Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Dmitri was back a moment later, hands on his narrow hips. “Where do you keep your extra sheets, baby?”
“Extra sheets?” I echoed dumbly.
“Yeah, you know: big rectangular things. Fit around a mattress?”
I rolled my eyes at him. “I get the sheet concept. It’s the extra part that’s throwing me.”
“Seriously?”
“Here’s how us commoners do it, Squilliam Fancyson: once a week, we strip our beds and take the linens to the Laundromat, along with all our clothes. We wash them. We come home. We put them back on the bed. Ta da! Clean linens.”
“Oh my God,” he laughed, hands still on those sexy hips. “You dork! You just made a Spongebob reference!”
“Yeah, and guess what? You just got a Spongebob reference. Dork.” I smiled at him happily.
He blushed and started to say, “Well, that’s because I have–”
“Nephews. Uh huh. That’s my excuse too.” I winked at him and rolled off the bed, then pulled the soiled sheet off the mattress and tossed it in my laundry hamper.
“Please don’t tell me we’re going to the Laundromat now,” he complained.
“Nope. Us poor folk have learned to im-pro-vise,” I said with a faux southern accent as I grabbed a big quilt from the top of my closet and tossed it over the bed, then began tucking it in under the edge of the mattress. He went around to the far side of the bed and helped me, then tossed my pillows and blankets on top of it, and we climbed into bed. Dmitri cuddled against me and closed his eyes.
“Are you going to sleep?” I asked.
“Nope. It’s like, eight o’clock. I’m just waiting for you to rebuild your energy so you can fuck me again.” He kissed my shoulder, wrapping an arm around my waist.
“You’re insatiable. You know that?”
“I do know that. And like you’re not.”
I grinned and said, “Maybe we should change it up next time, give me a turn on the bottom. Otherwise you’re going to be really sore tomorrow.”
“I hope I am sore.”
“Why?”
“It’s just like the marks on my wrists,” he murmured, sounding distinctly like he was dosing off. “If I’m sore, then I’ll be constantly reminded of how you fucked me so good over and over today.”
“You seem to need a lot of reminders,” I teased quietly as I watched him drift. “Maybe I should just set up a tattoo appointment for you. You could get ‘Jamie’s’ inked on your cute little butt as a constant reminder.”
“I wouldn’t see it there,” he mumbled, almost asleep. “Would put it over my heart.”
“I love you, Dmitri Teplov,” I whispered.
“Love you too. Forever,” he murmured, right before sleep took him.
I actually felt tears prickling behind my eyes at that. No, not forever, I thought. Ten months and counting. God, I was going to be so far beyond devastated when this was over.
I’d vowed to just enjoy the time I had with Dmitri, and to accept the fact that it was going to end far too soon. But the more time I spent with him, the more I wondered what was going to be left of me after it was all said and done. It had only been – wow, five days. Really? And already it was impossible to imagine my life without him.
I was so screwed.
Chapter Nine
I carefully untangled myself from Dmitri and slipped out of bed, then padded into the living room, leaving my bedroom door only slightly ajar. I grabbed a pair of shorts from the floor – the ones Dmitri had been wearing earlier – and pulled them on, then went in search of my cell phone.
Eventually I found it on top of my refrigerator, where I’d put it to keep it out of nephew range. Was that only this morning?
I had a bunch of messages: my sisters offering lots of unsolicited advice about how I should handle our Dad, my friend Liam inviting me to lunch tomorrow, and Jess, of course, checking in every couple hours and wondering how I was doing.
I sat on my couch and shot a quick message to Liam, confirming lunch. And then I texted Jess: Saw Erin and Mo today, but you probably know that. Tippy is in love with Dmitri. Coincidentally, Dmitri is in love with me. Thanks loads for telling me.
She replied not a minute later: He told you! Finally! Admit it, it was better coming from him instead of me.
The ‘finally’ was kind of funny, since again, I had only known him five days. I wrote: So how are you? And Fernando? And the ducks?
Nando’s trip has been extended by several days. Not only are they not ducks, they’re also not cooperating. I’m fine but I miss him. Am considering ditching work and hopping a plane/train/auto bound for northern Canada to see him.
I wrote back: I’ll drive you to Canada in the pea green shit machine. Have week off anyway. Let’s go see the ducks. Oh and your husband.