His fingers tickling my back and then lower, finding my ass, woke me.
I opened my eyes and immediately realized how cool it was. When I looked around I saw the shadows were long.
"Jesus," I said, "how long did I sleep?"
He kissed me.
"A couple of hours," he said.
I stretched and only then realized that I was naked. I instinctively reached for the edge of the blanket to cover myself but he caught my hand instead, not allowing me to.
"Paula," he said in that "serious" voice of his, "you don't need to cover yourself up. You are a truly beautiful woman."
I could feel myself blushing but I didn't dispute him. At that instant, I actually felt beautiful for the first time in my life.
I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the moment. His fingertips finding my nipple and then feeling how quickly the nipple and areola tightened were slightly distracting, but I kept my eyes closed and just reveled in the feelings I was having.
And they were nice feelings.
"Will I see you again?" I asked, not opening my eyes.
He laughed, a long, loud belly laugh.
That got me to open my eyes and look up at him.
"Oh Paula," he said, and couldn't finish because he was laughing again.
I watched him, not knowing how to take this.
Finally, he got himself under control.
"Oh Paula," he started again, "that is exactly what I was going to ask you. If it's my choice, then," and he stopped and bent to kiss me, "yes. Yes. Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes."
Each "yes" was accompanied by a little kiss.
And I was crying again.
"Goddamit," I said through my tears, "what have you done to me? I really REALLY am not a crier."
"No," he said, "you're the ugly duckling finally emerging as a swan, and you're being overwhelmed."
That stopped me.
"What are you, some sort of a shrink?" I asked.
And again there was that chuckle deep in his throat.