“Uh-uh,” he murmured. “Only a few more days.”
A chuckle bubbled up from her throat. “We must be the first people in history waiting until we’re not married to have sex.”
Still kissing her, he grinned. “One weekend wasn’t enough for me. But a lifetime is more than we planned. So just a few more days, and then, I say we make up for the last few weeks.”
She pulled his tongue into her mouth and tugged before releasing him. “Think you could explain your plan to celebrate our annulment in precise detail? It might hold me over.”
One last kiss and he drew back to the edge of the bed. “This could take all night.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Freya lay facing him, letting the strap of her top fall off her shoulder.
Inhaling sharply, he groaned. “First, I’m going to…”
Closing her eyes, Freya listened to him talk for longer and with more detail than he had since she’d met him. His descriptions were explicit, his voice hungry as he described exactly what he had in mind, and the laundry room romp was nothing by comparison as he sent her soaring with nothing more than his words.
After a sleepless night, Freya awoke entangled in Zane. Sitting up, she caught him watching her with a sleepy smile, his eyes still unfocused and heavy, sleepy as he’d kept her up all night.
Consequences be damned, she leaned in and stole a languorous kiss. Skin warm and smooth against hers, he slipped on top and grazed his lips along the curve of her neck. In a trail of pure ecstasy, he circled her breast with his hands, his mouth, sucking until she cried out.
Whispering a teasing, “Shhh,” he lowered and pressed his mouth to her core. Laving, he gave her a taste of what he’d teased at last night. Her breath came faster, heat blazing over her skin, she came again and again.
Propping up to his elbows, he kissed her thigh and grinned. “So,” he croaked, “Breakfast?”
She scowled. “We’d better hurry before your mother tries to cook again.”
He bolted upright, “Fuck, I forgot they were here. Let’s grab a quick shower and then I’ll fry up some sausage to go with your scrambled eggs?”
“Is that code?”
“Ha. No.”
“At least say you meant to shower together?”
“It’s going to involve more than handholding.”
“It’s a date.”
During their not-short shower, Freya was convinced she might spontaneously combust. How much more could she take? There had been handholding. Among other… things. She’d demonstrated some of what she had planned for their post-annulment celebration. Showering and nonpenetrative intercourse wasn’t consummating. Probably. She definitely wasn’t calling Grady to ask for details on the semantics.
After a quiet breakfast, with actually not unpleasant small talk about the area, the weather, and even a few stories of Zane as a child, they agreed a local hike would be perfect. Freya scooped in her last bite of eggs and rose to clear her plate. “Riverside Trail is a lazy walk along the river. My grandparents and I used to walk along the main road and hop on the trail at the bridge.”
Susan smiled with an extra buoyancy, “Of course. That sounds wonderful. We’ll get ready to go.”
Zane rose from the table and cleared the remaining plates, even though his father still hadn’t finished. “Know what? It’s a really gentle hike. You’re perfect in what you’re wearing. Grab some shoes and we can get going so we beat the weekend crowds.”
“Oh, of course.” Susan smoothed her khaki shorts and scuttled into the bathroom.
Craig looked to be working at jumping on board but hadn’t quite gotten there yet, but Susan maintained the overly accommodating attitude. He fumbled his phone in his hands. “I’ll uh, just fire off a text to… I’ll let work know we’ll be unavailable for the day.”
Quickly tossing on her sneakers, Freya zipped into the kitchen to at least get the breakfast pan soaking and dishes rinsed. She barely had time to wipe down the countertops when Zane’s parents were pulling their shoes on and heading to the door. Impressive.
She tossed the rag next to the sink and followed them out the door. A few steps behind, Zane’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He checked the screen and held up his hand, “It’s Grady. I’ll catch up.”
Snagging a quick kiss as he put the phone to his ear, Zane flashed her a sizzling wink before answering. Bouncing down the steps like gravity wasn’t a thing, Freya joined Susan and Craig as they waited at the base of the stairs, studying the main house.
Pointing to the awning, Susan nodded knowingly, “Excellent color choices, and I can see where the shutters have been updated.”
Craig considered, then added, “Sharper of an angled roof for a craftsman than is typical. Must be handy if there’s a heavy snow.”
