss to his sweet lips
"First of all, I do know this Second of all, you’re better at this than you think" I s each eyelid "And, for the record, I loved Dawson’s Creek, and you did the WB proud" I laughed as his eyes sprang back open and relief rushed in I tucked him into my nook and held him there as we rocked back and forth, the rush of the earlier hor as we found this new space, this quiet inti
"I like that we’re taking things slow You give good woo," I whispered
He tensed underneath ood woo?" he laughed, tears springing to his eyes as he tried to control his laughter
"Oh, shut up," I cried, shed for a fewback into the lush bed, and as the jet lag finally overtook us, we settled in Together There was no question inin separate rooms I wanted him here With ht I had, before slipping into sleep with his strong ar in love with er
Chapter Seventeen
I WAS AWAKENED THIS MORNING by a great ru where I was for a split second, I auto a tremor I was halfway out of bed with one foot on the floor before I noticed that the view outside my bedroom as decidedly more blue than it was at ho? That was no tre to beat the band, and by beat the band Ithe most unearthly sound I clapped hter and crept back into bed, the better to appraise the situation
True to forht, and he’d been relegated to the far corner, where he was now curled into a little ball with a pillow tucked between his legs But what he lacked in square footage, heforth frorizzly bear and exploding tractor trailer I wiggled across thedown at his face Even whilethese horrific sounds, he was adorable I carefully placed ed And then waited
After about ten seconds, he inhaled and shook his head, looking around wildly He relaxed when he saw me perched on the pillows next to him He smiled a sleepy s intohis head onin the casual freedo each other
"Just woke up Someone was quite noisy on this side of the bed"
He closed one eye and looked up at me "I hardly think so"
"Flaily? That’s not even a word" I huffed, enjoying his arms around me more than I wanted to admit
"Flaily, as in, one who flails As in, one who, even though she is sleeping in a bed the size of Alcatraz, still needs almost the entire mattress to spread out and kick," he insisted, accidentally-on-purpose pushing my shirt up so he could rest his head on , Mr Snorey Pants," I teased again, trying not to notice the way his stubble scraped against my skin in the most delicious way
"You flail I snore Whatever e do about this?" He suards?"
"Yep, that’s sexy We can suit up before bed each night," he sighed, pressing the tiniest of kisses just above my belly button
A noise that sounded sadly like a whimper escaped my lips before I could pull it back, and ht," as in sleeping together each night Oh my…
We ate a quick breakfast at the house, then headed into town I fell in love with the village instantly: the old stone streets, the ashed walls gliht, the beauty that poured forth from every open archway Froh from the coast to the friendly smiles on the sweet faces of the people who called this enchanted spot home, I was hooked
It wasup fresh fruit to snack on later I’ve seen beautiful places on this earth, but this toas heaven forlike it
Now, I had been traveling alone for years, findingwith Simon? It was…cool Just, cool He was quiet, the way I a new He never felt the need to fill a silence with chattery words We were content to soak up the scenery When we did speak, it was to point out soht the other shouldn’tin a dooryard, or an oldback and forth over their balconies He was a great companion