Page 79 of Too Good to Be True

He pulled back the covers, and she eagerly slid underneath them, quickly discovering that his lower half was still naked.

Some might argue that having sex was the most intimate act, but lying in his arms, being held and caressed and knowing he wanted her to stay, felt just as intimate. Maybe even more.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked as he played with her hair.

“How wonderful this feels.”

“I agree.”

She nestled closer and idly rubbed his chest.

“Thank you for staying,” he said.

She marveled at this. For a guy in his twenties, he was remarkably mature and unselfish. She’d had enough dating experience and heard enough stories to know this was unusual. Maybe everyone was right when they claimed age didn’t matter.

“Are you still awake?” he whispered.

“Yeah. Just enjoying this.”

He rubbed his face against her hair. “Me too. I don’t want to fall asleep, but I have to admit you kind of wiped me out.”

She popped her head up and gazed at him with surprise. She’d been worried about falling asleep during the movie, and now she had more energy than he did.

Smiling, she said, “It’s okay. There’s always tomorrow morning.”

“I like the sound of that.”

Then they snuggled deeper under the covers and found a comfortable position that satisfied them both. Enveloped in his warmth, she listened to the rhythmic sound of his breathing, and soon she entered the blissful world of sleep. Here, nothing else mattered: not age, what anyone else thought, nor what would happen tomorrow or the next day.

All that mattered was here and now, and it was perfect.

Nineteen

If she’d thought sleeping with Nick was wonderful, waking up with him was even better. After a lazy but no-less-satisfying round of lovemaking, they took a long, luxurious shower together. The only downside was that she had to put on the same clothes she’d worn the day before (minus the underwear because that was just gross).

She used his blow dryer and the small brush she carried in her purse to arrange her hair into some semblance of order. She didn’t have her makeup bag, but she used the powder compact and lip gloss in her purse, hoping they’d detract from the dark circles under her eyes.

Nick, looking bright-eyed and hot as usual, beamed at her when she emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later. She tried to imagine what they’d look like if she were in her fifties and he in his forties. She decided he’d still look hot and she’d have more wrinkles and saggy boobs. Not that they’d still be together by then, but still.

“Ready for breakfast?” he asked cheerfully.

“Yes.” It was well past the time she usually ate breakfast, though she couldn’t complain about the reason for the delay.

“All I have is a box of corn flakes, so I suggest we go out.”

“Okay.” She would have liked to be wearing fresh clothes, but hunger trumped vanity any day.

“Since you know the area better than I do, where should we go?”

“How about IHOP?”

“Sounds good to me.”

A few minutes later, they were walking down the hall when a middle-aged woman came out of her apartment.

“You must be the new neighbors. Welcome,” she said.

The woman, dressed in running clothes, followed them outside into the cool morning air. “My name is Wendy, by the way.”