I never expected or even wanted to hear those words from him before the night he said it to my parents, but now that he actually said it to me, I froze. Laying my head flat against his chest, I listened to his heartbeat and closed my eyes. These feelings I had for him were definitely strong, and I wanted to see where this road would lead me, but was I actually in love with him? All of a sudden everything seemed so serious and silent, and I focused on my breathing. Was my heart racing, because it sure felt like it. The mess he made on my belly was drying and sort of glued our bodies together and I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. Sitting up, my little pause sent my brain into a panic and I wondered if I should say it back. Would it sound fake if I said it now? I slid out of the bed. "We should probably get cleaned up." Reaching my hand just beneath the mattress, I pulled out the key to the now useless pair of handcuffs and tossed it over to him.
Standing under the hot stream, I rested my head against the cool tile as the water poured down my back. Even though I'd just gotten laid, tension was already building in my shoulders. I smiled when I felt his hand moving up and down my back. It was nice to know that he didn't get upset easily. This was a different side of Jared, a tender side that I wasn't ever expecting to see. He was so soft and gentle, quite the opposite from the bossy, demanding man I would dump my friends for at any given moment. I tried to provoke him tonight, wanting a taste of what I knew he was capable of, but that was all he gave me, a taste.
He was silent as we cleaned ourselves and dried off. After drying off and getting dressed, he stood next to me while we brushed our teeth. I then helped him change the sheets on the bed and we slid beneath the covers. Jared urged me to move closer, like he needed to be touching me to relax. Eventually I drifted off to sleep, letting go of all the worries consuming me.
Six hours later, my eyes fluttered open, immediately struggling to adjust to the bright sunlight. I focused my eyes on the ceiling and then glanced around the room. It was morning and I turned over to see that he was still asleep next to me. Jared was lying on his back with his left leg over on the top of the covers. God, he was beautiful. How do you look that hot all the time?
Quietly, I got up and moved over to the table, picking up my phone. I wanted to capture the moment with a photo. I snapped a shot of him and slowly walked back over to the bed. Slipping beneath the sheets, I slid my finger across the screen to view the photo I'd just taken. I turned to my side and pressed the button to snap another and I jumped, feeling him lunge forward. "So, you want to take a picture of me while I'm asleep? Well, maybe I'd like to have some photos too."
He easily yanked the phone from my hand and straddled me. "Oh baby, that's a nice one. Think I'll save that one for when I'm out of town and all alone in my hotel room. Damn Cass, you look sexy in the morning." He tickled my sides and I squealed wildly, somehow managing to break free. Sliding off the bed, I darted into the bathroom.
He followed a few minutes later, wrapping his arms around me. Jared whispered into my ear, chuckling playfully. "Just fucking with you baby."
"You looked so peaceful and sexy, I couldn't help myself. I spun around to face him and never moved an inch when he put his hand loosely around my throat and tilted my head back. This only gave him more access to assault my neck.
"I was awake before you just so you know, and yes, I was watching you sleep." His thumb moved over my bottom lip. "I just want you to know that I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable with what I said last night. I don't just say to anyone, so if I say it, then I mean it." For a second I thought he was going to say it again. My pulse increased and I looked away.
"Are you disappointed that I didn't say it back?"
He kissed my neck one more time before speaking softly next to my ear. "No, I just think that you will say it when you're ready. I hope you do anyway." I knew that I'd say it at some point, I just wasn't sure when that would be. I definitely wasn't ready for that yet. What I was ready for was our second day in paradise.
