When Deacon wakes up, he looks around the room in confusion. It takes him a few seconds to recognize his surroundings. Rayna is snuggled up under the comforter, leaving him with only a sheet for warmth. Some things never change. He smiles happily as he remembers the events of the night before. Rayna was just as amazing as he had remembered. Actually, she was even better. He watches her for a moment before her eyelids begin to flutter. She opens her eyes slowly and sees him smiling at her. She smiles back at him.
"Mornin' beautiful," he says.
"Good morning," she responds.
"Are you gonna keep hoggin those covers, darlin? I'm freezing," he jokes.
She snuggles closer to him, wrapping her leg around his waist and covering him in the blanket.
"I don't hog the covers. You throw them off," she tells him.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Ray," he says.
"Is there any of that cake left?" Rayna asks.
Deacon laughs.
"I think we ate it all last night," he replies.
"Damn," she says.
Rayna sighs. She is happy to be here with Deacon. Waking up next to him is one of the best feelings in the world. She knows that when they leave this bed they will have to face reality. It is never a one-time thing with them but if they are going to attempt a relationship, there will be many challenges.
"How are you feeling about everything?" Deacon questions.
"Right now I feel great but I'm worried about what will happen when we get back to Nashville," she says.
Deacon nods his head in understanding.
"You know I'll be there if you need me," he assures her.
"I know but there is so much going on," she responds.
"I know and we'll face it together," he answers.
Rayna is happy to hear him say that. She knows that she will be able to face things better if she has him with her. She hopes that Teddy will be understanding but she has a feeling that he won't like the fact that she is starting something with Deacon.
Deacon pulls Rayna closer to him. She brings her hand up to caress his cheek. His fingers are tangled in her hair. Their lips meet passionately. Rayna moans his name softly against his lips. He slides his hand down her back as he traces her lips with his tongue. She opens her mouth for him. He explores her mouth eagerly. She breathes in his scent greedily. His touch is setting every inch of her skin on fire.
"Deacon," she moans.
She is desperate for him. She wants all of him. Deacon's fingers trace circles on her thighs, teasing her. Unable to wait any longer, Rayna pulls him closer to her.
After they are satisfied, they lay close to each other, basking in the glow of their love.
"You want me to go get us some breakfast?" Deacon asks.
She smiles at the familiar gesture. Throughout the entire duration of their relationship, Deacon had always offered to get her breakfast, unless he was too drunk to function properly.
"How about you wait for me to take a shower and then we can go together?" she suggests.
"Would you like some company in the shower?" he asks hopefully.
She knew that he would offer to join her. Deacon has never been able to simply wait for her to get out of the shower. When they were together, he would always offer to join her and on the rare occasion that she refused, he would interrupt her shower halfway through.
"Only if you promise to help me wash my back," she jokes.
"Anything for you," he teases.
When they are both dressed, they head down to the lobby of the hotel. The hotel they are staying at has a nice breakfast buffet. They make their way over to the end of the line. After they fill their plates with food, they find a table in the back corner of the room.
Rayna thinks about how much everything has changed in the past twelve hours. Today, she is sitting here with Deacon after making love multiple times. Yesterday, she was dwelling on all of the consequences that might result from reconnecting with Deacon in the wake of her divorce. Today, she is still worried about the future but she knows that she doesn't want to be away from Deacon. They deserve to be happy together. They have ignored their feelings and suffered away from each other for so long that it makes their reconnection even more magical.
"How's your breakfast?" Rayna asks.
"Pretty good. How's yours?" Deacon questions.
"It's better when you make it," she tells him.
He laughs gratefully at the compliment.
"Well then I'll have to make you some breakfast when we get back to Nashville," he responds, smiling broadly.
Rayna's demeanor changes as she thinks of their approaching return to Nashville.
"Can we keep everything just between us for now?" she asks.
"Why, are you ashamed of me?" Deacon questions, feeling insecure.
"Of course not, Deacon. It's just that it probably wouldn't be good for this to get out right now with my divorce and everything. It will be much easier if we just stay out of the public eye for a while," she tells him.
"Okay, Ray. Whatever you think is best," he replies.
They sit and eat in silence for a few minutes.
"What are your living arrangements going to be when we get home?" he asks.
He wants her to stay with him.
"Teddy and I want to keep the girls in a stable environment so we aren't going to move them around all the time. We're just going to take turns living in the house instead," she explains.
"Okay. Well if you need anywhere to stay, you know you always have a place with me," he says.
Rayna smiles appreciatively.
"Thank you, Deacon. I appreciate it," she answers.
"Have y'all told the girls yet?" he questions.
"No, we're telling them when I get home," she tells him.
He can tell that Rayna is worried about telling them.
"Okay. If you need anything then call me," he replies.
"You're so sweet," she says.
Deacon smirks.
"Baby, you're a lot sweeter. Trust me," he says suggestively.
"I don't know. You tasted pretty damn sweet when I was eating that chocolate cake off of you last night," Rayna responds.
He laughs.
"I'm glad you enjoyed your dessert," he answers.
Rayna is about to respond but is interrupted by her phone ringing.
"Hello?" she says.
"Hey, Rayna, it's Bucky. The plane will be ready for y'all in an hour. Does that work for you?" he asks.
"That sounds good, Bucky. Thanks for the update," she answers.
"No problem, see you in a few days," he responds.
Rayna hangs up the phone and turns to Deacon.
"Looks like we need to go upstairs and get everything packed up. The plane is going to be ready in an hour," she explains.
"Let's go," he replies.
About forty minutes later, the two are being driven to the airport for their flight. They are sitting in the back seat comfortably. Deacon has his arm wrapped tightly around Rayna and she is leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Do you still want to talk when we get back to Nashville?" Deacon asks.
Rayna thinks about it for a minute.
"Actually, I think I should go home for a while first to talk to the girls," she answers.
Deacon looks disappointed. He was hoping that she would want to spend some more time with him before they have to go their separate ways.
"Can I come over afterwards?" she asks him.
His face brightens immediately. The fact that she wants to come over afterwards gives him peace of mind for the time being.
"Of course, Ray. I'd love for you to come over," he responds.
"Good. I'm going to need you to help me through all of this," she replies.
"I'll be there, Ray. Any time. Any place," he assures her.