Page 35 of Wish You Would

Sparks shot up into my abdomen. I gasped, my touch faster. “Yes,” I hissed, turning my head to bury my face in my pillow.

Yes, she’d whimper, her hands in my hair, holding me in place as I hit the right spot. More. Please.

I’d oblige, fingers delving into her, finding her hot and soaking.

Slipping my fingers lower, I thrust them into my pussy, grinding my palm against my clit. My heels dug into the mattress as I raised my hips. So close. I was so close.

“That’s it,” I whispered, and I didn’t know if I was talking to myself or the phantom of Parker in my mind. “Just like that.”

And then I exploded. Flashes of light sprayed behind my eyelids, interspersed with visions of Parker, head thrown back, mouth open on a moan as she came on my fingers, on my face.

It was a piercing release, sharp and strong and intense. I clenched my thighs tight around my hand, my other hand gripping my sheets tight as I rode the wave to its crash landing.

As I came down, breathing ragged, heart slamming, I blinked my eyes open. Slowly, I oriented myself back to the moment. To reality. To the burgeoning light coming in the window and the sounds of Luke getting up for the day.

As reality hit, I went cold. Shame was more effective than an ice bucket poured over my head.

“Shit,” I muttered, pushing into a sitting position. Bringing a hand to my face, I scrubbed my eyes, trying to rid myself of the explicit thoughts that had taken over. It felt wrong, thinking of her in that way. Sweet, lovely Parker, who didn’t even know how to flirt. Who’d baked three different kinds of cookies because she wasn’t sure which one I liked best.

Who looked at me like she’d die without my kiss.

She wasn’t mine to fantasize about.

But, god, I wanted her to be.

“Fuck.” Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I shook the last vestiges of orgasm from my body. The last wisps of fantasy, too.

Because that was all it’d ever be.

“Damn,” Dante said as I walked into work later that night. “You look like you got hit by a bus.”

“Feel like it, too.” I ducked into the office to drop my shit off, and circled back into the kitchen. “How’re things going?” I flicked my gaze toward Kai, who had their back to us while they prepped for open.

“Good, good.” He threw his hand towel over his shoulder and joined me on the outskirts of the kitchen. “Kid’s got it down to a science.”

I leaned a shoulder against his and watched as Kai went about their tasks, bopping along to whatever song they had playing in their headphones. Gone was the bumbling baby gazelle that spent the first three weeks of their employ spilling mop buckets and dropping glasses. A new confidence had taken shape. They were like the Simone Biles of the kitchen.

Nodding, I faced Dante with my own newfound confidence. “You up for training at the bar tonight?”

He whirled to face me. “You serious?”

“Yeah, I’m serious.” I met his eyes, alight with surprise. “I talked to Vaughn. He said that as long as we’re both sure Kai can handle things back here, he’s thrilled to move you up.”

Emotion creased across his face, surprise and happiness in every smile line and crinkle around his eyes. “Thank you,” he said, putting a hand to his chest.

“Don’t get all sappy on me.” I shoved him away, a huge smile fighting its way onto my face. “Just do a damn good job.”

“You know I will.”

I nodded, certainty like a warm blanket. “I know.”

We stood there for a few seconds, face-to-face, grinning like idiots at each other, until Kai spoke up.

“What’s going on?” they asked, their eyes on us.

“Kai, my pal, I’ve got big news for you.” Dante crossed the kitchen and slapped a hand on Kai’s shoulder. I watched from afar as they spoke, smiling again as the kid grinned, wide and joyful. Dante leaned closer, seemingly imparting wisdom, and they nodded, concentration on their cute face.

Something inside me ballooned up, warm and bright. Folding my arms tighter over my chest, I nodded to myself. This, I thought as I headed up front, was the right call.

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