Crash and Burn (1)

you make me strong too, lace

**Soooo... how was everyone's holidays? 😘

I MISSED YOU ALL!! ❤️❤️

♚ ♛

"LACEY."

My lashes fluttered with the soft murmur.

"Laaaaaacey."

I let out a long sigh as featherlight kisses danced along my stomach.

"Ay, mami."

There it was.

Fisting his curls between my fingers, I tugged until he let out a strained chuckle.

"Calloway," I mumbled groggily, opening my eyes to find him above me—slithering out of my loose grip and dragging his teeth along the waistband of my sweatpants.

Each slow, lingering touch had me sinking further into the sheets, sighing in a mixture of relief and pleasure. I could really get used to waking up like this.

"Buenos días, mi Reina."

How was it possible that a simple greeting could almost stop my heart?

Breathe.

Soren Calloway was a runaway train that had fucking crashed. For four days, he'd done nothing but babble Spanglish and try to kiss me. He didn't stop moving or talking or thinking or loving.

As he gazed up at me from between my legs, a soft smile toyed at my lips. "Buenos días."

Somehow, we had settled into something so domestic and simple that I found myself wishing it could last forever. Picking through old books and drawing supplies lead to reading and sketching, but Soren always ended up in some crazy conversation about anything and nothing at all.

Soren Calloway wasn't a materialistic person. He never needed things to entertain himself. Lying in this bed, he'd been content with rambling on about something as irrelevant as the price of bananas. We'd gone in circles for days about things that didn't matter to anyone.

Soren was a sucker for conversation and contact.

A finger poked my cheek, bringing me out of my daze. Suddenly, two stormy oceans were inches away. Swallowing me whole. "Lacey. Mi esposa."

He pecked my lips quickly before swiveling away. Hovering over me slightly, Soren stilled halfway down my body and his brows furrowed cutely as he assessed my bare stomach.

And then he poked it.

"When are you going to start... growing?"

He poked me again.

Rolling my eyes, I tried to yank the long shirt back down over my stomach, but Soren moved quicker.

Both of his hands shot out to pin mine beside me. Nothing faltered. No, he was still staring my belly button down as if it was the newest marvel in the universe.

As I wriggled beneath him, I muttered dryly, "I guess you're feeling better."

Tilting his head up, Soren gave me that grin I'd seen so much of in the past few days—a dazed, drunken grin that told me more than words ever could.

"Lace, I feel like I'm on top of the world."

I wanted to laugh.

Only Soren could feel like he was on top of the world just days after almost dying.

As far as I knew, the wound wasn't infected. Every day, he'd gotten a little brighter and little bouncier. I knew it was killing him to stay still. Which was why he always ended up grinning at me from above.