Page 60 of Baby Love

“The deal that Khun Hom made with us today has to do with my father. She told me that if you and I agreed to sign on as a shipped couple for the next five years, SPPT would pay off my father to leave me alone. So, I should be able to move back into my apartment when we return from the beach.”

P’Park frowns. “But what if I hadn’t agreed? Why didn’t Khun Hom tell me anything about that?”

“I asked her not to. I didn’t want you to make your decision based on what it would do for me.”

“What would you have done if I hadn’t accepted the offer?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. I’m glad you want to stay with me.”

P’Park’s gaze drops from my eyes to my mouth, lingering there a moment before he clears his throat and rolls over to turn off the lamp on his side of the bed.

Suddenly struck by how much I owe him, I touch his arm. “Thank you for giving me a place to stay. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t. Bass has moved back with his parents now that his father’s health has declined, and Cushion has a roommate. Obviously, Kiet’s out.” I sigh. I really miss Kiet, and it still hurts that he picked Daw over me. If Daw were a better person, I might understand it, but if that were the case, I would get along with her and we wouldn’t have a problem.

“It’s no trouble,” P’Park says. “You don’t have to keep thanking me, and you don’t owe me anything. Anya loves having you here. She’s going to be sad when you leave.”

I lean over to turn off the light on my side, and I must push too hard because the heavy lamp tips. P’Park lunges over me to grab it before it falls, and when he turns to look at me, lying underneath him with my breath caught in my throat and every cell of my body aware of the weight and warmth of him, his face flushes pink. It’s cute. We stare into each other’s eyes for several beats before he slowly lowers his lips to mine, pausing a breath away as though to give me time to say no. As if.

Lifting my head, I press my lips to his. Even as I register the softness of P’Park’s lips, my brain is screaming, This is a real kiss, not rehearsal. P’Park is kissing me because he wants to! My heart flutters like a butterfly in a jar as our mouths move together languidly, tasting each other, P’Park being careful not to rest his full weight on me. When we finally part, we don’t talk about it, but P’Park laces our fingers together, and we fall asleep that way.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Park

I’m not sure what came over me that made me kiss Spin. I agreed to sign the contract because I like the idea of working with Spin for the next five years. I was a little surprised that Khun Hom would make that offer before Heartbeat even finished filming, but I put it down to the company wanting to get their ducks in a row after the recent upheaval with the PrinceGift ship. Spin telling me he wouldn’t allow the real reason for the offer to influence my decision really touched me. Day by day, my feelings for him have grown until, when I found myself pressed against him in my bed and looking into his eyes, I just couldn’t help myself.

And Spin kissed me back. We fell asleep holding hands, and at that moment I felt more content than I have in years. When I woke up this morning, Spin was cuddled into my side, and it took everything I had to pull away from him and get out of bed to start breakfast. More than anything, I wanted to stay there with him. As I take the congee that I prepared earlier in the week out of the refrigerator and transfer some of it into a pot, I imagine what it would be like to roll over in bed and spend long moments kissing him awake, soaking up his warmth, our morning erections rubbing together under the covers. Slowly, we’d move our hips until the friction would get us off, and then we’d lie in each other’s arms, spent and out of breath.

Face heating at the images in my head, I concentrate on thinning the congee with some pork broth and heating it on the stove. Then I soft-boil a couple of eggs in it, add some diced green onion and garlic, and divide the mixture into three bowls just as Anya shuffles into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

“Is P’Spin awake?” she immediately asks.

“Don’t I get a good morning before you ask about P’Spin?” I tease her.

“Good morning, P,” she says, hugging me around the waist before sitting at the table.

“Good morning, Nong. P’Spin is still asleep, but I’m going to wake him up to eat with us.” I set her bowl in front of her. “This is hot, so blow on it before you eat.” Wiping my hands on a dish towel, I go to the bedroom and find Spin awake and making the bed.

“Breakfast is ready,” I tell him before going back to the kitchen.

So domestic. It’s going to feel lonely when he goes home.

As we eat, I listen to Spin and Anya talk about animals.

“P’Spin,” Anya suddenly says, “are you going to live with us forever?”

“No, I’m going to have to go back to my apartment. But you can visit me there.”

I glance at my sister. She looks unhappy but she doesn’t cry.

Ruffling her hair, I say, “Go get dressed. It just so happens we have the day free today.” I look at Spin. “Do you have plans?”

“No. What do you have in mind?”

“I was thinking we might go someplace fun like…the zoo.”

Anya lets out a shriek.

“I have a couple of free passes to Sea Life Aquarium,” Spin says.

Anya is so excited, she starts jumping up and down. “Really? The place with all the fish?”

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