“CADE,” Mare says breathlessly. “I didn’t know it could be so perfect.”
My heart hammers against my chest from her words. I don’t know how to feel in this moment. My senses are on overload as I try to process what just happened between us.
Perfection feels like such an overused word to describe what just happened.
I pull out of her slowly, trying my best not to hurt her with the movement.
“Are you feeling okay?”
Mare nods, pushing hair out of her face. Her nipples are hard, her breasts heavy. If I didn’t know how sore she must be, the sight of her tits so heavy and desperate to be tasted and teased would have me playing with them. I’d give them ample attention until she was ready to take me again.
“Did I hurt you?”
Her smile is breathtaking. It’s like a punch to the gut to have a woman like Mare look at you like that. It’s something you want to keep and cherish forever, but terrifying when you know you nowhere near deserve it. She runs her thumb along my jawline. There’s so much affection in her eyes. “You didn’t do anything I didn’t ask you to do.”
“You aren’t answering my question.”
“Is it that or is it that you aren’t listening to my answer?”
I laugh. Fuck. I love her. I love her so goddamn much my heart hurts.
The only thing I can think to do at the moment is to kiss her. I don’t want to tell her I’ve fallen in love with her weeks before she’s supposed to leave. I don’t want to make her feel guilty for wanting to leave. But fuck, the words are on the tip of my tongue. I kiss her instead of confessing my love to her.
Maybe I still do that, with the fervent way my lips press against hers—desperate and hungry for anything she’ll give me.
Eventually, I have to stop the kiss before it gets too heated.
Pulling away, I nip at her lips playfully. I want to take care of her after what just happened between us. “It’s time to get up.”
She pushes up on her elbows, giving me a confused look. I turn slightly, obstructing her view as I pull the condom off and toss it into a small trash can under her desk.
“Why do we need to get up?”
Climbing back on the bed, I pull her body against mine until I’m cradling her body to me. One hand supports her weight underneath the backs of her knees while the other goes underneath one of her arms. “We’re getting up because I want to take care of you.”
“And giving me the best orgasm of my life wasn’t taking care of me?”
Her comment catches me off guard. I laugh, shaking my head at her. “Technically, I think it was two orgasms. That counts too, but I know you must be sore and I want to help with that.”
I carry her into her small bathroom. I couldn’t remember if there was a bath in here or not, but I’m happy to find an old claw-foot tub nestled into the corner. I set Mare down on the corner of the tub before reaching forward and turning the water on. As it begins to run, I turn to face her.
“Do you want bubbles or something in there?” My eyes rake over her bathroom, wondering if she even has any in here or not.
Mare smiles. “I’d love bubbles.” She points to a little basket that sits on top of a small table. I reach for it, finding multiple bottles inside. I pull them out until I find the one labeled as bubble bath and pour it in until bubbles develop.
The water fills the tub enough for Mare to get in. I stick my hand in the water, testing the temperature. “Ready to get in?”
She steps toward me. I reach out, grabbing her hand to help steady her as she lifts a leg and steps inside. Bubbles gather around her body as she takes a seat.
“How’s the temperature?”
“You tell me.”
“I’m not the one taking a bath.”
“But you should be. Get in here with me.” Mare reaches over the edge of the tub, water droplets falling to the floor with the movement.
“This bath was for you, not me.”
“I don’t want to take a bath alone.” She attempts to keep her hair out of the water, but it’s no use. Eventually she gives up trying to pile it on top of her hair and lets the ends fall into the bubbly water.
I know her well enough to know how persistent she is. I could stand here and argue with her, or I could just get in because the thought of feeling her naked body next to mine is too hard to resist.
“Why do I never find myself saying no to you, Goldie?”
“I have my theories.” She bites her lip playfully as I step into the water. It’s hot, but not too much. It’s the perfect temperature. Mare leans forward, giving me room to squeeze behind her. The bathtub isn’t that big, so fitting my large body even with her small one is difficult. We make it work.
Peace settles over my body as her head falls to my chest. Her legs are on top of mine, her toes sticking out of the bubbles slightly. She uses her foot to turn off the water once the bath is almost filled to the brim.
I lazily draw shapes on the tops of her forearms. “So, are you going to tell me your theories?”
She giggles. It’s the most perfect sound. I can feel it up against my chest. “I think I’ll keep them to myself…for now.”
I grunt, once again fighting the urge to tell her that I’m madly in love with her. It’s one of those things that once you see it, you can’t unsee it. That’s my love for her. I think it’s been there all along. I just hadn’t known until she forced me to confront it.
Reaching over my shoulder, I grab the little basket of bath items. I grab a bottle of soap and a washcloth. I dip the washcloth in the warm water and squeeze soap onto it. Mare doesn’t say anything. She keeps her back pressed to mine, her eyes trained ahead as I swipe the washcloth across her skin.
“How are you feeling?”
“Happy.”
My hand stills. That wasn’t what I meant when I asked her that, but her words still steal my attention.
Because I’ve never felt happier. But I’ve also never felt more sad—more scared. Because happiness can be fleeting, and if she brings this much happiness, what happens when she leaves? Her leaving is inevitable. The date of her move is looming.
I’ll lose her and Pippa at the same time.
It’s not something I want to think about.
“Are you happy, Cade?”
“Yeah, Goldie,” I manage to get out. “I am.”
She pulls her knees to her chest and rests her cheek on her knee. Her smile is wide and bright. “Then I don’t just feel happy. I feel perfect. Now stop worrying about me.”
