She bit her lip, but the moan escaped her anyway and she pulled at his hair again. This tickled in a completely different way. He was good at this. Really, really good at this, and she let herself be swept away on that tide, the roll and the swell, until her body crashed and broke apart and all her muscles turned to water. It felt like the only thing holding her together was his embrace.
Then he was beside her, inside her, riding his own wave, and she wondered if he had any idea that she was falling in love with him.
They lay together under the blankets a little while later, facing one another as he curled and uncurled a strand of her hair around his finger.
“Do you want to hear something kind of funny?” he asked, staring at that strand.
“Sure.” She was feeling sleepy, and thoroughly satisfied, and would’ve said sure to just about anything he’d asked her at that point.
“When I came home for my brother’s wedding, I was going to tell him he was an idiot for getting married.”
Some of her blissful euphoria waned. That wasn’t funny. It was mildly distressing.
“Why is that funny?”
He twined the hair back in the other direction. “It’s funny ironic . . . because I thought he was crazy for marrying someone he’d only known for six months. But I think I’m starting to see the appeal. Now that I’ve met you, I think I finally understand.”
Her heart tumbled clumsily over itself at his words. “You do?” she asked.
He looked at her, and all her euphoria swelled back into place. He was talking about her. He was talking about them.
“Yes.” He chuckled then, kind of dazedly and self-consciously, and turned his face into the pillow for a few seconds before looking back at her. “Yes, I do. I’m guess what I’m trying to say here, Lane, is that I’m falling for you. I’m falling . . . all the way.”
His smile fell away too, and he was gazing at her with such honesty that it nearly stopped her breath altogether.
“Falling . . . all the way . . . in love?”
“Somewhere very near there. I know it’s fast, and illogical, but I’m kind of hoping I’m not out here on this ledge all by myself.”
It was a ledge, and once they jumped, there was no going back. But she was out there too. If he was going to jump, she would jump right next to him. He was looking at her expectantly, optimistically. Her heart felt the plunge, the sense of weightlessness before gravity took over and began its inevitable pull.
“I’m with you, Grant. I’m falling too.”
“You are?”
She nodded, and nearly felt like crying because she had so much to tell him, so much to say that was important. She needed to tell him her story, but it would keep for a few more hours. Right now, she would exist in this beautiful, timeless bubble of perfection, awash in this glow.
“Yes, I am. I’m crazy about you,” she said. She kissed him then, sealing a promise. No matter what tomorrow brought, she’d always love him.
Chapter 21
GRANT WALKED INTO THE HOTEL lobby with a spring in his step and a slightly sore back. The sexual gymnastics from the last two nights were taking their toll, but hot damn, it was worth it. He was in love, Elaine was in love. The world was a beautiful place. Today, they’d get her bag back from his mother, and whatever came next, they’d face it. Obviously there was shit in Miami to deal with, but it couldn’t be that bad. She was obviously close to her family, and no matter what it was, he’d help her work through it. That’s what a man did for the woman he loved. He took care of her.
Grant had never taken care of anyone before. At least, no one except himself, but since the moment Elaine had shown up at his door, his bathroom door, he’d been striving to look after her. And he liked it. It was rewarding in a way different from any other accomplishment, and now he understood what had driven Tyler to make that commitment with Evie. It just made sense in a way that nothing else did. When you knew, you just knew.
Grant chuckled to himself as he crossed the lobby, his feet in Memphis but his head somewhere else entirely. He could see life stretching out before him, a life with Elaine. The two of them would live in that little house in Bell Harbor for part of the time and travel the world the rest of the time. She’d left home to find adventure, so damn it, he’d show her adventure. He’d give her a lifetime of adventures. They’d make love on every continent. Now there was a goal to look forward to.
It was sunny outside and the Memphis cold snap seemed to be over. Good news because they had to figure out how to get back to Bell Harbor, and driving through another blizzard did not appeal to him. It already felt like they’d been away for weeks, but it had only been a couple of days. Amazing how a couple of days could change a man’s life forever.
He walked into the gift shop for coffee. He’d already showered and dressed, and since Elaine needed a little extra time, he’d been sent on a java run. A rotund woman in a pink shirt behind the counter greeted him with a big, toothy smile.
“Good morning, sir. Can I help you find anything?”
“I just need a couple of coffees, please.”