Animal Magnetism [Chris Evans]

Chapter 22

Amelia

A month. Not even a month, now. 27 days before Chris goes home.

I've accepted that it's going to hurt like hell. No more denying emotions, trying to lock away my love for him and pretend life will just go on without him. He's taking Hela with him and I've decided to keep tiny little Asha because Nina and Olly are quite in love with him. The rest are just about sorted for their new homes, Olaf is going somewhere very special I haven't even told Chris about yet.

The weather is warming up, we might even get that beach dip in before he leaves without ending up with hypothermia. I feel like Christmas is coming at me way too fast, the culmination of a full-on year I'm not ready to end yet. Chris only had a suitcase full of belongings so he's all moved in and unpacked, all mine until he leaves.

My alarm has just gone off, but there's a warm man in my bed and he seems to have his own gravity – I physically can't get out of bed and leave him there. His hair is spiked up on the pillow, his front still curled around the way he was before I turned to face him. I inspect his tattoos while he sleeps, just as I've done so many times when he's awake only now he's not distracting me. It's funny because I've never had a strong opinion on them, but I'm going to miss seeing them. I wonder if he'll get more.

"What are you up to?" he says in his thick gravelly voice when I lift the sheet.

"Checking out the sexy naked man that I keep waking up next to." I snuggle back into his arms and kiss his chest. "26 mornings left and I'm making the most of it."

"Don't remind me, Doc." He holds me so tight against him I think he might break my ribs and I feel so secure and safe there I don't want him to let go. Much as I don't want to rely on or need him I can thoroughly enjoy every moment I have him here, especially here in my bed when I wake up. "Can I come walking with you today?"

"Well I was going to stay in bed..."

"We need an earlier alarm so we can do both. Today I have a late start, though."

"Isn't that a happy coincidence, I have a day off."

A passionate kiss seals the deal, and our entangled bodies move together as low moans break the morning silence. We come apart together and take a few minutes to recover, sharing in the sweaty afterglow until the last second.

And then we're walking the path along the beach with Nina and Olly, hand in hand with the salt spray on our faces.

"I love this, being able to walk with you and no one noticing. I guess it's probably nothing new for you."

"Um, Chris, you're the closest thing I've had to an adult relationship."

He stops walking so abruptly I have to backtrack.

"Serious?"

"Yes. I've dated and had casual stuff but nothing like this."

"Are you telling me you've never been in love before?"

"Does teenage love count?"

"Oh my god." He wipes his hand over his face while Olly tries to pull my arm off. Closing the gap between us he cages me against the railing with both arms and kisses me so hard I wish we weren't in public.

"What was that for?"

"Cos I'm the luckiest guy in the world. And I love you." He grins and keeps walking.

It's amazing how quickly you can fall into a routine and become accustomed to having someone else in your space, we're already joking about being an old married couple. Thursday night Chris was shooting late into the night and I tried really hard to stay awake but apparently when he came home I was snoring on his pillow in my negligee.