Her gaze is locked on my chest. My new tattoo. Shit. She hasn't seen it.
It's a masculine hand reaching up from the water. The fingertips pinch the end of a ribbon that says Mila, but the wind is blowing the ribbon out of his grasp.
As she traces the design with her index finger, her eyes gloss over and her mouth turns down in a pout. "It's sad."
I look down at it and up at her. "We'll fix it. There's always a way."
She nods and looks from the tattoo to my eyes. I hope she sees I'm sincere.
Apparently she does because she reaches up on her tiptoes to suck my Adam's apple. She has to know we're not going to the store after that.
In seconds, I have her in my arms and we're back in the bed, reconnecting again.
Chapter 23 Knox
Mila
Coming here was definitely the right choice. Making love with Foster all morning has been the best day of my life, and we're only getting started. There's still some bitter tension in the air between us, but each orgasm seems to break down barriers and bring us together.
"You have lights?" Last night, I didn't fully get a chance to check out the depth of the junk in this cabin, but this morning, in the middle of it all, sits strings of fairy lights in a huge mess on the floor. Another strand is draped over the kitchen chair.
His head raises up to glance around but falls back down to the bed. "It was dark."
"Are they for me?"
"Everything is for you."
I kiss the tattoo on his chest, but his hands by my ears pull me away. "Let's go get fresh milk and better coffee."
"I really don't need food." Although my stomach is starting to grumble.
"You do." His hand skims over my hip and waist. I've lost a lot of weight since the last time I saw him. "Let's go."
"All right." He slaps my hips and we both force ourselves to get out of the bed.
***
Cruising under the winding, tree-lined roads of the state park reminds me of the Hamptons, but in a uniquely sunny California way. Foster looks different in a black Dodge Ram truck instead of a motorcycle. Still gorgeous, eyes still that stunning shade of green that in this light looks more blue, but his jaw is relaxed and his limbs hang loose. Now that could be a hangover or post-coital bliss, but something in him has been altered by his time in the mountains. It's like the stress of the city has been drained from him and he's lighter. I wonder if the mountains will do that for me too? I can smell it in the air. This place is peaceful.
We pass through a two-lane town. "You don't want to stop here?"
"No. I want you to have more choices, and I need supplies."
"Like food?"
"Yes. And some wood."
"To burn?"
"To build."
I'm not asking what he plans to build because I don't know if I am part of his future plans or not and I'm not ready to talk about it yet. If this is temporary, I want to enjoy the bliss as long as possible.
We finally park in a shopping center in a quaint beach town called Santa Cruz.
"It's gorgeous here," I say as he gets out of the truck and walks around to my side.
"Yeah." He grins at me as he opens my door. Oh yes, he's still giddy from our phenomenal makeup sex this morning. "Let's get you some lunch."
"Okay."
We sit down on the patio of a cute beach shack and nibble on tortilla chips as we wait for his fish tacos and my veggie burrito. The California sun is shining down on us, and the weather is so mild, you could wear shorts even though it's early May.
The freedom of anonymity and the lack of sideways glances strikes me as a rare treat. It feels like a vacation.
He's still smiling and plants a kiss on my ear. "Your skin is shining in the sun. You look like an angel."
As I blush, I'm thinking he's so friggen delicious to look at, I want to stand up and scream to the other people in the restaurant "I just had sex with this hot guy!" This restaurant is so casual and laid-back, I'm not sure anyone would care if I did stand up and announce it.
A waitress brings him a colorful fish taco with red corn tortillas and purple cabbage. She hands me a hefty green burrito with Spanish rice. It's so big, I'm going to eat it with a fork and knife.
My first bite is the perfect blend of fresh tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, sour cream and rice. "Oh my god, it's yummy."
"Mmm. Good." A piece of cabbage sticks out of the corner of his mouth.
He finishes one taco and before starting the second he catches my gaze and says, "I'd like you to stay," in a soft voice. Not telling me, there's a question in it.
"Here in California?"
"Yes. We make it through whatever happens with your dad, and you stay with me." He sounds casual but he's really saying something big.
"I said last night I would." In the heat of the moment, I said it, but I meant it.
He puts his food down and leans forward on his elbows on the table. "I want you to say it while we're dressed and upright." His gorgeous lips turn up at the edges.
"I want to stay." I smile back at him.
He lowers his chin and makes sure he has my eyes. "You ready to leave your family?" he says quietly.
I nod and speak with confidence. He needs to hear it from me. "I've been ready. I want to be far away from my dad and all his criminal friends. I'm done with Donnie for good."
He looks down at his lap then back up at me with soft green eyes. "You believe me now?" God, I feel so bad I made him doubt me. I'll have to work to regain his trust.
"Yes, after all the research I did. He's crooked. I don't trust Donnie or my uncles either." It feels good to say it out loud.
He sighs and leans back in his chair. His hand comes up to caress my cheek as a contented grin spreads across his face. I love that I'm finally making him happy and saying yes to us freely. No more holding back.
"Anyone know you came out here?" he asks quietly.
"No," I whisper back.
He's still smiling when he picks up his second taco. "We'll get security equipment at Supply Depot. I'll make sure they won't touch you."
This makes my heart warm because he knows my worst fears and he's trying to reassure me. For the first time, I don't feel scared. Everything is different overnight. Can it really be this easy? I feel terrible that I didn't do this a long time ago. It took me forever to find the courage. I'll have to work on forgiving myself for that and making it up to Foster.
We finish up lunch quietly, both of us taking in the new environment and the joy of being together. We walk hand-in-hand into the building supply store. He loads up a flat metal dolly with long pieces of lumber and thick ropes.
"What are you building?" I ask him.
"Obstacle course."
"Ooh. Good idea."
I like that he feels motivated to work out and build something permanent at the cabin.
He picks up outdoor cameras, lights, motion sensors, perimeter alarms, and lots of window hardware. You'd think we were preparing for war.
As we're paying for our order, Foster's gaze stops for a second on a kid at the end of an aisle of tools. His clothes are dirty and his hair hangs in his eyes. Foster shakes it off and pays as we walk out.