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Chapter Eleven

Edward's sleeping - he doesn't snore - and he's so freaking beautiful. There was only one room and one very big King size bed available when we got to San Antonio yesterday. Well, at the Riverwalk anyway.

Yesterday was amazing.

After lunch, we got back on the road and drove for hours until we were in San Antonio. It wasn't even dark yet, but Edward insisted we stay and walk the river and have dinner.

We went to a cafe and ate outside. It kind of sucked that Edward had both hands free because I was itching to feed him. After dinner he took me for ice cream and sat next to me eating his own while playing with my fingers.

I don't know what's happening here, but I want more of what he's offering.

At one of the shops I bought - okay let's be real here, Edward bought Uno and we sat in the middle of our king bed and played Uno for too long we lost track of time and ate so much junk food I thought I was going to puke.

Thank God I didn't.

We didn't even change clothes before getting beneath the covers and sleeping - just sleeping. Boy, was it hard to keep my hands to myself. The first 30 minutes of laying next to him I was like a live wire ready to snap.

Sleep tight, Swanie Edward had said all sleepily, and my heart fell totally and completely in love.

Then I fell asleep and probably snored like a bear.

Now I'm sneaking around the room, quietly getting ready, so I can go buy us breakfast before Edward wakes up, and my God, he looks like a freaking dream. He's asleep on his stomach, arms beneath him wrapped around his pillow. He kicked the blankets off, and he's barefoot in his jeans and his shirt is all ridden and bunched up, revealing smooth, tan skin that I just want to lick.

Before I have the urge to jump him and suck his face off, I write a quick note on the hotel tablet in case Edward wakes up when I'm gone and thinks I was kidnapped during the night. How sad he might feel.

Cowboy,

Don't worry, I wasn't kidnapped.

I went for breakfast. I want to feed you.

Swanie

I may have drawn a heart after my name -it's a little sloppy, so I can't really tell.

I set it on my pillow and quietly leave the room. I'm a little fearful to be alone, but I walk quickly to the first cafe I find and order breakfast bagels and two sodas. It feels weird to even swipe my own card - hopefully Edward's not too upset about it.

On my walk back, I see a couple walking an adorable little dog, and it makes me wish we would have brought Chip along. Both hotels so far were pet friendly, too.

The bed's empty when I get back, but I can hear the shower going, and my body does a little shiver thinking about Edward all naked and wet.

Yum.

The note's missing from the pillow. I wonder if he kept it like I kept his?

I toss the blanket on the bed and set out bagels out and then sit and wait for Edward to reveal himself.

I already miss him.

Craziness.

The shower shuts off.

The curtain opens.

Then I hear nothing - I picture a lot, though - for a minute before the door opens, and my mouth drops, my chin practically hitting my knees.

He's in a towel.

Only a towel.

Just a freaking towel.

Holy cow!

"Mornin' Swanie," he says. "You look pretty."

What! I do?

I look down at my bare legs and knock off Birkenstocks, not bothering to look at the San Antonio tee he bought me last night. I mean, I did use the waver on my hair. I guess you could say I look pretty.

"Thanks," I say, pushing hair behind my ear, having an internal freak out. "You do, too."

Edward chuckles and grins, and I kind of die, but then I hold up his bagel, and say, "I got us breakfast."

He nods, one hand pushing his wet hair back, the other holding his towel at his waist even though it looks snug like it's going nowhere. "I got your note."

"Right. Aren't you going to come eat?"

He sits on the bed next to me - in only a towel - and takes the bagel I offer. "I would have bought breakfast," he says, taking a bite.

"I know," I say, trying to keep my eyes on his face and not that fantastic freaking chest of his. "You've already done so much, I wanted to do something for you. I got you a soda."

I hold it out to him, and he leans forward and sucks the straw into his mouth while I hold the cup. I can't say I don't like it, because I do - it's damn adorable, really.

His eyes crinkle before he lets it go and sits straight and finishes his bagel off. I've barely taken a bit - too enamored with my sexy cowboy.

Yeah, I said it.

He's officially mine. The towel and straw says so.

"I like this," he says, touching a strand of my hair all softly.

Am I even alive?

"Thanks," I say, swallowing my bagel roughly. "I waved it."

"Yeah?"

I nod. "Yeah. It's like a crimper, but fatter so it doesn't look all...crimped. More wavey instead. I have a curling iron, too, but it takes longer, and I was trying to hurry so I could get breakfast before you woke up and tried to do it first."

"You were tryin' to beat me?"

"Yep," I say, smiling at his twitching lips. "I won."

In more ways than one if the towel is anything to go by. Can I keep it as a souvenir?

"It was good. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"I should get dressed, so we can hit the road, huh?"

No!

I silently nod and chew the last of my bagel, and he smiles before standing and walking away from me. He grabs some clothes and steps back into the bathroom and shuts the door.

I wish I had superhuman strength, so I could rip the door right off its hinges.

Standing from the bed, I toss our trash and chug my soda before making sure all of our stuff is packed. I grab the little tablet and stuff it in my bag for future notes. I'm sure the hotel doesn't mind, right?

Edward comes out, wearing snug jeans and a v-neck white tee looking every bit of the Greek God mom said he was.

Damn.

He puts on his boots and a regular ball cap and grabs our bags. "You ready?"

For a lifetime with you?

Of course!

"Yep," I say, grabbing my backpack. "Want me to drive?"

He smiles over his shoulder. "Nope."

"I'm a good driver."

"I bet you are, Swanie, but I like drivin' you around, and I like when you feed me candy. You can't feed me candy if you're drivin'."

"What? Shut up!"

"I'm serious," he says, tossing our stuff in the backseat, his smile full watt and that dimple deeply dimpled.

"Okay," I say, too shocked to say anything else, too freaking in love to argue. What's there to argue about anyway? If he wants me to feed him sour straws and swedish fish, what's the harm?

He opens my door, and I crawl in, stuffing my bag at my feet. "I think we'll make it to my Granny's today."

"Are we surprising her or does she know we're coming?"

"She loves surprises," he says and closes my door.

I bet he's lying.

He starts the truck up and gets us on the road, and I don't put music on because I want to hear him talk.

"How long has it been since you've seen her?"

"We took a trip out last summer for her birthday. She's 97."

"Wow! I don't have any grandparents," I say. "Not anymore, I mean."

"I'm sorry, Swanie," he says, glancing at me then at my chest where my seat belt isn't on. Oops. He reaches out and wraps a hand around my bare thigh and slides me across the seat. "Buckle up."

I buckle up, praying he keeps his hand wrapped around my thigh.

He does!

We're silent.

He's silently driving.

I'm silently staring at his hand until I can't handle it any longer and place my hand on top of his, rubbing the tops of his fingers like a freak, but I don't even care.

He gives me a slow smile, and I melt into the seat.

"My grandpa died a few years ago. He was the best."

"Yeah?"

I nod and continue to trace each of his fingers. "He was my dad's dad. Mom and dad both worked, and he would drive me anywhere I wanted to go. One time he almost killed us, though. This car in front of us slowed down and was turning left, and grandpa - not thinking - started to pass him in the left lane. I thought we were going to die. He thought nothing of it, just brushed it off and kept on driving." Edward chuckles, and I go right into another story. "One time, my cousins and I went off into the woods a bit - not far - but we didn't tell him we were leaving the yard. He was yelling our names for forever, thinking we were missing and for some reason my cousin had a piece of glass in her hand. I don't know why she would pick a random piece of glass up, but she had it when we got back to grandpas, and he literally spanked our asses, and she cut her face with the glass. She could have lost her eye. I think grandpa felt really bad about it. It left a scar, too. So, her and my other cousin Felix both have scars - they're siblings."

"It's never boring with you," he says, giving my leg a squeeze.

Do it again!

He does it again, and my eyes widen. Did I say it out loud?

"I have a story for you," he says.

"I love stories," I say, making him laugh.

"I know you do. My uncle brought my cousin down to the ranch when we were kids - the one who my dad said he was going to call to replace me these next two weeks." When I nod he goes on. "His name's Jasper. We were messing around on one of the horse trailers, just crawlin' all over it. The door had these latches that opened on either side, it didn't matter which side you opened. I opened the left side and forgot about it then later Jasper opened the right side and the entire door fell on him and laid him out…"

"Did he get hurt?"

Edward nods. "Busted head, a broken arm, two black eyes - I thought he was dead layin' under that thing. He laughs about it now, says he has a head of steel. He could have died, though."

"Well, thank God he didn't," I say, lovingly stroking his hand.

"Yeah." He turns his hand and interlocks our fingers. "Your hands are soft."

"I'm obsessed with Bath and Body Works products."

He lifts our hands to his face and sniffs them. "They smell good."

"It's Wild Madagascar Vanilla," I tell him, my heart all pounding all wildly in my chest.

He lowers our hands and rests them on his leg now. "I like it. Smells wild," he teases, making me giggle like a school girl with her first crush.

Saying yes to a roadtrip with him was the best decision I've made since purchasing this particular scent of lotion!

"There's a spray, too…" I say. "Even body wash, possibly even hand soap."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, it's true. I'll buy you some for your birthday."

"Alright. I'll use it to rub on you."

Wait, what?

"Huh?"

He laughs real loud, and I look over and up at him to watch it happen because let me tell you, it's a sight to behold. "I'm just messin' with you, Swanie."

"So, you don't want it for your birthday then?"

He smiles down at me and shakes his head. "Yeah, I want it."

My smile slowly stretches across my face. "Okay."

"Okay," he repeats.

"So, are we almost there?"

"Not even close."

"Texas sucks."

"Yep."

"You don't suck, though," I say, using my free hand to pat his arm before resting my head on him. I can't help it. I'm obsessed!

"You don't either," he says, slowly, and I have to rub my lips tightly together to stop from laughing. I think we just got into innuendo territory.

Oops!

"Tell me more stories," I say, trying my hardest not to rub my head all over him like a little puppy dog.

"What kind of stories?"

"Any kind. We have a lot of hours left, so get to talkin'."

"Yes ma'am."

Be still my heart!


I can't wait until we get to Louisiana. I love Granny.