“Joy. Stop,” he said softly as he pushed her still-damp hair back from her forehead.
“Huh?”
“Let me finish.” He blew out a breath, relief evident in his expression. “For a moment there, I thought you were going to tell me it was over, and I needed to hit the highway. Good thing you didn’t, because I love you, too. Utterly and completely.”
Confusion stopped her cold. “You love me? You thought I was going to break it off? I don’t get it—you said I don’t need the ticket….”
“Right. You don’t. Because I quit my job, too. I thought I’d stay here in California. Be with you. To start a new life.”
Nothing he said could have surprised her more. She sat back, stunned.
“You…You quit? I thought your job meant everything to you. The letters…”
He looked down at the sheaf of papers. “They’re fantastic—I’ll always treasure them. They’re also a goodbye of sorts, I guess.”
To say she was stunned was an understatement. “No, Rafe, you can’t give up! We can go back to New York—you can be with your family, we’ll solve this insomnia problem, and we’ll get you back on the ambulance.”
“I’m not giving up, I’m letting go. There’s a difference.”
“Rafe, but,” she started to argue, and he held up a hand to stop her.
“The longer I stayed here, the more I was with you, and away from work, the more I realized I didn’t want to go back. It’s time for a new phase. A change. I guess I knew that, it was why I got so burned out in the first place, but I wasn’t able to accept it until now. I’ll find a job here, maybe something new, I don’t know yet. Maybe I’ll go back to school. Are you willing to take that risk with me? To jump into the future, not knowing what it holds for us?”
“I think…yes…I’d like that,” she said, still processing the turn of events.
“I’d love for you to come back and see my city and meet my family, but here you have the shelter, friends, and a life, and I’m getting used to this climate. I want to meet your family, and I think I’d like to try surfing,” he finished with a grin.
She stared at him as if he were speaking a language she didn’t understand, and he tried to make his case a little more clearly.
“We have time—we can decide what we want, where we want to go, what we want to do, together. There’s no rush. I will, however, need a place to live. I was kind of hoping I could move my things in over here.” He ended his sentence on a big yawn and shook his head as if to clear it, bringing both of her hands to his lips.
She took a few minutes to absorb what he was telling her—he’d quit his job to stay here, and she’d quit hers to go with him.
It was perfect. They had their whole lives before them. A real adventure with the man she loved. Her heart raced with excitement at the prospect of her new future, and of sharing it with Rafe.
Finally, she spoke. “I like that idea a lot, you living here. I guess we got each other the same gift,” she said, chuckling, leaning her forehead against his.
“Looks like,” he said on another yawn, and she looked at him in amazement.
“I can’t believe you quit your job for me.”
“I’m delighted that you quit your job for me. We have a fresh slate now, a new beginning for both—excuse me,” he said, interrupted by a yawn.
“Hey, you’re yawning,” she observed.
“Uh-huh,” he said, rubbing his eyes.
“You look absolutely exhausted.”
The import of her words finally dawned on him.
“Joy…I am tired—really tired,” he said in surprise, the sudden need to sleep almost overwhelming.
Whether it was the finality of making a decision about his job, making peace with the past, or having found his place in life with Joy, the tension that had always pulled tight, keeping him awake night after night, seemed to have disappeared. “I guess there’s only one way to tell—we have to go to bed.”
She stood, holding out her hand to him. “I like that plan. If you’re not tired enough to pass out immediately, I bet I can find a few ways to make sure you are,” she promised seductively.
He stood and took her hand, pulling her up close, then ran his hand down the length of her back and around the swell of her backside, then back up again. She gloried in his touch, focusing on the hot trail of desire he created, and leaned in for a kiss.
“And to all a good night….”
Talking In Your Sleep... Page 17