Decidedly with Wishes - Stina Lindenblatt Page 0,55

thing I’d discovered about his kisses?

That’s right. They were addictive.

Not the I-need-to-be-admitted-to-rehab kind of addictive, but close enough.

I had no idea what would happen once we returned to San Francisco, and for now, it was a question I didn’t want to ask.

I just wanted to enjoy the night with my best male friend and spend our final day in Copper Creek, crossing the second-to-final item from my bucket list.

But that wasn’t the only thing I needed to do before returning home.

The first item on my to-do list?

Signing up for dating websites.

Because I was finally ready to search for a husband.

Finally ready to give falling in love another chance.

19

Nala

To-do List #565

Create a time machine.

Go back and tell college-me to switch “Find a Husband” with “Sex in a forest.”

Also, tell her to burn the bucket list.

Oh, wait. Don’t tell her to burn it. I’m having fun with some of the items. Plus, I wouldn’t have found my new male best friend if the list didn’t exist.

The next morning, I woke up in Eli’s arms.

That wasn’t new.

But what did you expect? It was the only way the two of us could fit on the twin bed and avoid one of us rolling off.

Yes, that had happened on more than one occasion.

Except it was usually me who ended up on the floor, semi-wedged between the bed and the wall.

However, this was the first time I had woken up in his arms after having sex with him.

Too bad I couldn’t substitute “Sex in a forest” for “Find a husband” on my college bucket list. Then Ayanna would be on its way to creating the line of clothes for girls with special needs.

The reason for being in Eli’s bed to begin with.

Truth?

I was enjoying the side effects of Bibi’s challenge. If not for that, I wouldn’t have become friends with Eli. I wouldn’t have taken the twelve days off work to help him out.

And I wouldn’t be having so much fun.

But that fun was rapidly coming to an end. Today was our last day in Copper Creek. Soon, we’d be returning to San Francisco and the work I had to catch up on.

And let’s not forget I had just over seven weeks to complete the remaining item on my bucket list after we returned home.

Eli stirred behind me, his morning wood prominent against my backside—and becoming even more pronounced as the seconds ticked past.

Before last night, mortification had mocked me whenever I’d woken up with his cock where it currently was.

Correction, before last night, I’d been turned-on but clueless at what to do about it. That had always added to the morning awkwardness of waking up in his arms. But after what happened in the forest, I knew exactly what to do.

Both of us had gone to bed last night naked.

Why?

I had no idea. It just seemed like a good idea at the time.

Now, it was damn handy.

Smiling, I carefully turned around so as not to fall off the bed, removed my bonnet, and tossed it somewhere on the floor, then moved down his body without so much as a “Good morning.”

The covers came with me, but all the better for glimpsing the body he worked hard to maintain for his job. Even while he was here, he’d kept up with his offseason training.

I’d even joined him a few times for his slower morning jogs.

Oh, and for the record, his slower jogs were more like my fast-paced ones.

Last night, we hadn’t discussed what would happen once we returned to San Francisco—both when it came to our friendship and the extra benefits we’d enjoyed here.

But since we were still in Copper Creek, I figured we could worry about that later.

And if the way Eli was watching me through half-closed eyes, the heat in them causing my temperature to climb, he was contemplating the same.

As long as he could keep quiet while I helped him with his dilemma, all was good.

I gently wrapped my palm around his hard length and licked the bead of salty pre-cum from the tip.

Eli hissed. I grinned.

I slipped my lips over the tip and took him as far as I dared. One hand stayed wrapped around his length—the other cupped his balls.

I bopped my head along his length, inwardly grinning at the muffled moans coming from under his pillow.

I kept working on him, relishing his reactions to my touch.

He reached out and stroked my hair. I glanced up and caught more than just the heat in his eyes. Another emotion was there—one I