Page 94 of The Photograph

He slides a hand up my chest, snagging on a nipple and cupping my face.

“This isalwaysso good,” he says.

And I close my eyes and nod and let the moment take me over.

When he shifts about an hour later, my eyes blink open, half asleep.

Lips trail along my jaw, and Alex lifts his head. “I’m sorry, Des, I’ve got to go or I’ll miss the last train.”

He clambers over me and snags his clothes from the floor, pulling them on, his suit and shirt madly crumpled like he’s been ravaged. Swinging around to the edge of the couch, I pull my boxers back on and run a hand over my no doubt chaotic hair.

He leans down and kisses my temple. “I’ll sort it out. I promise,” he murmurs.

My eyes roam over his pink face and crazy curls as he straightens. This might be the last time we’ll be together like this. The last time I see him flushed and rumpled. I don’t have his faith that this is sortable. Who knows what his family might do and what he’ll feel obliged to conform with?

I stand and pull him into a tight hug, and he pats my back.

37

DES

Lorna eyes me over her cup the following morning as we grab a quick coffee before work. Thank God, sensible sister.

“How’s Mom?” I ask.

She makes a face. “She’s asked me to set her up on a dating app.”

“What?”

“Ever since she found out about you being on Grindr and that threesome you had, she’s been going on about how her life isn’t exciting anymore and she never meets anyone.”

Oh, sweet Jesus. “Do NOT put her on Tinder. Fuck knows what would end up happening.”

Lorna snorts. “Tell me about it. She’d be bled dry by some smooth-talking scam artist in a heartbeat.”

“Like Dad.”

“Yeah,” she sighs, rubbing her temples. “Anyway, how are you holding up, Des? How are things with this lovely man I keep hearing about?”

I stir my spoon through my coffee. “I’m not entirely sure, to be honest.”

She puts her head in her hands with a groan. “Seriously? What’s happened?”

“Ugh. He came out to his family and it didn’t go well, so he sort of ditched me and went back into the closet.”

Lorna rolls her eyes. “Why is our family so utterly hopeless at relationships? My boyfriend’s as dull as ditchwater, you sleep with anything with a pulse and a penis, and don’t even get me started on that guy Marla’s with. I’m expecting her to turn up as a dead body on a highway.”

“Don’t say that.”

“I swear he’s got mafia connections. He’ll be in jail within a year, trust me.”

If we don’t have an actual scandal, we just invent one in this family.

“Work wants me to go to Korea.”

“This is news? You’re always jetting off to Korea.”

“Longer-term than that.”

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