I shift forward until I can press my forehead to hers and breathe in her amazing scent, though it’s mixed with the smell of rain, the ocean, and something that oddly reminds me of Prince Harry.
“I’m glad you’re here with me now,” I tell her. “You always make me feel stronger than I am.”
That makes her laugh softly. “That’s just ridiculous. I probably make you feel like you can’t do anything because I’m too busy trying to do it myself.”
“No.” I touch a kiss to the tip of her nose. “I like following in your wake. You know what you want, and you don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t have it. It’s inspiring. Everyone should want to be like you.”
“Tell that to my ex. He hated following my lead.”
“He’s an idiot.” I press my lips to hers because I can’t help myself anymore. She tastes familiar, and it still feels like no time passed between our lives before and now. Her kiss is warm, exhilarating, invigorating. Everything I remember and so much better.
But Georgie responds more eagerly than I expect, and it takes everything in me to push her away.
“Oh, come on,” she complains, trying to fight her way back to my mouth.
I chuckle. “Today was a big day, and you need to sleep.”
“What if I want to—”
“Georgie.” I push my hand into her hair and groan. “I want to, believe me, but we should talk first. And not tonight.” I hope she doesn’t argue because my resolve is hanging by a thread. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever known is in my bed with me, trying to get closer, and I’m telling her to go to sleep. That probably makes me the biggest idiot in the world.
Sighing, she tugs her hand free from mine and twists around to face the other direction, which feels kind of petty. But then she cuddles up close, pressing herself flush against my body. “I don’t understand you sometimes, Kingston,” she mutters, but there’s clear contentment in her voice as she settles into me.
I chuckle and wrap my arms around her, holding her close. I still might not sleep tonight, but I get to hold my wife as a storm rages around us, and that’s more than I could ever need.
Chapter Seventeen
Georgie
I don’t remember the last time I slept long enough to be woken by sunlight streaming in through a window, and I can’t decide if I love it or hate it. It’s so bright, and I feel like I should be halfway through my day already instead of just opening my eyes. I do love waking up in King’s arms, which is going to be a problem if he’s not okay with this arrangement turning into an every night kind of thing.
He’s still asleep behind me, his breaths coming in slow and deep. I wish I could see his face, but I’m not about to move and risk waking him up. I hope he looks happy and at peace. He seems like the kind of guy who worries about things even when asleep, and I hope last night eased some of his tension in the same way surfing does.
Granted, I would have loved to ease his tension another way last night, but I think he was right to set some boundaries.
We went into this marriage with one goal in mind, but I think that goal has changed for both of us. It would be smart to figure out exactly what that means before we take a step in any direction.
King’s phone buzzes on the end table, either with a call or an alarm, and he starts to move as he wakes to the sound. His arms tighten around me, pulling me closer, and he starts nuzzling his nose into my neck with no sign of letting go. I could definitely get used to waking up like this.
“Five more hours,” he moans softly.
“Do you mean minutes?” I ask with a laugh.
“I said what I said.”
The phone stops vibrating, but a second later it starts up again.
He groans.
“Maybe it’s something important,” I say, tensing up a little when I think about my phone all the way out in the pool house. “Maybe you should check, just in case.”
Sighing, he pulls himself free and rolls over to pick up the phone. “It’s Emily,” he says with another groan. “Is it bad that I want to make Meg handle whatever is happening?”
As a ribbon of unease threads through my gut, I snatch the phone out of his hand and answer it. “Emily? What’s wrong?”
“Oh good, you’re alive! I got worried when you didn’t answer your phone because you always answer your phone but King tends to accidentally leave his at home sometimes so I wasn’t sure if—”
“Emily!”
“Right. Um, someone is here at the bakery, and he says he won’t go away until he talks to you.”
I flip the phone to speaker even though King is close enough that he can probably hear everything she’s saying anyway. “Who is he?”
“He won’t say, but there’s a guy with a camera here with him.”
I sigh. That could be good or bad, but it sounds like I need to head to the bakery either way. More than likely it’s related to Home Baked, whether it’s someone from the show itself or a reporter who somehow figured out where I disappeared to.
“I’ll be there soon, Emily. Thanks for letting me know.” I hang up and then exhale all at once, flopping my arm back onto the bed while still hanging on to King’s phone. “Is it bad that the only reason I think I should go to the bakery is because I don’t want to leave whatever it is up to Meg? I still worry she’s going to try sabotage at some point.”
When King doesn’t answer, I turn my head to look at him and find him gazing at me with hungry eyes. Apparently his reservations of last night aren’t nearly as strong as they were before. His expression is enough to catch the sheets on fire.
I can’t stop the smile that curls up my lips. I’m very much enjoying that look in his eyes, but I’m also enjoying the sight of his muscled body limned in soft sunlight as he lies stretched out beside me. “You’re trouble, you know that?”
He brushes the back of his finger across my cheek. “You’re beautiful.”
“I’m probably a mess.”
