“I am never taking clean sheets for granted again,” Mary purred, as she stretched and opened her eyes.
Neal couldn’t find words to answer her, just taking in the beautiful curves of her body under the silky sheet, and the splay of her hair on the pillow. She smiled up at him, and Neal could read the warmth and affection in her expression.
She felt like home. Like safety and wholeness and happiness. Like forever and happy endings and things that Neal had never guessed he could claim for himself.
He was still staring at her, he realized, as her expression became quizzical.
“I’m glad you could get your plane tickets changed,” he said. It was the truth, if not the whole truth.
“I feel so terrible for the substitute. A whole week of those students, all wound up from spring break.” Mary chuckled. “But not terrible enough to regret it.”
“I should have my visa sorted in time to go back with you,” Neal said, and he was glad of it. He wasn’t sure he could stand watching Mary get on a plane without him.
“What do you want to do this week?” Mary asked.
“I… guess I figured I’d keep working,” Neal said, blinking. He hadn’t really considered himself a guest at the resort, though he supposed that Scarlet’s invitation to stay on as a guest had included him. “And you’d enjoy the pool.”
“I was thinking we might go parasailing,” Mary suggested shyly. “And maybe snorkeling? It seems like a shame to come all the way to Costa Rica just to sit by a pool.”
Neal grinned at her. “We could go hiking.”
Mary hit him with a pillow, and Neal caught it easily, reaching to wrestle her down and tickle her.
“I have a better idea,” they said in one breath to each other.
His mouth on hers was the perfect ending.