Page 43 of Broken Heart

At the mention of sleep, all I could think about was being in a bed with Skye and feeling her naked body curled up against mine.

Maybe it was smart for us to head out. If not, I’d likely spend the rest of my time here thinking about all the things I’d want to do to her in that very bed.

Taking her by the hand, we walked off the dancefloor. We stopped by our table, so Skye could grab her purse, and before I knew it, we’d left the hotel and were on our way back to her place.

As I drove, Skye didn’t hesitate to fill the silence. “So, what exactly is on the agenda tomorrow? How do you typically celebrate your birthday?”

Laughter escaped before I had the chance to stop it. “That always changes from one year to the next. All I can say is that birthdays are a big deal in my family. In fact, everything that could possibly be celebrated gets celebrated. It’s rarely simple.

“Are you serious?” she asked.

My lips twitched. “Wait until you meet my family tomorrow. You’ll understand better what I’m talking about.”

“Okay. Well, how should I dress? I don’t need to wear another ball gown, do I?”

I laughed again. “No. We’re just going to be doing a cookout at my parents’ place so you can keep it casual. The only thing that you might want to bring along is a swimsuit.”

“A swimsuit?”

“It’s July 1st, and we’re having an outdoor party,” I explained. “Everyone is bound to jump in the pool at some point throughout the day. If you choose not to, it’s no big deal, but I wouldn’t want you to miss out on the fun.”

“Well, crap,” she muttered. “If I had realized I was going to need to put on a bathing suit, I might have had one or two less dinner rolls tonight.”

We’d pulled to a stop, so my eyes immediately cut to her to discern whether she was being serious. I could see a tinge of worry in her features.

“Are you serious?” I countered.

“Um, kind of,” she answered hesitantly.

I had to tamp down the frustration I could feel building inside of me. My mind was instantly filled with questions about what would make her feel any insecurity about her body.

“What would ever make you think you’re anything less than stunning, sweetheart?” I asked, hoping my voice didn’t give away my true feelings.

She swallowed hard just as the light changed. Once I started driving again, she insisted, “I’m not suggesting there’s anything necessarily wrong with me, but?—”

“Good. Because there isn’t anything wrong with you or your body,” I said, the words coming out a bit harsher than I had intended.

Following a beat of silence, Skye explained, “It’s just that I’m not exactly very tall, and I’m not particularly slender. That’s not to say that I think I’m overweight or anything, but I love food, and I have some curves.”

“Yeah, you do. And they’re fucking gorgeous.”

God, my palms itched to hold her hips or squeeze her ass. I could only hope I’d be able to bury my face in her tits one day soon. When it came to her physical form, Skye was everything I could have wanted in a woman.

Her voice was just a touch over a whisper when she said, “Thank you.”

I reached across the center console, sought out her hand, and after I found it, I gave her a reassuring squeeze. “Look, if you truly feel uncomfortable about it, you don’t have to. But everyone else there is going to end up in the pool, and I think you’ll be disappointed if you don’t at least come prepared. All of that said, you’d make my birthday if you donned a swimsuit for even just a little.”

“Alright. I’ll think about it,” she promised, a bit more confidence back in her voice.

A couple minutes later, we arrived at her place. After opening her door for her, I walked Skye to her front door. Once we were there, she turned toward me and said, “Thank you for such a wonderful night tonight, Cooper. I had a great time with you.”

I smiled at her. “You’re welcome. And it was the same for me with you.”

She twisted slightly and pushed her key into the lock. Just before she opened the door, I reached for her wrist and called, “Skye?”

“Yeah?”

My eyes roamed over her face, taking in every beautiful feature. I felt a tremendous amount of anxiety at the thought of what I was about to do, worried that I might ruin what had been an incredible night. But I knew I’d feel even worse if I walked away from her tonight and didn’t say what I wanted to say.

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