Forever (Fallen 3)

“You know it’s really embarrassing to go somewhere and eat a huge plate of food when you don’t have something. It makes me look like a pig. I think people are staring at me,” I whispered conspiratorially to Jonathon.

He knew I was joking so with a smile playing on his lips he motioned the waiter. He ordered something in French and the waiter disappeared. “Now you won’t feel so out of place.”

The waiter returned with a plate of food and a coffee. I rolled my eyes. “So, now you have a big plate of food that you’ll never eat. What a waste, Jonathon.”

He chuckled. “Well, you said you didn’t want to be a pig.”

“Oh, goodness,” I sighed, causing him to laugh. We left the café with the box of food that Jonathon hadn’t finished.

We strolled around the city and returned to the hotel at sunset. My feet were killing me and I wanted a nice hot bath. I kicked off my shoes once we reached the room and practically ran into the bathroom to start the tub. I deposited a load of bubbles into the water and watched it fizz. The bathroom screamed luxury. Everything was gold and blacks with a few muted tones of blue to match the rest of the room. I didn’t want to even begin to think what it must cost a night. I knew the price would make me ill and that’s the last thing I wanted to be.

Jonathon came in to rub my shoulders. “Mind if I join you?” he breathed against my ear making me shiver. Red colored my cheeks.

“Of course not,” I replied. He smiled knowing he had flustered me although it wasn’t really that hard to do.

I stripped my clothes and hoped the red flush hadn’t spread to the rest of my body as I climbed into the scalding water. The bathtub was huge, more than enough room for two; it was practically a swimming pool. With his back turned to me Jonathon eased his clothes off. My eyes were riveted to his body just like his had been to mine. He slid down into the water and gave me a self-conscious smile. I found it endearing. I leaned across the bubbles and kissed him. “How did I get so lucky?” I asked him.

“I think I’m the lucky one,” he supplied.

“I guess we’re both pretty lucky then,” I smiled.

He smiled and asked, “So do you want to stay here tomorrow or are you ready to move on somewhere else?”

“Jonathon, I’d be happy if we stayed in this room and never left, for the next month,” I grinned, swirling a finger through the bubbles.

“I love you,” he chuckled. “You’re more perfect every day.”

“Suck up,” I stuck out my tongue and he laughed. I dunked under the water, wetting my hair, and when I came up for air I saw that he had disappeared. “Jonathon?” I asked the empty room.

Unexpectedly, vice-like hands gripped me around the waist. I squealed. He came up out of the water at that moment shaking his head like a dog and showering the room in a splattering of water. I couldn’t help but laugh and then his lips crushed mine disabling the next giggle about to escape. “I love you,” he put his forehead against mine.

“You’ve mentioned that a few times,” I gasped as I collapsed into his arms as he pulled my dripping wet body from the water. He held me against his chest as he carried me to the bed.

* * *

We stayed in Paris the next two days, hardly leaving the room at all as promised. Where did I want to go next? Greece. We boarded the plane and took off, leaving Paris behind us. I hoped that we might return one day when we weren’t so preoccupied. Even now, that we were on the plane, we couldn’t stop touching each other. It was impossible. It was as if we were both afraid that if we weren’t touching the other might disappear. I had never before felt so content in my life. The last year and a half had been hard on me and now all of this was so normal…I needed normal. It almost didn’t seem real. It felt more like a dream. How could I be so lucky? But then again, I guessed I wasn’t all that lucky. I’d had my fair share of sadness. I leaned my head against the seat.

“Sleep,” he commanded. “Because if I have my way with you there won’t be much sleeping once we get there.”

“I like the sound of that,” I tried to fight my closing eyelids.

He chuckled and stroked my hand, relaxing me further. My eyes finally closed.

I awoke to the soft murmurs of conversation. I opened my eyes to see Jonathon roaming the cabin of the plane with a phone pressed to his ear.

Seeing me awake he hung up.

I raised my eyebrows and asked, “Am I interrupting something?”

“No,” he smiled. “Just conversing about your surprise.”

“Oh, really?” My eyebrows rose further.

He plopped into the seat next to me. “Yes, and I’m not telling you anything so don’t even bother asking questions.”

“I’ll be on my best behavior,” I batted my eyelashes, causing him to laugh.

“You bett