Page 184 of The Snowball Effect

“Only because I was respecting your boundaries andnotinitiating sex until you were ready! If you hadn’t wanted to take things slower, I would have dragged you into my bed after our first date.” RegandaredEmma to disagree; she knew she had the upper hand, here.

Emma’s lips pulled into a pouting frown. “You can’t prove that.”

“The comeback queen,” Regan teased.

“I thought you were in love with me,” Emma groused. “Doesn’t that mean you should be nicer to me?”

“I’m sorry. How about I go down on you until you can’t remember that I ever teased you?” She offered, biting her lip as she looked up at Emma through her eyelashes.

And –fuck, she’d been saying it as a tease, but as soon as she voiced it, the very idea of that offer zipped through Regan like a wildfire.

Making Emma come in her mouth had been Regan’s favorite discovery and was quickly becoming her favorite pastime. She had a very busy and active mouth, and what better way to put it to use?

It was also the most effective way she believed she would ever have to rendering Emma into a an agreeable puddle, and Regan was absolutely in love with that.

Emma’s mouth fell open with a trembling breath, her pupils dilating, and Regan was ready to drop to her knees right here and now. She wanted to, viscerally, especially on the heels of her love confession. On the heels of Emma sticking up to Regan’s parents on her behalf.

Yes, after the last twenty minutes, Regan was fairly certain she wasn’t going to be sated tonight until she’d rendered Emma a shaking, whimpering mess.

Slowly arching her eyebrow, she started to dip down to her knees…

Only to find herself stopped, as Emma reached out, her hands landing on Regan’s shoulders. “Wait. Stop. I…” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, clearly gathering her wits. “Idothink that sounds incredibly appealing.”

Her voice was low as she slid one of her hands up and rubbed her thumb over Regan’s bottom lip, the touch sending tingles down Regan’s spine.

Emma shook her head. “But, today has been – a lot. You worked all day, you accepted an offer to make that cake for Kimberly’s neighbor’s party, your parents, and then you – um, you telling me…” Emma rolled her lips, cheeks turning an attractive shade of pink. “Let’s take a breather. You and me, on the non-defiled couch, and just – let me have a few minutes with you and decompress.”

Regan’s heart stuttered in her chest, as she nodded up at Emma. “I’d like that.”

She reached out, interlacing their fingers together, and feeling the whirlwind of emotions she’d been through in a very short period of time today, calm.

Emma operated at a three, and she operated at a seven, and the two of them together gravitated toward a five, and Regan thought that was good for her.

“To be clear, though, I’m going to get to celebrate my being in love with you by making you come in my mouth later?” She asked, dead seriously, as they walked toward the couch.

“It’s literally going to be my pleasure.”

twenty-eight

Emma watchedBrynn pack up her desk, feeling a very unexpected pang of sadness in her chest.

“I’m a little surprised at how much I’m going to miss you,” she murmured, rolling with the feeling. If Regan had taught her anything, it was that making someone feel good about themselves could be as simple as sharing your true – positive – feelings about them.

Granted, it still made Emma feel a little too exposed, but she was working on that.

Brynn smiled at her, her eyebrows lifting with that expression that said she was a little surprised, herself. “Wow. Fromsomewhat friendsto you’re going to miss me, in a month? Emma, you are truly a dark horse.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t make me regret it.”

“That feels more like it.” Brynn ran her hand over her forehead with faux-relief. Still, her smile gentled into something more genuine, as she returned, “I’m a little surprised at how much I’m going to miss you, too.”

Brynn zipped up her bag. “I’m sure, in fairness, you’re going to miss me a little more. Given that you’re about to get a newbie to sit across from all day, and there is simply no way they’regoing to be as wonderful to share this confined space with as I am.”

Emma scoffed out a laugh, shaking her head. “Yep, and there goes any potential sappy feelings from the goodbye.”

Brynn grinned back, unashamed. “It’s hardly a goodbye, anyway. I can’t wait to come over to the inner sanctum for dinner next week. See where the love story has unfolded.”

Brynn let out an exaggerated sigh, clasping her hands together and leaning her cheek against them.

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