Page 55 of Make Me Dream of You

“Are you okay?” I ask.

Livvy lifts her eyes from her phone as she lays it face down on the couch next to her. “I’m fine.” She smiles then turns to the TV.

Camber just walked in on Braxton canoodling with Sierra in the hot tub. I never even used the word ‘canoodling’ until this show.

Livvy and I groan simultaneously as the episode ends and we’ll have to wait to see the aftermath until next week.

She turns it off, the little crease between her brows still there as she chews her bottom lip some more.

“You sure you’re okay?”

She releases her lip from her teeth. “Yeah. I’ve just got stuff on my mind.”

“Me, too. Let’s distract each other.”

“How—”

I grab her foot by the ankle and extend her leg toward me. She squeals and pulls it back.

“What are you doing?”

“Give me your foot.”

“Don’t tickle it. I’m super ticklish.”

I wasn’t planning on tickling her, but now… “You shouldn’t have told me that.”

She yelps when I touch her foot again.

“I won’t tickle you.”

“Promise?”

“I promise. Just give me your foot.”

She stretches it toward my lap slowly, eyeing me the whole time. I pick up the permanent marker from the coffee table as I steady her foot on my thigh. It’s a pretty foot. I’m not into feet, and I’ve never thought they were pretty, but hers are. That’s a weird thought. I try to push my conversation with Angel out of my head.

“What should I draw?” I ask as I take the lid off with my teeth.

“Hm. You pick.”

I grin, looking at her from under my lashes. “Okay.”

She giggles when the felt tip touches the top of her foot and tries to wiggle away from me as I draw the first line. I shoot her a look.

“Hold still for me. Can you do that?”

She nods.

“Good girl.”

She bites that fucking bottom lip again when I say it. But she holds still as I start to draw again. Don’t think too much about how well she responded to being called “good girl,” Noah.

She wants to laugh and squirm but after a few minutes she relaxes. Fifteen minutes later I’m happy with the little design.

“All done.”

Livvy sits up and looks at the “tattoo” I gave her.

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