19
So let me get this straight,” Haley says. “You chickened out on telling Drew your feelings because he had a cute conversation with his nephew?”
I groan through my sip of coffee as Haley drives us from our new condo rental to Capitol Reef National Park. “When you put it like that, I sound like an asshole.”
She shrugs as she focuses on the road ahead. “I’m just repeating what you said to me.”
“You’re not, not even close. That’s not at all what I said.”
“Then explain it to me.”
If I weren’t currently preoccupied with mentally dissecting my and Drew’s conversation from two days ago, I’d be enamored with the nearby scenery. Surrounding us is more of that iconic red-rock landscape. Mesas and plateaus dot the highway along the drive to Capitol Reef.
“You don’t fool me. I know you’re not gawking at the pretty rocks,” Haley says.
“I actually am,” I say defiantly. “And I’m thinking about the shot list for today. I’d love to get some shots of the Fruita orchards in the park. Can you believe there are more than three thousand fruit trees in the middle of Capitol Reef? Early settlers planted cherry, apricot, peach, and nectarine trees. And apple trees. And plum trees. They really liven up this desert landscape.”
From the corner of my eye, I catch Haley shaking her head. Going on and on about the random orchards at Capitol Reef is a poor stalling tactic. My best friend isn’t going to let me off the hook that easily. I’m going to have to admit my true feelings about my last interaction with Drew, and I’m not looking forward to it . . . because I know just how raw it’s going to make me feel.
I turn to Haley, and she shoots me a deadpan stare. “Are you seriously talking about fruit trees right now?”
My shoulders slump. “He just sounded so sincere when he said that even after this shoot is over, he could never forget me. I thought that was his way of saying he wanted to pursue something . . . serious.”
“Is that what you want?”
“I want it if he wants it,” I say before draining the last of my coffee and setting the paper cup in the center console cup holder.
Haley makes a disgusted noise. “Nope. Not acceptable. Since when are you the kind of woman who lets a man dictate your wants and needs? Or your feelings?”
I clamp my mouth shut, burning from the inside out because Haley is exactly right in her assessment of me.
I sigh. “I’m scared of getting hurt, Haley. You know better than anyone my dumpster-fire dating history.”
I don’t have to reference my heartbreak with Reid. The way she looks at me, I can tell she knows whom I’m talking about.
“I told Drew about Reid.”
Haley whips her head at me. “You did?”
“It was weirdly easy to talk to him about it. Before, just thinking about talking to anyone other than you about that awful relationship made me want to crawl under the nearest rock and disappear. But Drew was so supportive and understanding. He didn’t judge me. I felt . . . better after being so open with him.”
“That’s awesome, Alia.”
“I guess the fact that I’m so comfortable with him and can talk to him about anything signifies just how much I like him.”
“Bingo,” Haley says softly, eyes glued to the road. “And that’s why you should tell him how you feel. Hiding your feelings isn’t good for either of you. You know that.”
A sliver of nagging doubt seeps into my brain and takes hold. “I can’t. I’m not ready. Especially when he’s already said that he doesn’t want anything serious.”
My old defenses, the ones I spent years developing in order to guard my heart, take hold once more. I’m like a cat crawling up a tree. It’s instinctual at this point and impossible to shake after so many years of training myself to make this my natural response.
“He seemed to move on fine from our conversation,” I say. “And he hasn’t brought it up since then. We’ve only talked about work. I feel pathetic enough as it is sitting here, spilling my feelings about him to you when there’s a very real possibility that he’s not even thinking about me in the same way.”
Haley turns in the direction of the park. I glance out the side-view mirror and spot the van with Wyatt, Joe, and Rylan behind us. Behind them is Drew in his truck.
“Alia, did he say those exact words to you? He said he wasn’t interested in pursuing something serious with you?”
I let out a breath, annoyed at how she’s still stuck on this. “After talking to his nephew, he said he was glad to be on his own. He said he was glad that he only had to worry about himself and no one else.”
Haley shakes her head. “I don’t think that means what you think it means. To me, it sounded like he was glad he didn’t have a kid to worry about. I really don’t think he meant you. You should tell him how you feel.”
“Well, I think that it’s better to just keep things the way that they are between us—casual and uncomplicated—rather than ruin the last week and a half of shooting with uncomfortable conversations about our feelings and expectations.”
“It’s like I’m in high school all over again,” Haley mutters. “The way you guys communicate—two adults in their thirties—is fucking adolescent.”
“I’m scared, Haley,” I quietly admit. “It makes this feel too real. And if this is real, that means we could hurt each other. It means I could get my heart broken. I don’t want that ever again.”
Haley sighs before turning to look at me. “I get it. I really do. But is this how you want to live your life? Too scared to share your feelings with the guy you care about?”
I’m kicking around her words in my mind as she pulls into the entrance of the park and stops by the park ranger’s station to show our credentials. Now that we’re in Capitol Reef, we’re officially on the clock and need to be focused for the shoot. I shove aside all relationship-related thoughts as we drive along the main road in the park to our scheduled destination. We make it to a lookout point that offers a sweeping view of the major attraction of the park: the Waterpocket Fold, a sixty-five-million-year-old geological landform that looks like a wrinkle in Earth’s surface. It runs for almost one hundred miles and creates a dramatic landscape of rugged cliffs, canyons, natural bridges, and arches.
When Haley groans about her growling stomach, I open the glove box and pull out a packet of gluten-free rice crackers along with a fruit-and-nut bar.
“That’s part of my job. To keep you from getting hangry whenever we’re on the same shoot.”
Haley happily accepts the bag and bar. I start to turn to open the door, but her hand on my arm causes me to turn back to her.
“And it’s my job as your best friend to give it to you straight. You always do the same for me, whether I’m venting about guys or family or work. It’s why you’re my best friend.”
“I know,” I say quietly.
“Just think about what I said, okay?”
I nod, thankful to have a best friend who never sugarcoats. Her honesty is rooted in how much she cares about me.
We get out of the car just as everyone else pulls up behind us. When they start unloading equipment, I catch a glimpse of Drew hopping out of his truck and walking toward the back. Rylan runs over to him and hands him a backpack containing all the clothes he’s set to wear for today’s shoot. He smiles a thanks at her and sheds the light puffer jacket he’s wearing before unzipping the bag and setting it in the bed of the truck to unpack it.
That movement of him pulling off an item of his clothing captures my attention. Yeah, it’s shallow to focus on just the physical aspect of Drew, but it’s what I need to do in order to keep things in perspective. And if I can concentrate on strictly the physical, I won’t get caught up in emotions so much.
I take a breath and walk over, tablet in hand, to go over the shot list with him.
He slips off his shirt and raises an eyebrow at me. “How do I look?”
“Ridiculously hot. Like always.” I keep my tone casual and cool.
“Why do I have the feeling that if you were the one dressing me today I wouldn’t be wearing very much?” He pulls a long-sleeved hiking shirt from the pack and slides it over his head.
I bite my lip and try not to laugh. “Because you know me too well. And I think I’ve made it very, very clear just how much I enjoy seeing you naked.”
He leans down to grab one of the boots from the pack, skimming the shell of my ear with the stubble of his beard for a split second. “Almost as much as I enjoy seeing you naked, Dunn.”
He straightens back up to his full height and checks the size of the boots before bending back over to slip them on. This time, I let myself giggle.
I go over the schedule for today with Drew, then check the time. “Blaine hasn’t shown up yet. No surprise there.”
Drew makes a scoffing noise as he pulls on a puffer vest.
“But there’s no telling if and when he’ll arrive. So if he does, let’s just go with the same excuse we’ve used before. We’ll tell him you’re demonstrating the shots for him, and then we’ll film him like usual. But still, I want to get in as many shots with you as possible.”
“Got it. I’m ready.” Drew holds his arms out and does a spin. “How do I look?”
“Like you have to ask.”
“Aww, shucks, Dunn.” A sly grin tugs at Drew’s lips.
“It’s exactly like you said,” I say, my voice low and my eyes still directed at the tablet. If I’m going to keep this conversation in the realm of hot and heavy, we need to at least appear professional if anyone happens to look over. “I always, always prefer you with your clothes off.”
I glance at him, wondering if he notices the fire in my eyes. I can feel it in every cell of my body as I speak to him.
Even though we only connect our stares for just a couple of seconds, I can tell just how well I’ve set him off. A small smile appears on his face; then he leans over, pretending to squint at the tablet screen.
“I think we need to do something about that, Dunn. Tonight.”
“Does that mean if I text you later tonight when everyone else is asleep in the condo, you’ll answer? And be up for what I want?” The rasp in my voice makes it sound like I’m pleading.
“I’ll have my phone on me the entire night. I’d better hear from you.”
The low growl of his words sticks with me long after he walks off to Wyatt to get mic’d up for the shoot. I’m left buzzing with anticipation for all the naked things we’re going to get up to.
When I wake up in my bedroom of the condo, everything is pitch-black. For a moment, I’m in that confused, foggy-headed space where you’ve napped for way too long and forget where you are.
I sit up and check the clock on my nightstand. It’s almost midnight.
“Shit,” I mutter to myself.
Rubbing my eyes with the heels of my hands, I let out a soft groan. The entire condo is quiet—that means everyone’s asleep. That also means I slept through my rendezvous with Drew.
I swipe my phone from the nightstand and see that two hours ago I missed four texts from Drew.
Drew: Just wanted to make sure we’re still on for tonight.
Drew: I’ll head to my room and just wait for your message then.
Drew: My guess is that you fell asleep.
There’s a sad emoji at the end, then another text.
Drew: Just kidding. You must be exhausted. Sleep well.
He ends that text with a kissing emoji. It makes my heart flutter. I quickly text him an apology and an explanation.
Me: I’m sooo sorry! I only meant to nap for an hour when we came home from the shoot today . . . and four hours later here I am texting you. Can I make it up to you?
I rub my face with my hands, wondering what I’ll do now. There’s no way I can fall back to sleep after a nap like that.
I glance at my phone sitting on the bedspread. Drew is probably fast asleep now too. Maybe I should just hop in the shower and catch up on emails, or—
My phone buzzes.
Drew: Don’t worry. Glad you got some sleep. You’ve been working so hard.
Me: Sorry if I woke you up.
Drew: You don’t ever have to be sorry about waking me. You’re the only person I want waking me up right now. Or ever.
I bite my lip, my skin heating at just how much his reply makes me glow.
I try to think of a cool response, but he replies first.
Drew: Are you planning to go back to sleep?
Me: I don’t think I can . . . That nap screwed up my sleep schedule for the night I’m afraid.
Me: Would you be up for meeting up now? I know it’s late . . .
Drew replies with a gif that’s a cartoon mouse nodding excitedly.
Drew: Meet me at the hot tub in the center of the condo complex in ten.
Me: ???
Me: It’s the middle of the night.
Drew: And?
Me: You want to go swimming at midnight? When the hot tub is closed?
Drew: No, I don’t want to go swimming 
My stomach flips.
Me: Oh . . . I see 
Me: I don’t want to wake everyone.
Drew: Then be extra quiet 
Drew: Come on, Dunn. Didn’t you ever sneak out when you were a teenager to meet up with your high school boyfriend?
Me: Possibly . . .
Drew: Everyone’s dead asleep. I can hear Wyatt snoring through my wall. If we’re quiet when we slip out, we’ll be fine.
Drew: I’m not going to be able to sleep either with the thought of you awake in your bed, in those sexy tiny shorts you wear to sleep. Let’s do something about it.
Drew: Pretend I’m your high school boyfriend. Do it for old time’s sake
I bite my lip as I grin, my thumb hovering over my screen while I think about what he’s asking me to do. A bit of quiet, sneaky hot-tub time with Drew sounds a million times better than lying in bed battling restlessness the whole night.
Biting my lip, I take a breath and reply.
Me: You’ve convinced me. Meet you there in 10.
I stand at the edge of the hot tub, wrapped in a towel, gazing down at the water. We agreed that I would slip out of the condo rental first, then quietly make my way to the hot tub. Drew would follow a couple of minutes later.
In the dark, even without the lights on, the water glows blue. I rub my hand against my neck, thankful for the higher temperatures southern Utah is experiencing now that it’s late April.
I crouch down and touch the water, smiling at how warm it feels. I look up and can barely make out the stack of lounge chairs in the corner. Behind me I hear the soft shuffle of footsteps.
My heart races even though I know it’s Drew.
I turn around and see his tall, broad figure walking toward me with his phone on flashlight mode in hand. In his other hand is a towel.
Now that he’s close, I can see he’s smiling.
“You came,” he says softly.
“I would never ditch you.”
Thanks to the glow of his phone, I get a decent view of his body. He’s wearing these swim trunks that hang low on his hips. The shadows from the harsh glow of his phone create a million defined lines. My eyes scan above, and I see the hard planes of his stomach and chest. My mouth waters.
“Look at those lines.” And then I cup my hands over my cheeks at what a dork I sound like. “I mean, you look nice.”
He lets out a soft chuckle. Then he drops his towel and reaches for me, then slowly peels the towel away before tossing it on the pile.
He pulls me against him, his hand with the phone slowly moving along the length of my body.
“You’ve got some damn fine lines of your own.”
Gripping his shoulders, I blush. “I don’t know about that.”
His hand gives my waist a gentle squeeze before he runs his fingers along my hips; then he cups my ass cheek.
“I’m a pretty big fan of these lines, Alia.”
“Those aren’t lines,” I whisper, my breath ragged. “Those are curves.”
He skims my mouth with his. “Call them whatever the hell you want. They’re hot.”
I lean up, gently pressing my mouth against his in a light, teasing kiss. His tongue slips in my mouth and I moan softly, reminding myself that I need to be as quiet as possible.
He steps back, his hand falling away from me. He turns the light off on his phone before dropping it on top of the towels. With my eyes finally adjusting to the darkness, I observe him as he quickly loosens the drawstring on his trunks and slips them off. A grin splits my face.
“How do you feel about skinny-dipping?” he says, pulling me against him once more.
Closing my eyes, I savor the warmth of his skin against mine. “Is this what you got up to when you snuck out of the house in high school?”
“I wish.”
I chuckle softly; then I tug off my top and bottom. “I’m definitely all for being naked in the water with you.”
He takes me by the hand and guides me to the edge of the hot tub, where there’s a metal railing along the steps.
I grip my other hand on his shoulder as I follow him into the water. The sudden wetness draws a soft shudder from me.
“Here.” He steps to the middle, careful to move slowly to keep splashing to a minimum.
Then he turns around and pulls me against him once more. Immediately the warmth from his naked skin on mine has me hot all over.
Now that I’m this close to him, I can make out his face in the darkness just fine. His chest heaves slightly with a breath. And then I feel him harden against me.
He smirks down at me. “Is this okay?”
“Very.”
I slide my palms slowly up his torso and rest them at his shoulders. I can just make out his eye color in the surrounding pitch blackness.
“So you got me all the way out here,” I say, my voice a hair above a whisper. “What did you have in mind?”
His smirk doesn’t budge, even when he raises his eyebrow. “This.”
His mouth lands on the side of my neck, and my mouth falls open. Thankfully I remember that I need to be quiet, so all that falls out of me is a hot, silent breath. I shiver at the feel of his hot tongue teasing that spot right above my shoulder.
“Drew . . .” I whisper-groan, my eyes fluttering at the heavenly feel. It’s like a pleasurable, orgasmic, ticklish feeling.
“Yeah?” he says quietly, his mouth on my skin.
Again my brain short-circuits the longer his tongue plays along that patch of skin. Eyes rolling to the back of my head, I let out a soft moan and run my fingers through his hair.
He pulls his tongue away but keeps his mouth against my neck. “This seems to be a very important spot on your body.”
I yank his head back and plant my mouth against his, leading him in a hungry kiss. He responds with a low moan and a smile I can feel against my mouth. His hands settle on my waist while I grip his bearded cheeks in my hands.
My head spins trying to process all the sensations around me. His hot skin against my hot skin, the smell of spice from his cologne, the taste of his tongue in my mouth. The hard feel of his muscle against the softness of my hands. How silky and thick his hair is.
We stay in that rapid kissing rhythm, our hands flying everywhere, for what feels like minutes. And then we break apart to catch our breaths. Before I can say anything—before I can think of anything to even say—Drew’s mouth lands back on the side of my neck; then he glides a hand below the water.
I gasp once more when he makes contact with my most sensitive spot.
“Shh,” he whispers through a chuckle.
I nod and clamp my mouth shut. But the circles he’s making with his fingers against me threaten my ability to keep silent. Because Drew’s magic touch and even more magical rhythm are going to break me.
I’ve never been much of a fan of manual stimulation with other men. But Drew? Drew is a master tradesman with his hands. He moves confidently and quickly. His touch is firm but gentle. He keeps a steady rhythm that has me clawing at him and struggling to keep my voice contained to my throat. Right now his hand is delivering untold amounts of pleasure through my body.
The heat building between my legs slowly spreads to my core, then my arms and fingers and toes.
When my chest feels like it’s on fire, I open my eyes. Drew’s gaze is locked on me. Even in the darkness, I can see that his eyes are dilated and glazed over. His jaw is set tight. I shiver at his carnal expression. He seems to like watching me get all hot and bothered. After a minute, a muscle in the side of his jaw twitches.
“God, you’re sexy,” he mutters.
I can’t help but chuckle softly, my eyes rolling back, my head falling back.
He stops circling, then presses his palm against me. The change in sensation is a delicious shock to my system.
My head snaps up and I gasp. Then he starts those divine circles once more.
My head lolls against his shoulder as the sensations intensify throughout my whole body.
“We have to be quiet,” he whispers in my ear.
I press a hand over my mouth to muffle myself.
“Use my shoulder,” he growls softly.
Two pants later, my mouth is on the meaty part of his shoulder. A soft, low moan sounds from his throat.
“I love it when you do that,” he whispers.
“Do you really?”
“Uh-huh.”
Mouth open, I quietly pant against his hot, wet skin. “I just . . . I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You could never. Bite harder if you want.” He speaks in a growled whisper that sets my heart racing.
His fingers pick up speed, and my legs go wobbly. If I were just standing on land while doing this, I’d crumble. But the water helps support me as my knees give.
Through a silent gasp, I clamp down on Drew’s shoulder. He lets out a grunt, then a satisfied hum. The pressure between my legs builds and builds. Every nerve inside my body, every goose bump on my skin, goes haywire. One of my hands is tugging at the back of Drew’s head, where his hair is the thickest. My other hand is wrapped around his shoulder, clutching at that endless wall of skin and hard muscle and warmth.
There’s a flash where he touches me. It’s like someone has lit a match inside my body and I’m about to explode. The pleasure and heat building inside me start to give way to that telltale tingle that feels so insanely good, that acts like a signal for what’s to come.
A second later, it all comes to a head. Climax rips through me so hard that even the meat of Drew’s shoulder can barely muffle me. I start to moan, but then with his free hand, he grips my chin and leads me to his mouth. His hard kiss swallows the rest of my moans and groans. A minute later I’m limp, shuddering against his body. Wrapping my arms around his torso, I collapse. Thanks to the sturdy hold of his arms around my waist and the water, I’m held up.
Closing my eyes, I let out a soft, satisfied sigh. Then I wiggle my feet and stand up when I feel strong enough to. I gaze up at Drew, a smug smirk plastered on his face.
“You good?” he whispers.
“More than good.” I give his right hand a squeeze. He chuckles. “We’re not done yet, though.”
Drew’s brow raises, and I push him against the edge of the hot tub.
“Sit up,” I whisper.
Smiling, he leans back while gripping the edge, then hauls himself up. Water cascades from his body like a million mini waterfalls. In this sitting position, his impressive length is just below eye level.
I grip him at his base and start with a long, slow stroke. His brow furrows as he clenches his jaw. “Alia . . . you . . .”
“Shh.” I cut him off. “Now it’s your turn to try to be quiet. See how you like it.”
Eyes closed and head back, he grins. After a minute, I speed up and the smile drops from his face. His chest heaves.
“Goddamn,” he mutters, swiping my hair out of my face.
He cups my cheek, then leans down to plant an insanely sloppy and tongue-heavy kiss.
“That feels amazing.” He groans quietly.
“Just you wait,” I say before lowering my head to him.
It’s another minute of slow, long slides of my tongue before I hear Drew’s breathing grow ragged. Then his breath catches and he runs his fingers through my hair. His thighs tense. I smile to myself and speed up my rhythm.
It ends with him making a fist in my hair and letting out a quiet grunt, then a string of whispered curse words. I lean away from him and catch my breath. He slips back down into the water and falls back against the edge before pulling me into his chest.
He wraps his arms around me and nuzzles my neck. His hot, wet breath flashes across that supersensitive spot to the side, right above my shoulder. Shivers dance across my skin.
“Skinny-dipping with you is my new favorite hobby,” Drew says.
I close my eyes, letting his warmth and wet skin engulf me. “Ditto.”
We share a minute of silence, Drew’s breathing soothing me into a relaxed state I don’t think I’ve ever felt.
“You’re not rushing to get back to your room, are you?” he asks.
“No way.”
“Wanna lounge with me for a bit?”
Eyes still closed, I nod into his chest. He braces his hands on the edge of the hot tub and pushes himself out. Then he stretches his arm to me and helps me climb out. We walk over to the nearest lounge chair with our towels. He grabs one, then dries me off. My chest flutters at just how gentle and attentive Drew is as he carefully presses the plushy towel all over my skin.
“How does that feel?” he asks, wrapping the towel around me when he finishes.
“Perfect.”
I settle on the lounge chair while he dries off; then he cuddles next to me.
“So I gotta know. In addition to sneaking out some nights, what were you like in high school?” Drew asks.
“A weirdo. I’d skip out on homecoming games and school dances so that I could watch documentaries, but then I’d sneak out to meet my boyfriend. I was a super-selective rule breaker.”
“That’s very you.”
“Is it?”
I can feel him nod above me. “You put your energy into the stuff you give a crap about. Everything else can wait.”
“I like the way you word that.”
“I like the way you live your life.”
“I had a handheld camera that my parents bought me for Christmas one year and spent a lot of my nights filming random nature stuff and editing them together into short films. Birds flying, squirrels chasing each other, rainstorms, super-windy days when it looked like the branches were going to fly off the trees. I was kind of a nerd.”
“Nah. More like a teenage filmmaker. That’s cool.”
“My parents thought it was a little weird, but Apong Lita always supported me. She’d tell them off whenever they’d tease me about bringing my camera with me everywhere. She said they were lucky to have an artistic and creative kid who spent my days filming and editing rather than getting in trouble.”
“Except for that whole ‘sneaking out to meet your boyfriend’ detail.”
I lean up to look at him. “I never got caught.”
He grins, and I settle my cheek back against his warm chest. I close my eyes and cuddle closer into him. Each second that passes, the muscles in my body loosen and relax. I’m aching to spoon with Drew until we both fall asleep. Just the thought of waking up cuddling into his massive chest, all comfy and warm, is heaven.
“So what was high school Drew like?” I ask.
“A jock. I did almost every sport.”
“I knew it,” I say with a chuckle.
“Did you know I was a gymnast too?”
I twist up. “Really? That’s awesome. There were only a couple guys on my high school gymnastics team, and they all got made fun of by our male classmates pretty often. It was so immature.”
“My reason for doing it was kind of immature. I figured the boy-to-girl ratio was in my favor since it was mostly female students on the team, and I was a ball of raging hormones.”
“God, you’re terrible.” I giggle into his chest while softly slapping his arm. “Well, I think it’s safe to say that high school you with your ladies’ man ways would have been way, way too smooth for high school me.”
“I highly doubt that, Dunn.”
“Don’t spare my feelings,” I tease. “No way would you have even noticed me. I was glued to my camera, and it sounds like you were glued to the entire girls’ gymnastics team.”
His chest rumbles softly with a quiet chuckle. “Actually, I had a thing for smart, driven girls like you. I still do, if I’m being honest.”
His tone dips low to something more serious. It gives me tingles in my chest all the way to my toes.
“That’s sweet, but I don’t know if I would have been the kind of girl you’d have snuck out in the middle of the night for.”
“You’re dead wrong, Dunn. I would have snuck out every night to see you. I would have been the luckiest bastard to date someone like you in high school.”
His compliment has me glowing. I tilt my head up once more so I can look him in the eyes when I ask him this question.
“So are you making up for lost time now?”
His mouth quirks up and his gaze doesn’t waver when he answers. “Definitely.”
In the minutes that follow we say nothing more. We stay holding each other, eyes closed, content in this embrace.
No, we haven’t defined what we are to each other. But that’s okay. Because what we’ve said to each other in this moment of shared physical and emotional intimacy is more than enough. We’ve acknowledged that we’re more to each other than just something physical. And that’s plenty good for me.
“We should probably head back,” Drew says in a whisper.
I open my eyes and gaze up at him. He cups a hand over my cheek, and I nuzzle into him, softly humming. “Just a little bit longer.”
“Okay.”
Another minute of cuddling passes before we stand up, grab our clothes and towels, and walk quietly hand in hand back to the condo. We don’t walk in one at a time this time; we go together. And as we silently and slowly walk down the halls to our separate bedrooms, Drew stops me, pulls me against him, and lays a soft kiss to my lips.
“See you in the morning,” he whispers.
“Night-night.”
I fall asleep with a smile on my face and tingling all over.