place and I deserve a day to sleep in.”
Knox snags the pillow from the top of my head and leans down, his lips hovering over my ear. “And I’m so damn grateful for your help. It would’ve taken me a lot longer to finish without it. Since all we have left to do is paint the porch, finish the bathroom, and give the place one nice deep clean, I figured we’d take the day off. Do a little exploring. We deserve it,” he says, a lone finger tracing the curve of my spine.
I perk up even though I don’t want to. “Why didn’t you say that in the first place? I’m always up for you exploring.”
He takes his fingers away and hops up from the bed.
I groan. “I’ve been had!”
“All we do is sleep and sleep together,” he says in a mock falsetto, echoing the words I stupidly uttered a couple of weeks ago.
My returning glare only makes him laugh. “And I thought we both established there’s nothing wrong with that. Isn’t that what this summer’s all about?”
He ignores my question, waving it off in a super annoying yet cute way that makes me want to drag him back to the bed. Unfortunately, he’s too far away to get ahold of.
“Come on, Melia. We have plenty of time for that later. And considering how much if it we’ve done, my dick would probably welcome a break.” His teasing grin annoys the hell out of me. “I want to spend the day outdoors together. Clothed,” he says.
“Who are you and what you have done with the Knox I’ve come to l—enjoy?” I catch myself in the nick of time.
He grins, seemingly unaware of my near slip of the tongue. “I realized I haven’t seen much of Crystal Cove except for the inside of your bedroom, the bar at Mickey’s, and the lake. If I’m going to have a summer home here, I want to explore what’s out there. Nature-wise. There’s a spot Joe told me about that I wanna take you to. The sky’s clear and the temperature’s dropped a bit. For the first time in two weeks, the high’s finally below ninety and the humidity’s lower than it’s been in a month. That means today’s the day.”
“Ugh. Fine.” Begrudgingly, I crawl out of bed and head to the bathroom, going through my morning routine at a leisurely pace.
After all the work we’ve done on the house, my muscles ache in the most glorious way. Of course, all of Knox’s massages at the end of every long workday have helped ease the soreness. I feel a little pang at knowing I won’t get to the enjoy the fruits of our labor after this summer is over, and I briefly wonder if he plans on selling it or making it a summer place. Oh, the possibilities.
Stop that, Amelia.
“What should I wear on this adventure of ours?” I ask.
“We’ll be outside, so whatever’s comfortable for you. Just make sure to wear either a good pair of tennis shoes or hiking boots.”
“Hiking boots? Knox, I’m down with the outdoors as much as the next person, but really? If you want to reward me for a job well done, lounging by the lake, going on another shopping trip, or staying in bed all day are more up my alley.”
His eyes gleam at the memory of watching me—more like ogling me—trying on bathing suit after bathing suit when we made an impromptu trip to the mall the next county over last week. We did not christen the dressing room that day, but not for lack of him trying.
“As good as all that sounds, just trust me. I think you’re going to like this.”
“Fine,” I grumble, pulling on a pair of athletic shorts and a tank tip I tie at the waist. Thankful I brought a pair of sneakers, I take my time putting them on and securing my laces. I fashion my hair in a loose braid that hangs over one shoulder and place my hands on my hips. “Am I presentable?”
Knox grins. “Babe, I’ve never seen you not presentable. Except maybe when you’re riding my cock and grabbing your tits. Presentable as fuck to me, just not anyone else.”
The reminder of last night makes my face flush.
Not wanting to get all hot and bothered before this little excursion, I change the subject. “Will you at least feed me first?”
“Eggs, sausage, and OJ comin’ right up.”
It’s something else I’ve learned about Knox in the past month