Jayce

Jayce

I know that this is going to be hard for Namid, maybe harder than he realizes, so I've tried my best to make arrangements that might help. It's late afternoon by the time we finally finish driving, and I can tell that the past few days have taken a toll. Namid has never traveled like this before.

He raises an eyebrow in my direction as we come to a stop in the half-empty underground parking lot of a fancy downtown condo complex.

"I know that a hotel would probably be hard on you, so I did some research and found this short-term rental for the week instead. It's a top floor, corner apartment, so the only people who might be close enough for you to feel are the older couple who lives across the hall and the single, twenty-something university student directly underneath our place. I checked with the landlord."

Namid surges across the seat to throw his arms around me and crush his lips to mine .

"Thank you." His voice trembles quietly.

"Anything for you, sweetheart."

His lips curl into a smile against mine as he nips at me before pulling away.

It will take all day tomorrow to unload and reassemble the sculptures at the gallery, so I'm just going to have to hope that they're safe enough in the bed of the truck overnight. We did have to punch in a code to get into the garage, so hopefully, none of the building's residents think that hundreds of pounds of steel wrapped in canvas is worth taking.

Although there were a handful of pictures online, I'm still surprised by the spacious beauty of the apartment. It has one large bedroom with a fluffy king bed and a master bathroom with a separate shower and tub - both of which look like they can easily hold two large men - and I'm very much looking forward to getting Namid naked and into each of them at least once on this trip. The living space is an open floor plan kitchen, dining area, and living room complete with cushy sofas, reading chairs next to fully stocked bookshelves, and a gourmet kitchen. The highlight, though, is the window seating. One entire wall of the apartment is composed of floor-to-ceiling picture windows, and running their length is a cushioned leather bench that even extends a few feet in the other direction in the one corner that has windows in the shape of an L.

"Jayce, this place is incredible!"

"Yeah? How is it for you? I mean, can you feel too many people, or are you going to be okay here? "

"It's perfect. The neighbors are home; I can feel all three of them, but barely. With the distance and having you here with me, I hardly even notice them."

"Thank God." I laughingly groan in relief. "I was so worried that this trip would be a bad experience for you because we couldn't stay far enough away from people."

"I don't think it's going to be an issue at all. I don't know how you managed to find this place, but it's better than anything I expected."

I slip my arms around Namid's waist, pulling him close, his lithe body instantly molding to my own larger form. I've only gotten to hold him like this for seven weeks, but he's so perfect for me. Everything about him is so perfect. He already feels like he's meant to be mine, and I want to hold him for the rest of my life.

"It took a long…long time and so…so much effort to find the perfect place," I mumble against his lips. "I definitely think you probably owe me some kind of thank you for all of my hard work."

The laugh that rolls through his chest is deep and smooth, and I tighten my arms around him instinctively. I need to feel that sound again. I need it to vibrate along my skin and settle into my bones until it becomes a part of my soul.

"I suppose that can be arranged." His voice is dripping with innuendo.

"Do you think there is a Hallmark store nearby so that I can buy you a card? "

"Baby, I'm insulted." I growl and nip at his bottom lip. "This place is definitely worth at least a couple of roses."

His lips are already crushed against mine as his whisper crawls over my skin. "A dozen at least."

We only manage to pull ourselves apart once our lips are red and our breath is fast from the thrill of pressing against one another. We unload the food from the coolers and hang our clothes in the closet before deciding that we should take advantage of being in the city and order delivery for supper. We settle on a Thai restaurant; it's something Namid has only tried making for himself a handful of times, and I've only had it once on a road trip. This week together seems like the perfect time for us to explore new things.

We're both tired from the long few days of traveling, and tomorrow is going to be one more exhausting day unloading and reassembling everything at the gallery before we get to relax into vacation mode. Our sleep schedules were so different at the start of our relationship that we've had to work to find a compromise that works for both of us, but tonight, we're both ready to crawl into bed long before our normal one a.m. bedtime. It's barely eleven when we strip, shower together, and slide into one another's arms. Although, in fairness, by the time we drift off, clinging to one another, sticky and sweaty and sated, it's probably close enough to one a.m. to count.