a smile as he pressed his face to her shoulder.
She closed her eyes. âYou feel good, too,â she answered, focusing on how his hand felt splayed against the slightly softer skin of her belly, how warm his breath was against her hair.
Lainey had missed this. Missed the closeness, the intimacy of being with a partner, trusting him to hold you through the night. Thatâs what tonight was, she realized. Not just sex, but intimacy.
She wasnât sure she was ready for it, but she craved it all the same.
He kissed the back of her head and she relaxed in his arms. Todd hadnât just given her back Christmas. Heâd given her back herself. She wasnât sure what was next, but there was time to figure everything else out tomorrow.
Chapter Seven
Todd woke before Lainey.
The room was still dark, with just enough light from the streetlight half a block away to cast shadows and let him see the angles and curves of Laineyâs face. God, she was beautiful. In the grayness of predawn her tawny skin appeared even more exotic, her hair inky black as it tumbled on the pillow. Her nose was slim and fine, even elegant, and her lips were full and soft. She looked so peaceful sleeping. So trusting and innocent. As he watched, she let out a sigh and stirred a little, then tucked her hand under her cheek and slid back into oblivion, her long dark lashes resting on the very top of her cheeks.
Todd swallowed. He was hooked and he knew it. Last night had been unlike anything heâd ever experienced. It wasnât sex for fun. He didnât just like Lainey; heâd experienced a real and honest connection. Now he was in her bed, and the biggest surprise of all was that he didnât want to leave.
It just felt ⦠right.
He didnât want to wake her, so he simply watched her sleep for a long time, until his eyes grew tired. As drowsiness crept in like a harbor fog, he was thinking about how today was Christmas Eve and heâd like to spend it with her.
He was almost asleep when he heard the telltale buzz of his phone, set to vibrate.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
Lainey squinted against the light as she came awake. Her first thought was that she was naked beneath the sheets. The second was that sheâd been with Todd and her body responded with a rush of heat.
Only Todd wasnât beside her in the bed. The sheets were rumpled and his scent was still on his pillow, but he was gone and a quick check showed his clothes were, too. Her heart froze as she heard his truck start, the sound of it fading as he drove away. She sat up in the bed, clutching the bedspread to her chest, feeling strangely adrift. He couldnât even wait to say good-bye. Or have breakfast or ⦠the ache in her chest spread outward. After yesterday, sheâd thought they were starting something special, something important. Instead he was just gone.
Lainey flopped back against the pillows. She reached for her phone on the side table. No messages. Damn, sheâd heard of her friends being âghostedâ beforeâleft with no explanation, no contact. But sheâd never had it happen to her. Even Jason had given her the bad news face-to-face.
She wanted to give Todd the benefit of the doubt, but she couldnât think of what would have prompted him to leave without at least waking her to say good-bye. Sheâd been stupid and gotten her hopes up yesterday. Sheâd ignored the cautions in the rational part of her head and had put herself out there because she thought she could trust him.
Instead she was alone. Exactly where she was before, only now it felt even emptier because sheâd gotten a taste of what it was like to let someone in again.
She slipped into a fuzzy robe and wandered out into the main part of the cottage. Maybe she was jumping to conclusions. But a quick scan of the room revealed nothing. The tree sat in a corner, the lights off, the garland dull in the faded morning light.
She closed her eyes. âYou feel good, too,â she answered, focusing on how his hand felt splayed against the slightly softer skin of her belly, how warm his breath was against her hair.
Lainey had missed this. Missed the closeness, the intimacy of being with a partner, trusting him to hold you through the night. Thatâs what tonight was, she realized. Not just sex, but intimacy.
She wasnât sure she was ready for it, but she craved it all the same.
He kissed the back of her head and she relaxed in his arms. Todd hadnât just given her back Christmas. Heâd given her back herself. She wasnât sure what was next, but there was time to figure everything else out tomorrow.
Chapter Seven
Todd woke before Lainey.
The room was still dark, with just enough light from the streetlight half a block away to cast shadows and let him see the angles and curves of Laineyâs face. God, she was beautiful. In the grayness of predawn her tawny skin appeared even more exotic, her hair inky black as it tumbled on the pillow. Her nose was slim and fine, even elegant, and her lips were full and soft. She looked so peaceful sleeping. So trusting and innocent. As he watched, she let out a sigh and stirred a little, then tucked her hand under her cheek and slid back into oblivion, her long dark lashes resting on the very top of her cheeks.
Todd swallowed. He was hooked and he knew it. Last night had been unlike anything heâd ever experienced. It wasnât sex for fun. He didnât just like Lainey; heâd experienced a real and honest connection. Now he was in her bed, and the biggest surprise of all was that he didnât want to leave.
It just felt ⦠right.
He didnât want to wake her, so he simply watched her sleep for a long time, until his eyes grew tired. As drowsiness crept in like a harbor fog, he was thinking about how today was Christmas Eve and heâd like to spend it with her.
He was almost asleep when he heard the telltale buzz of his phone, set to vibrate.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
Lainey squinted against the light as she came awake. Her first thought was that she was naked beneath the sheets. The second was that sheâd been with Todd and her body responded with a rush of heat.
Only Todd wasnât beside her in the bed. The sheets were rumpled and his scent was still on his pillow, but he was gone and a quick check showed his clothes were, too. Her heart froze as she heard his truck start, the sound of it fading as he drove away. She sat up in the bed, clutching the bedspread to her chest, feeling strangely adrift. He couldnât even wait to say good-bye. Or have breakfast or ⦠the ache in her chest spread outward. After yesterday, sheâd thought they were starting something special, something important. Instead he was just gone.
Lainey flopped back against the pillows. She reached for her phone on the side table. No messages. Damn, sheâd heard of her friends being âghostedâ beforeâleft with no explanation, no contact. But sheâd never had it happen to her. Even Jason had given her the bad news face-to-face.
She wanted to give Todd the benefit of the doubt, but she couldnât think of what would have prompted him to leave without at least waking her to say good-bye. Sheâd been stupid and gotten her hopes up yesterday. Sheâd ignored the cautions in the rational part of her head and had put herself out there because she thought she could trust him.
Instead she was alone. Exactly where she was before, only now it felt even emptier because sheâd gotten a taste of what it was like to let someone in again.
She slipped into a fuzzy robe and wandered out into the main part of the cottage. Maybe she was jumping to conclusions. But a quick scan of the room revealed nothing. The tree sat in a corner, the lights off, the garland dull in the faded morning light.
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