“Mm.”

“Amelia,” I repeat and kiss her cheek. “Wake up, sweetheart.”

“No,” she murmurs, making me grin. “Tired.”

“I know, but I need you to wake up.”

I brush her hair off of her neck and press a kiss there. “Come on, baby.”

“No sex,” she says and yawns. “You got enough last night.”

I cock a brow. “No amount of sex is ever enough with you,” I reply. “But no, I’m not trying to have sex with you right now.”

One eye opens to a slit, and she observes me.

“You’re dressed.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Why are you dressed?”

I chuckle and kiss her cheek again, “You just told me that you’re not in the mood for any more sex.”

“So?” She reaches out, and her hand finds my thigh. “You’re in jeans.”

“Nothing gets past you, does it?”

She frowns and boosts herself up onto her elbows, giving me just a peek of her breasts.

“Hey, caveman, I’m up here.”

“You have a crease right here from the sheet.” My finger follows the line across the top of her breasts, and her breath catches.

“Have I mentioned that I sincerely like your hands?” she asks. “They do nice things to me.”

I just shake my head and watch her as the sleep leaves her eyes.

“I smell coffee.”

“Took a minute.”

“Don’t make me hurt you. I just woke up.”

“Violent, aren’t we?”

“If you don’t give me the coffee, you’ll see violence.”

I laugh and reach for our cups and pass her one.

“You went to the café? What time is it?”

“It’s only eight.”

She sits up, tucks the sheet around her, and frowns at me. “You’re awfully perky in the morning. Is this normal? Because if it is, it could be a deal-breaker.”

“Would you rather I was grouchy?”

“I’d rather you were asleep.” She takes a sip and then tips her head back and moans, making my dick twitch. “But this is lovely. And you’re very sweet to me. I’m sorry I’m so grouchy in the morning.”

“I need you to get up and pack a bag,” I inform her before I strip naked and pound her into the mattress until neither of us can feel our legs. “The sooner, the better.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m taking you somewhere, just for the weekend. Nowhere fancy. In fact, think very casual. Just the basics.”

She tips her head, studying me with her hands wrapped around her hot cup. “Casual and basic.” She thinks about it as she takes another sip of her coffee. “Okay. Do you have to go pack?”

“I’m ready to go when you are.” I climb off the bed and smile down at her. “And I’m anxious to get on the road.”

“Where are we going?”

“Don’t worry, you won’t need your passport.”

“You know,” she says two hours later as we sit on the ferry and watch Seattle disappear into the water behind us. “I’ve never been on a ferry.”

“Really?”

“Nope. It’s kind of fun.”

I drape my arm over her shoulders, and she leans into me, resting her head against me. I bury my lips in her hair and take a deep breath, taking in the smell of her.

“How often have you been to the San Juans?” she asks. I had to tell her where we were going once we got to the ferry. Her face lit up with excitement.

“A few times,” I reply. “I’ve never been where we’re staying, though. It has great reviews, and it’s close to the beach as well as other things like hiking if you’re interested.”

“I even brought appropriate shoes,” she says with a chuckle. “And I’m warning you, I brought very little makeup. Mostly just skincare stuff. You said we were taking the weekend off, and for me, that means little makeup.”

“Excellent.” I kiss her head again. “You’re gorgeous with or without the makeup.”

“And you’re charming,” she murmurs. “Can I ask some questions?”

“You can ask all of the questions, anytime you want to.”

She pulls away so she can see my face. “Even if they’re questions about your ex?”

“Sure.” Being honest with her is always my intention, even if it makes me uncomfortable.

“I wouldn’t normally ask, but after seeing her last night, I’m curious.”

“I understand.” I brush a piece of her hair off her cheek. “Go ahead.”

She looks out at the water as if she’s pulling her thoughts together.

“You’ve already told me what led to the divorce, so I don’t have any questions about that. Infidelity is a deal-breaker, every time.”

“Agreed.”

“I guess it’s interesting to me because your brothers do not like her. Did they like her before the divorce?”

“I think they liked her in the beginning.” I also stare out at the water, thinking it over. “They were always kind to her because she was mine.” I feel Amelia tense up next to me and I glance her way. “Are you sure you want to talk about this?”

“Of course.”

“I think she was different back then. She looked horrible last night. She never used to try so damn hard to look young.”

“It only makes her look older,” Amelia’s voice is soft.

“You’re right. She did always have a bit of an attitude, and there were moments that her snarky side would come out, and I’d have to tell her to reel it in.

“But when we were married, and things were good, she never turned the snark on me. Does that make sense?”

She nods, waiting for me to continue.

“I never planned to divorce her. Not until the day I walked in to see her fucking the pool guy on the kitchen counter.”

Amelia gasps and stares up at me in horror.

“Yeah, pretty clichéd, right?” The outrage doesn’t come back like it used to when I think back on it. “Leading up to that day, we’d had a couple of rough years. I wanted kids, and she didn’t.”

“You didn’t talk about that before you got married?”

“Oh, we did.” I nod and then shrug. “But she claimed to change her mind. I felt the distance growing over time.”

“But you were committed to staying.”

“Of course. Marriage is serious to me, Amelia. I married her for better or worse, ’til death parted us. It’s kind of a big deal.”

“I agree, and I’m not saying that it’s not a big deal. It’s the biggest deal. But I think that a lot of people these days assume they’ll get married, and then if it doesn’t work out . . . oh well, we’ll just get a divorce.”

I nod. “You’re right. Some do feel that way. I’m not one of them.”

The ride on the ferry is smooth. The sun is shining, and sailboats glide by. We can see islands in the distance.

“Why do your brothers call her Cruella?” she asks with a smile.

“Because it’s funny.”

“It really is,” she replies and chuckles. “Do you see her often?”

“No.” I pull her back into my arms and hug her close. “I hadn’t seen her since the day the divorce was final. Of course, I would run into her the day I was with you.”