Chapter 27
As the morning sun gently filtered through the curtains, Mila stirred in her bed, slowly surfacing from the realm of dreams. A soft smile graced her lips. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing the sparkle in her eyes as she basked in the afterglow of a good dream. She sighed with contentment as her vision adjusted to the bright light before she noticed the figure beside her.
Mila's heart skipped a beat as she blinked and Archer's face appeared before her. The sunlight bounced off the high points of his nose and outlined his face as he stared at the ceiling, tossing his phone up and catching it. Mila watched him play with his phone for a few minutes before she slowly reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder.
Archer caught his phone and turned to face her. A small smile appeared on his face as he gazed down at her.
"About time," he sassed. "I've been waiting here for hours. How much can one person sleep?"
"Since when do you get up before noon?" Mila asked, rubbing her eyes and yawning. "And what are you doing in my room?"
"I was bored," Archer said, getting up from the bed.
Mila noticed he was dressed in his swimming trunks and a thin cotton button-down. She pushed herself up to her elbows and arched her brow.
"I'm going to be busy tonight," Archer said, noticing Mila staring at his outfit. "I figured we get swimming lessons out of the way now."
"Couldn't we skip it?" Mila asked, sitting up. "I'm still sore from the other day."
"Nope," Archer shook his head. "Let's go, buttercup,"
"I just woke up!" Mila fell back against her pillows.
"Get up," Archer grabbed her ankles and began to drag her down. "Let's go, Kitty cat."
Mila let out a high-pitched shriek and laughed as Archer playfully dragged her down the bed. Despite her sleepy state, his presence brought a sense of energy and excitement that she couldn't resist. With a smile on her face, she decided to give in.
"Fine, fine," Mila relented, pushing herself up into a sitting position. "But you better make it worth my while."
Archer grinned mischievously, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Oh, it'll be worth it," he said, bending down and placing a kiss on Mila's forehead. "I promise."
Mila held her breath as the small gesture left her tingling all over. She could feel the sparks all the way down to her toes as she looked up into Archer's warm brown eyes.
"I can do that, right?" He asked, his voice controlled and filled with uncertainty.
Mila nodded her head, "Yeah."
"Good," Archer grinned, kissing her forehead once again. "Now, get up. Be downstairs in ten minutes."
"Ten minutes?" Mila gasped. "I need time to get ready."
"You're just putting on a bikini," Archer laughed. "How can that take more than ten minutes."
With a swat on his arm, Mila rose to her feet. Archer brushed back her hair before stepping forward and placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.
"Does my ten-minute start before or after you're done kissing me?" Mila teased.
"Are you complaining?" Archer took her face between his hands.
"Not at all," Mila's gaze dropped to his lips.
Archer grinned as he felt Mila leaning in closer. He brushed his lips over her, making her and himself shudder before he let go and stepped back.
