Country Girl at Heart

Chapter 10

An alarm pulls me awake, causing me to stir under cotton covers to face Dawson. He's waking up same as me, with puffy eyes and swollen lips. Our hair is tossed across some of the most comfortable pillows I've ever slept on. I didn't wake up once throughout the night like I usually do.
He reaches over and clicks off the noise, immediately coming back to wrap around my bare back.
"Shouldn't we get up?" I whisper.
He shakes his head. "I always set my alarm fifteen minutes earlier, that way I have time to enjoy wakin' up."
"You're crazy." My voice cracks into a yawn. "I'd rather sleep in the extra few minutes."
He pulls me close. "But then we wouldn't have time to do any of this." His hand slides to grip me from behind.
"True." I whisper into his mouth. "And I couldn't do this." I reach into the blanket and revel in the almost unnoticeable sound that escapes him. I gasp at the same time he touches me. With heavy eyelids and tired moans, we rock into each other like we did last night. Although we didn't end up going all the way, there was plenty else for us to occupy ourselves with.
     And that we did.
     Blaring from the alarm goes off again, hurrying us along until we finish one after the other.
     He turns it off and comes back to kiss me. "I wish I could wake up like this every day."
     "Yeah. I just can't stop thinking about these adult sheets." I pull them higher under my neck, ironically in a childish way.
     "After all that and you're thinkin' 'bout my beddin'? I'm hurt."
     "No, that's not all. I'm also thinking about the fact that I'm waking up in your bed after, how'd you say it? 'all of that'."
     "Don't tell me you're still nervous, now."
     "I think I'll forever be nervous around you."
     "Hate to break it to ya, but we don't have forever. We only got three weeks."
     "That just means I need to get it together so you'll see that I am ready to go all the way with you. Why'd you have to be such a gentleman last night?"
     "I gotta do right by you, that's why. I don't want you to think I'm usin' you."
     "Trust me, I am 100% okay with you using me."
     "Don't worry it'll happen, just when it's meant to be is all."
     "It felt more than meant to be when I was naked and underneath you."
     "It was right physically, but emotionally... I didn't want you to regret it."
     I wrap my hands behind his head and face him squarely. "Well you better get on it because like you said, we only have three weeks until I leave."
     "I know."
     This conversation is making me feel a thousand times better about the talk Wren gave me. I assured him that we both know there is an expiration date on whatever it is we're doing. Dawson seems okay with it, and so am I. No matter how much I'll miss waking up fifteen minutes early every morning to enjoy his groggy morning voice.
     Right on cue, the alarm goes off a third time.
     "Ugh, that thing is annoying."
"As much as I wish it wasn't, that's my late alarm. I meet your dad out front the house in ten."
"Oh no." I scramble out of the covers. "If he checks my room and I'm not there he'll be expecting me outside. I have to get there before he figures out I stayed over!"
I don't even bother looking for my dress. Instead I yank my pajamas on and collect my heels in a rush. I take one last look at him, standing in only his boxers, and swoon all over again. "Wait a little longer to walk up, that way he won't suspect anything."
"What about your dress?" He lifts the silk from the ground, making it look dainty in his hands.
"Keep it." I open the trailer door. "As a reminder of me when I'm gone." I wink, then sprint the entire way to the house.
I just barely get my work boots on when Wren comes plowing out the door. "There ya are. I was hollerin' for ya."
"Uh," I clear my throat, "I wanted to get a head start today... with the baby calf."
"Sorry I'm late, sir." Dawson comes jogging up until he's standing right next to me.
"Mm-hm." Wren looks between us, which causes our focus to break and glance at each other for moral support. "Alright then, let's get to it. We gotta long day ahead'a us."

     This is how I spend the next week on the ranch. Sneaking out to Dawson's to hang out, eating lots of New York inspired foods and doing even more exploring of eachother... mentally and physically. We get comfortable in a hasty routine. After staying up late and running on barely any sleep, we both run up to the house to meet Wren every morning. Of course he's impressed with my consistency in doing the one thing I hate the most on this planet: waking up early. Little does he know I'm not doing it on purpose... I can barely get myself to brake out of the extra 15 minutes Dawson and I spend soaking in each other's energy's.
     I'm exhausted, and so is he, but spending the night together is our motivation to get through the hard working days. The moments we get alone from Wren help too. Between the random make out's or the subtle touches, hand grabs and booty slaps - those coming from both of us - it's become like a game to sneak away and play as much as we can without getting caught. We chase each other during the day and completely give in every night. I'm not even trying to push him further than we've already gone because enjoying him slow like this is so much more rewarding. Plus, he was right when he said it will happen when it's meant to be. Not that I'd be opposed to that moment coming sometime soon, but, the wait is already making it that much more to look forward to.
Everything in me runs on the adrenaline of knowing our time is limited. It makes me want to get as much as possible out of every second we get together. We talk as much as we kiss and by the end of the week he knows more about me than anyone else on the planet. Which causes me to form a slight attachment stronger than I thought it would ever be.
     "Come here." Dawson beckons me from the bed, but doesn't have the strength to sit up.
"He work you extra hard today?"
"What I would give to only have to be watchin' over a calf," he groans into a standing position.
"Hey, that's hard work. Raising a child is no joke."
"Neither is haulin' new tractor tires across the entire field."
"Must've been tough... I did enjoy the view though." Lucky for me, he had his shirt off most of the day.
He starts to unbutton it now. "I'm glad you got somethin' outta my pain."
I tip toe to him, taking over with the buttons. He lets me unbuckle his pants and we're in the bed within seconds. But this feels like it's going in a different direction than it usually does. We're not as ravenously hungry for the other's touch. We lay together so we can see right into each other's eyes.
     I sweep aside his mane of hair, realizing that in another week or so it will be long enough to be tucked behind his ear. "Your hair is so long now."
     "You still like it?"
"Very much."
"You know what I like?" He reaches over to touch his thumb from the bridge of my nose to cheek bone. "These freckles."
I smile because he likes them but can't help and feel irritated, wanting to cover them up. "This always happens when I'm in the sun a lot. My hair gets lighter too."
"You don't like it?"
"Not really... usually I'm able to make them disappear with makeup but since I've been out here I haven't been wearing any."
"Well I think you should go bare faced all the time. It's more authentic."
"Yeah, maybe here in a small town where the only makeup you can get is maybelline from Walgreens. In the real world every girl wears makeup. I even have a Sephora credit card."
"I have no clue what a Sephora credit card is but you should get rid of it. I can't imagine makeup doin' you any good with a face like this."
"It has been nice not to have to wash it off every night, and my skin hasn't broken out once so you may be onto something... but I could never get rid of my Sephora credit card. It's a life line. Retail therapy is a real thing, how else will I wind down after a crazy day?"
"I don't know what you would do in the city, but this right here." He pulls me in closer. "This is exactly how I want to wind down."
I snuggle into his chest, letting my hand draw circle patterns on his hot skin. He must be exhausted. I'm glad I'm able to help him relax, which gives me an idea. I know we're supposed to be cuddling and enjoying the simplicity of just hanging out but I can't help it... he's shirtless and in need of a wind down.
I push out of his arms to lay on top of him, placing several pecks along his neck and chest.
He watches me for a second before saying, "I won't be of much use... I'm wiped."
"That's okay, you don't have to do anything." I snake my way down his body. "Just relax and. "I pull down his briefs. "Unwind."