Chapter 31

-Jianna-

**2007**

I woke up and James was still holding me. I know his arm must be numbed by now. I turned around to face him. I was sure that my stirring would wake him up but he didn't. He was fast asleep. He's probably still tired from the drive and the happenings last night. But, it also gave me time to admire his features without feeling conscious about it.

He has sharp features, like his jaw, but it has a softness to it as well. I wanted to trace his jaw with my fingers but I didn't want to wake him. I touched his lips ever so lightly and it was soft and smooth. I watched him sleep for a few more minutes. His chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm. I leaned in closer, wanting to kiss him, but I didn't want to wake him up. Instead, I rested my head on his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. It was comforting and reassuring.

But then, I felt his hand move and he pulled me closer to him, burying his face in my hair. He let out a contented sigh and I thought he was awake, but I could still feel his chest go up and down in a rhythmic pattern of sleep.

"J..." he whispered.

I slowly lifted my head and looked at him, trying to see if he was awake. He just said my name in his sleep. I wondered if he was dreaming of me. It made me giggle. I guess I should let him dream of me some more.

I slowly took his heavy arm off of me and quietly got up from the bed. I looked back to make sure he was still asleep, then I tiptoed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and freshen up for breakfast. I was sure we'd missed the 8 AM breakfast call already but that's ok. We have all the time in the world.

I didn't realize that I'd left the door ajar until I turned around and saw a peek of James through the opening of the door. He had his arm behind his head and he had a smile on his face that I couldn't figure out.

I got out of the bathroom and smiled at him.

"Morning." I mused

"Morning." he smiled.

I felt my cheeks warm up. It's like we were newlyweds and it was the awkward morning after.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked. He shifted and the blanket fell a little bit and it revealed the upper part of his body. It appears he's taken off his shirt. Damn.

I couldn't help but let my eyes linger on his exposed skin. He noticed and smirked at me.

"Like what you see?" he teased.

I rolled my eyes and tried to act like I wasn't affected by his nakedness, but I was melting inside. I tried to play it off and I laughed.

"I've seen better." I grinned.

James chuckled and sat up, revealing more of his chest. I couldn't help but bite my lip at the sight. He noticed my reaction and raised an eyebrow.

I tried to change the subject to get myself composed.

"We better get dressed and head down for breakfast," I said, throwing him a shirt and breaking me out of my trance.

He grinned and grabbed his watch from the nightstand beside him.

"I think we're a little late for breakfast, J" he tutted. "I guess we're going to have to find something in town on the way out of here."

He got up from the bed and I got a full view of his chiseled body. He walked towards me, I couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by his physique. He towered over me, and I felt small in comparison. But, it was also a thrilling feeling. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. It was like he was a work of art that I couldn't help but admire.

"So, where to first?" James asked as he put a shirt on, interrupting my thoughts.

I paused for a moment, trying to collect my bearings. "Um, I was thinking we could check out the local shops and maybe grab a bite to eat. What do you think?" I said, pretending I was looking for something in the only bag we had.

"We can't stay here long J. You know that. We have to keep moving." he reminded me of our predicament, which I seemed to have forgotten. It felt like we were just having a nice vacation as a couple.

"Can't we just have one more night of normalcy before we go into hiding? We already got rid of our phones and we're in the middle of nowhere, I don't think they're going to find us anytime soon. Please, James?" I pleaded. I just wanted to have another normal day. A day where we're not looking over our shoulders.

"J..." he sounded pressed.

"James, please?" I plead my case again.

He gave a heavy sigh, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Fine. But just one more night. And then we have to get going. Ok?" James compromised.

I got excited and jumped up from the sofa and hugged him. It was a split-second reaction and I can tell he was surprised.

"Yay! Thank you." I said excitedly. I buried my face in his chest and I felt his heartbeat quicken.

I looked up at him and he was looking down at me. The sunshine from the windows was making his green eyes lighter and brighter. We gazed at each other and after what seemed like forever, he leaned in and his lips met mine. I closed my eyes, my breath hitched and my heart pounded.

He kissed me softly at first and then he pulled back. He looked at me,

"I'm sorry. I...I didn't mean to do that." he whispered.

I looked at him and giggled.

"Just shut up and fucking kiss me already." I breathed.

He beamed. "Yes ma'am."