The mattress shifted, and I reluctantly opened my eyes. Blinked. In the pale gray morning light, I saw Jack sitting on the bed, dressed. His hair was a disaster.
I smiled. “Hey.”
“Hey. I have to go.”
“Are your animals missing you?”
He mussed my hair. “Yeah. And I have to get my truck still.”
“Oh, right. What time is it?”
“Just after six.”
The conversation we’d had last night filtered through my wake-up haze. “I need to tell them I’m not leaving today.”
“I was hoping you’d still want to stay. How much longer do you have?”
I had to think for a second. “What day is it?”
“Wednesday. The twentieth.”
“I’m here until the twenty-eighth. So eight more days.” When I’d been faced with the prospect of eight more days here having to stay away from him, it had seemed an interminable amount of time. Now it seemed short.
“Good.” He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “Don’t get up. I’ll let myself out and catch up with you later, OK?”
“OK.”
After I heard the front door shut, I tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t. Was it possible things had changed so much in just twenty-four hours? If Jack hadn’t been here when I woke up, I might have thought I’d dreamt the whole thing.
Rolling onto my back, I stretched out my arms and legs, pointed and flexed my feet. I was sore in places I didn’t expect to be—my back and arms and neck. I was also sore in the expected places. Holy moly, that man could fuck a woman into next year! And his tongue, oh my god, he was good with his tongue. I’d had four orgasms last night—four! That was more than I’d had in the last six months of my relationship with Tripp!
I had to tell someone. I had to.
My phone was still in my purse from last night, which meant it was probably dead. Was the power back on yet? Hopping out of bed, I darted naked into the front room, grabbed my phone and the charger, and plugged it in next to the bed. It took a minute, but eventually it buzzed on and began charging. As soon as it would let me, I hit Jaime’s name in my recent calls.
“Hello?” She sounded nervous.
“It’s me.”
“Are you OK?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”
“Because it’s not even seven.”
“Oh! Sorry. I didn’t think.”
“Why are you awake? Aren’t you supposed to be on a semi-vacation?”
“Yes. And I’m awake because I can’t sleep. And I can’t sleep because of what happened last night.”
“What happened last night?”
“I had four orgasms!” I burst out. “Onetwothreefour!”
She gasped. “Hold on, let me go in the other room.”
“But I want to hear about the four orgasms,” I heard Quinn say.
“They’re not for you, now hush.” There was a pause and some muffled breathing before she spoke again. “OK. Go. Tell me everything.”
“I will, but first…” I chewed on one knuckle. “Promise you won’t get mad.”
She sighed. “I’m going to pretend the fourgasm was from someone other than a client. Does that work?”
“Good idea.” I filled her in on what had happened since I’d last spoken with her, everything from the disastrous meeting—she groaned—to the tree sex—she gasped—to the fourgasm—she sighed.
“That’s awesome, Gogo. I’m happy for you. I’m also in shock.”
“Believe me, I am, too.” And I couldn’t even tell her about some of the most shocking things—the bruises on my body, the bite marks on his skin, the scratches on his back. The way I’d begged him to be rough. The way he’d used his size and strength to subdue me. The need in me to explore a different side of myself. The need in him to lose control without fear. That took trust—and somehow we had established it in the short amount of time we’d known each other.
Maybe that was the biggest surprise of all.
“So now what?” Jaime asked. “Will you see him again?”
“God, I hope so. When he left, he said something about catching up with me later.”
“Why’d he leave so early?” She laughed. “Is he a bolter like I was?”
“Ha. No, he had to go feed the animals, I think.”
“I keep forgetting he’s a farmer. You’re fucking a farmer.”
“I know, and he’s so hot,” I said seriously. “I mean, I don’t know if there are others like him, but women seriously need to start checking out the farmers markets around them just in case.”
“Hm. Maybe we should tell Claire.”
“Yes! Do it! What’s she up to this week?”
“House hunting, actually. I’m supposed to go look at one with her later today.”
“Any more dates with the hockey player?”
“Not that I know of. I’ll get the scoop tonight.”
“That’s right, it’s Girls Night.” I felt a little sad about missing our standing date. “I’m sorry I can’t make it.”
She burst out laughing. “Shut the fuck up, you are not. And I wouldn’t be either.”
I grinned. “OK, I’m not.”