New York, New York

Chapter 3

She hid her face in the soft pillow, following him with one eye when he swiftly moved over to the bedroom door and out to the hallway, trying to remember when the last time was that she felt so blissful in her life. She honestly couldn't recall. This moment somehow ended up in a league of its own.

She closed her eyes, dwelling in her happiness and somehow, she began to drift off again until she felt the mattress move from the additional weight when he sat down next to her, stroking her hair out of her face, to breathe the softest of kisses on her temple. When she opened her eyes, blue connected with chocolate brown, and she was once again taken aback by the intensity of feelings she harbored for this man, having no idea on how she managed to live her life without HIM by her side up until now.

"Coffee's ready when you are" he whispered at her in a loving tone.

They propped up the pillows against the headboard of the bed, she sat up on the bed and pulled one of the sheets up to cover her still naked body. He sat down on the side of the bed he had left earlier, doing as she did, before placing a large tray on their laps that held two plates with scrambled eggs, a basket with freshly toasted bread, 2 grapefruits cut in half, fresh orange juice, 2 mugs and a thermoscan of coffee, which told her that he was not planning to get out of bed anytime soon again. Good!!!

They ate their breakfast, talking about everything and nothing, putting the tray down beside the bed after they finished the food.

Both coffee mugs in hands, she landed her head on his chest and he began playing with her hair. She closed her eyes again for a second to drown in all the love that was circulating the room. When she opened her eyes again, she looked at the open suitcase in the walk-in closet on the opposite wall of the bedroom.

For some unknown reason, she felt the desperate need to get out of bed and unpack her stuff to show him that she was making a home here. She put the mug on the night stand, earning a confused look from him. She got up, fished her panties and the t-shirt she stole from him the night before off the ground to put it on before making her way over to the closet to put on the light.

He started to laugh when he realized what she was up to and put his arms behind his head, enjoying the view of her marking her territory in his house by putting all kinds of stuff in the empty racks and drawers and arranging them on hangers, only in minimal clothing. Then he started talking again.

"I know that we made tons of plans on how to go out and take walks and sit on a bench in Central Park. And I love those ideas. However... I hate to break it to you, but somehow the weather decided to turn on us and all of a sudden it is sunny and the temps are up in the 80s, close to 90, again, so definitely we would attract more attention than needed if we went out disguised in a hoodie... but this will only be temporarily, so I suggest we stay here for today at least"

"Yeah, I have not seen anything of this house beside the kitchen and this bedroom, you could take me on a little tour? And you mentioned that you have a terrace up on the roof, we could simply enjoy the sun there?"

"Sounds like a plan..." He said, with an absent smile on his face, eyes on the lower part of her body while she was standing infront of him gesticulating.

"What?!?" She replied, throwing a bundle of socks she had in her hand into his direction, hitting him in the head.

Rubbing his head in an overly dramatic way, he picked up one of the pillows and threw it back at her, which caused her to lunge over to the bed, where he grabbed her arm to pull her back between the sheets, entangling her in a joking wresting match that ended in a tender kiss and a close embrace.

After that, they decided to finally put on some comfy clothes and he gave her the promised tour of the whole house, showing her around and discussing things about design and architecture here and there and admiring some of the artwork he had strewn in. On the upper floor, he opened a door so that she could peak in, but remained standing in the doorway. As soon as she took a glimpse at the light pink pattern of the wallpaper and the posters on the wall, it was clear to her that he did this because it was not his call to make if she was allowed to be in that room or not, even if the inhabitant was not there at the time. Always protecting the privacy of people around him.