For Always (book one)

Chapter 11: Sunshine and Moonlight

Malyn

It was barely daylight when my alarm went off. I had it sitting across my room so that I would have to get up to turn it off. I was surprised at how well I'd slept last night, considering all the excitement we had encountered. Grandmama got a hold of Max and said he didn't seem too surprised, which I expected. He probably knew exactly what had happened, right down to the molecular science behind it all. She said he would be up next week, which I was looking forward to, but also dreading at the same time.

I went to my window to see if Beau was in his usual morning spot on the stump, but he wasn't, so I grabbed my uniform, which was a pair of khaki shorts and a green polo shirt that had the Lakeside Marina logo on it, and headed to the bathroom. I put my clothes on before pulling my hair up into a messy bun and putting some mascara and lip gloss on. When I went back into my room, Beau was sitting on my bed.

"Good mornin', Sunshine," he said cheerfully.

"Well, good morning to you, too." I sat down in my desk chair to put my shoes on. "It's nice to see you in such a good mood."

"It's good to be in a good mood." He was just sitting there, smiling at me.

"I hate to leave you today," I admitted. I wanted to stay locked up in my room with him and my plasma ball all day. "Are you sure you don't want me to cancel?" I wanted him to say yes, but I knew he wouldn't.

"No, I wantcha to go and have fun," he said, but I could tell he didn't really mean it.

"I'll go... and I'll try to have fun... but I won't. Not without you." I stood up, knowing I needed to leave so that I wasn't late. "I've got to go."

"Can ya do me a favor before ya go?"

"Sure."

"Can ya turn the ball on? There's something I need to do."

"In here? What would you want to do in my room?"

"I can do what I need to do anywhere. But I need the ball on to do it, and since you're the only one who I can ask to turn it on, I thought it'd be a good idea to have ya turn it on before ya left." He smiled and raised his eyebrows. I loved it when he made that face.

"Okay. But it needs to be cut off after a little bit or it may get too hot." I turned it on and was immediately snatched up in his arms. "This is why I'm in such a good mood." He laughed. "I can manhandle ya now."

When I kicked my feet, he must've thought I wanted him to put me down. When he did, I quickly turned and pounced on him, wrapping my legs around his waist, almost knocking him backwards as I slid my arms around his neck. "I have reflexes like a cat, Mr. Brogan, so you better watch out." Then I leaned down and purred in his ear before gently biting his earlobe and jumping down.

He still had his arms around me, pinning me to him as he leaned down like he was gonna kiss me, but barely touched his lips to mine, slowly sliding them back and forth. He traced them across my jawbone, all the way up to my ear. "Such a feisty little thing," he whispered in my ear, snickering when his breath on my neck made me shiver. He continued to laugh as he ran his lips down my neck, lightly kissing my skin, obviously knowing how to tear a girl up.

"Um... I think I...," I mumbled a little more breathlessly than I'd hoped to sound. "I have to... go," I somehow managed to say. Oh, mylanta.

He slowly let me go and kissed me on the cheek. "Have fun today, Malyn."

I took a deep breath and smiled before I grabbed my bag and headed out my door. "I'll try." After all that, I knew where my mind would be today.