then.” Hanging up the phone, she moved to slip out of bed. She could let Skye sleep a bit longer. Shower and coffee, she’d be good to go.
“It’s too early to be up, love. Stay in bed with me.” He trapped her in his arms, pulled her close.
“We can’t. We have to open up in…” She squinted at the clock. “Two hours.” But she snuggled into his chest, wishing they could stay in bed. There would be other mornings to laze in bed with Skye, making slow, sleepy love.
“Pretend with me. We can stay here all day. Make love. Sweet and slow. Wild and hot. Anything you like.” Skye kissed her bare shoulder.
“I wish we could. Kate wants to meet me at six. We’d better make ourselves presentable and get over to the pub. Can’t wear slinky green silk and black lace to work.”
“A good thing that. I’d probably have to kill some poor soul. We still have time for steamy shower sex. Wear something of mine and we’ll have twenty more minutes.” He waggled his eyebrows at her, climbed out of bed and picked her up in his arms.
She laughed. “I love the way you think!”
Skye set her down on the heated tile floor. She leaned over the tub, turned the shower on hot, and stepped in under the hot spray. Water streamed through her hair. Taking the shampoo off the shower caddy, Skye squirted a generous amount of the liquid into his palm. She let him play, scrunching her curls until rich, bubbly lather began to sluice over her skin.
Wherever he touched, she leaned into him, ached for him.
“Rhiannon, you steal my breath.”
“I wish we did have all day to lay in bed.”
“We’ll have other days, every day until the last.”
“Touch me, Skye. Take me.”
He boosted her up, and Rhiannon wrapped around him even as he slid into her. He took her fast, hot. “Don’t stop. Don’t.” Rhiannon kissed him as she climbed higher. “I love you. With me.”
“Always, love.”
Both of them took all the other could give.
* * * *
Kate sat across from her, bright eyed, but looking a little green around the gills.
“Could I get you some coffee? Tea? Soda crackers?”
“No thanks. I feel a little under the weather. A lot has happened over the last few days. Skye told you?” Kate did look pale, almost nauseous.
“About the wedding plans? Yes. But then he knew the day you and Ryan came in for brunch you two were heading back together. Congratulations. Sure you’re okay?” Rhiannon pushed the sleeve of the borrowed shirt she wore up above her elbows and shifted in her seat. His jeans were just a bit snug for her and molded to her curves, but after the shower, there hadn’t been time to change before opening up.
“I’ll be fine. Thank you, but I did want to talk to you about your father. I wish you’d try to convince him to at least talk to the oncologist.”
“Ah, and why would I do that?”
“There may be something more another can do that I couldn’t.” Kate took a calling card out of her pocket and handed it to Rhiannon.
“Here. Just call and talk to him yourself.”
“Could Ryan heal Da? No. You can’t do anything more.”
“Rhiannon, you have to know I’ve done all I can. The cancer has progressed to both his lungs, lymph nodes, and there are cancerous cells in his bloodstream. This is the only way I know to help.”
“Just stand with us. Just be there. It’s enough, Kate. He doesn’t have long. I know that. I also know it’s his choice to die at home. Don’t you believe we should all leave this world in the place of our choosing, if not the time? I want to ask you a hard question.”
“All right.”
“If Ryan were dying and all he asked of you was to keep him comfortable, to let him die in his own bed, could you refuse him? Would Allie? Or any of us? No. The mind often complicates what the heart simply knows. Make no mistake, it’s killing me inside to watch him waste away like this.”
“I’m worried about you.” Kate rested a hand on Rhiannon’s and squeezed. “You
“It’s too early to be up, love. Stay in bed with me.” He trapped her in his arms, pulled her close.
“We can’t. We have to open up in…” She squinted at the clock. “Two hours.” But she snuggled into his chest, wishing they could stay in bed. There would be other mornings to laze in bed with Skye, making slow, sleepy love.
“Pretend with me. We can stay here all day. Make love. Sweet and slow. Wild and hot. Anything you like.” Skye kissed her bare shoulder.
“I wish we could. Kate wants to meet me at six. We’d better make ourselves presentable and get over to the pub. Can’t wear slinky green silk and black lace to work.”
“A good thing that. I’d probably have to kill some poor soul. We still have time for steamy shower sex. Wear something of mine and we’ll have twenty more minutes.” He waggled his eyebrows at her, climbed out of bed and picked her up in his arms.
She laughed. “I love the way you think!”
Skye set her down on the heated tile floor. She leaned over the tub, turned the shower on hot, and stepped in under the hot spray. Water streamed through her hair. Taking the shampoo off the shower caddy, Skye squirted a generous amount of the liquid into his palm. She let him play, scrunching her curls until rich, bubbly lather began to sluice over her skin.
Wherever he touched, she leaned into him, ached for him.
“Rhiannon, you steal my breath.”
“I wish we did have all day to lay in bed.”
“We’ll have other days, every day until the last.”
“Touch me, Skye. Take me.”
He boosted her up, and Rhiannon wrapped around him even as he slid into her. He took her fast, hot. “Don’t stop. Don’t.” Rhiannon kissed him as she climbed higher. “I love you. With me.”
“Always, love.”
Both of them took all the other could give.
* * * *
Kate sat across from her, bright eyed, but looking a little green around the gills.
“Could I get you some coffee? Tea? Soda crackers?”
“No thanks. I feel a little under the weather. A lot has happened over the last few days. Skye told you?” Kate did look pale, almost nauseous.
“About the wedding plans? Yes. But then he knew the day you and Ryan came in for brunch you two were heading back together. Congratulations. Sure you’re okay?” Rhiannon pushed the sleeve of the borrowed shirt she wore up above her elbows and shifted in her seat. His jeans were just a bit snug for her and molded to her curves, but after the shower, there hadn’t been time to change before opening up.
“I’ll be fine. Thank you, but I did want to talk to you about your father. I wish you’d try to convince him to at least talk to the oncologist.”
“Ah, and why would I do that?”
“There may be something more another can do that I couldn’t.” Kate took a calling card out of her pocket and handed it to Rhiannon.
“Here. Just call and talk to him yourself.”
“Could Ryan heal Da? No. You can’t do anything more.”
“Rhiannon, you have to know I’ve done all I can. The cancer has progressed to both his lungs, lymph nodes, and there are cancerous cells in his bloodstream. This is the only way I know to help.”
“Just stand with us. Just be there. It’s enough, Kate. He doesn’t have long. I know that. I also know it’s his choice to die at home. Don’t you believe we should all leave this world in the place of our choosing, if not the time? I want to ask you a hard question.”
“All right.”
“If Ryan were dying and all he asked of you was to keep him comfortable, to let him die in his own bed, could you refuse him? Would Allie? Or any of us? No. The mind often complicates what the heart simply knows. Make no mistake, it’s killing me inside to watch him waste away like this.”
“I’m worried about you.” Kate rested a hand on Rhiannon’s and squeezed. “You
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