Page 68 of Quake

He puts pressure on my clit, and I’m squirming beneath him, ready to burst with one simple touch. I grip his hand, pulling it closer to where I need it most, andfinally,he slips two fingers inside me. I roll my hips, unable to keep still despite the wobbling bucket we’re swaying in.

“Toujours aussi belle. Surtout sous ces lumières quand tu baises ma main.”Always so beautiful. Especially under these lights, fucking my hand.

He removes his hand, zipping my shorts back up and fixing the top button. When he pulls his face from mine just as we’re nearing the bottom, he slides those fingers that had just been inside me into his mouth, sucking me off them. “Definitely better than cotton candy.” He smirks, and it sends fireworks shooting through me.

How is he so damn sexy?

***

“I’d have sued, one hundred percent. Jane is too freaking nice!” I shout at Gianni as he lounges on the couch, idly rubbing my feet.

“It’s a TV show, little red. I’d like to think that Gina Rodriguez herself would have sued if this were real life. Now just keep watching,” he tells me, shaking his head.

I settle back into the couch, enjoying just how normal this feels. Tyler refused to just watch TV with me and relax. He’d throw a fit when I just wanted to cuddle or do pretty much anything, just the two of us.

I know that Gianni and I aren’t really a couple, and as much as I want to just ask him about it, I’m not ready to give whatever this is up if he isn’t interested in more. So, for now, I plan to just enjoy it and keep doing my best to make him feel as happy and content as he makes me in the hopes that this could last.

We spend the next several hours cuddling on the couch with the dogs at our feet until Pickles finally climbs over me to lie between Gianni and me.

She’s such a little cuddle bug. I love it.

“Do you guys wanna spend the night?” he asks me, and I feel like I could float away.

“We’d love to, right, boys?” I ask them jokingly, neither of them even looking in our direction. They’re both completely passed out at our feet.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He chuckles, maneuvering Pickles into his arms before carrying her to her bed and setting her stuffy beside her.

“Me next?” I ask, lifting my arms in front of me, only half kidding. He stands in front of me, gripping my waist, and slings me over his shoulder, carrying me to his bed.

He crawls in beside me, pulling my hips firmly into his and snuggling against my back. He buries his face in my hair, taking a deep inhale and letting it go on a long sigh. “Fuck,this is nice.” He groans.

A smile tugs at my lips, hearing how at ease he is with me. It fills me up in ways I hadn’t known possible. “It is,” I whisper into the dark room.

Gianni trails kisses along my neck, pressing the last one between my shoulder blades. “Goodnight, my little red.”

“Goodnight, Gianni,” I tell him before drifting into the most relaxing dreamless sleep.

Chapter thirty-eight

Gianni

Saturday, April 12, 2025

Pickles and I head inside, arriving uncharacteristically early for our monthly guys’ night with my brothers and dad.

My mom wheels herself through the kitchen, a huge smile spread across her tan face. “You’re here early,” she says, eyeing me quizzically.

“Yep, figured I’d see if you needed anything around here,” I tell her.

“Mhmm, well, the girls should be here soon if you’d like to help me set the food up in the living room.”

“Sure thing, Mom,” I say as I bend to give her a hug and a kiss on either cheek. “New eyeshadow?”

“I’m working with a cosmetic chemist that Rose set me up with! It’ll be a part of my book club merch line, so I figured it was only fitting to try it out tonight.” She beams up at me, her sparkly silver lids shining under the kitchen lights.

“It looks very nice, Mom,” I say, smiling at her.

“Is that…” She trails off, her eyes beginning to glisten. “A smile?” She finally finishes, and it makes me realize just how long I’ve been depressed and how much it’s impacted my family.

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