24. River

24

RIVER

The engine rumbles off.

“All right, gentlemen. Can you just say it now? Just say it once?” Tobey presses his hands together in prayer.

“You were right,” I tell the badass vet.

“And you will always be our Navy Seal,” Owen seconds.

“Thank you,” he says, like we’ve given him his greatest wish.

Owen and I grab our bags, hop out, and say goodbye to the magic dog-van dude.

Then, we toss our things in my car, and head into the cabin. As soon as the door swings open, I set my hand on my heart. “I want to bronze this cabin.”

Owen barks out a laugh. “Man, you are weird sometimes.”

I grab his hand, tug him backward to me. “Shut up. I’m romantic.”

“You think bronzing a cabin is romantic? No, that’s weird. Even you can’t spin that one.”

I turn him around. “I can’t help it if I’m more romantic than you.”

Owen rolls his eyes.

“I just have a special place in my heart for our Fun Cabin. Wait. Better yet, let’s call it The Sex Cabin.”

“And really, what else should a cabin do but give its services to the cause of good sex?” Owen asks.

“Hottie,” I say, admonishing him, “it was great sex.”

“I know. Just wanted to see if you were paying attention.”

“I am.” I hum, tapping my chin as I survey the home where I experienced not only that great sex, but also the fantastic realization that I’d fallen in love with this amazing man. “Since we had agreed not to talk about what was happening at first, what if we call this Fight Club Sex Cabin?”

Owen grins. “Yes, but we’re not bronzing it. We want to use it again. Ergo, we need to be good guests at Chateau Fight Club Sex Cabin.”

And good guests we are for the next hour as we run the laundry, wash the towels and sheets, then make the bed in the guest room.

We check on the hot tub, making sure it’s covered.

Leave the cupboards open, and the faucets on a drip.

Then set a fresh bottle of champagne on the counter with a card we grabbed at the store.

Dear Cyndi and Tyler,

Your cabin is lovely! Thank you so much for letting us stay here that snowy night! We were so lucky to have this wonderful place to escape to. We left a few gifts for you to say thanks!

Love,

River and Owen

“There,” I say, setting the card on the counter. “We are the best guests ever.”

Owen surveys the place, nodding as he checks it out. “Maybe someday we’ll come back.”

I drape an arm around his shoulder. “Oh, I would love to come again.”

He laughs. “Speaking of, let’s hit the road. The sooner we’re back in San Francisco, the sooner we can do just that.”

We get in my car, and I plug my sister’s address into Waze. The snow has melted, the roads are clear, and I’m happy to be going home like this.

But there is one little thing we’re going to need to sort out.

As we leave Markleeville, I throw down the first important debate for our return road trip. “All right, hottie. We need a new rule.”

“To supersede the Harry and Rod rule?” Owen asks as I merge onto the highway taking us south. “Because sex is a humongous gamble a couple must decide to take.”

“Yes. We gambled and it’s worth it, so we are throwing it out,” I say, miming tossing something out the window. “Writing a new one.”

“So that’s it? The rule is just done? Finito? Because we broke it? Because we rolled the dice?”

“Yes. Obvs. We won big. So we need a new rule. A new pact, if you will.”

Owen strokes his chin, like he’s deep in thought. “I’ve got it. I believe you came up with it last night.”

“I did? I’m a genius and I don’t even know it?”

“Evidently.”

I beckon with my fingers. “Serve it up. What is my great genius? Don’t keep it from me. Don’t you dare, Owen Hayes.”

He chuckles softly, dipping his head. “I like it when you say my full name. I like it when you call me cutie. I always have. I like it when you call me hottie.” My boyfriend turns to me, sets a hand lightly on my thigh. “I even like it when you call me baby during sex. And I’ve never been into that.”

“I say that?” That doesn’t sound like me. “I don’t do that.”

A gleam flashes in his eyes. “You do it with me.”

“Wow. I didn’t even realize it. I’m just so in the moment with you, and all these words of affection pour forth. See what you do to me, cutie?”

Owen squeezes my thigh, then lets go, smiling. “I do. I do see it.”

“You get me so worked up I babble. I can’t stop talking when we’re in bed. It’s all just so good with you.”

“Keep talking in bed, River,” he says, then stage whispers, “ It works .”

“Duly noted. Or should I say... dirty noted . Anyway, what’s my genius?”

“Last night you said you didn’t want to lose me. And your solution was you’d have to be the best boyfriend ever.”

“I did say that,” I say, taking his hand, holding it, squeezing my fingers through his.

“So I think our new Harry and Rod rule is just that. And I have a name for it too. But first, the rule is just to be good to each other. To treat each other well. To take care of each other in bed and out of bed,” Owen says, and he’s so damn swoony that if I weren’t driving, I would kiss him senseless.

But I can use words. “You deserve to be kissed senseless,” I tell him.

“Can you put that on your schedule tonight in San Francisco? Say, around seven, when we’re back in the city?”

“I can, and I will. You also deserve Bugatti blow jobs and sex that’s better than cake, and you deserve to have your body worshipped by my tongue,” I say, and he lets out a low growl of appreciation. I squeeze his hand harder. “And to go to Santa Fe and check out immersive art, and to meet me for coffee and London Fog lattes, but consider yourself warned that you’re going to be subjected to a lot of PDA from your boyfriend when we’re out in public. But I will also make you a big, fat promise, Owen Hayes.”

“Have at it.”

I tear my gaze from the road for a second. “I will never kiss you with garlic breath.”

“Ah,” he says, affecting a broken sigh, like he’s choking up. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“Get ready. There’s a lot more where that came from. I don’t just have a big dick. I have a big heart. And you get both.”

“Bring them on,” Owen says.

“Speaking of, I might have to revise my Big Dick Law too.”

“The one where the bigger the dick, the bigger the dick?” he asks, proving once again that he knows me so well.

“That’s the one.”

Owen scoffs, grabs his crotch. “River Michaels, I am going to make you eat those words every single day.”

I groan appreciatively. “You better.”

My boyfriend and I chat the rest of the way to my sister’s house, enjoying every second of this brand-new pact.

The one he says we should call the boyfriend pact.

I’m so glad he took the chance with me.