Page 131 of Beautiful Thing

But then I remember—she broke up with me. Didn’t she?

It pains me to sit up and hold my hand up. “Layla, I know that we’re stuck sleeping in this tiny room tonight, but you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

She lets out a cute, little growl. “Shut up, Archer. I’m sick of you being a gentleman. Now, take off your shirt while you’re at it.”

I blink. “Okay. Yes, ma’am.” I quickly unbutton my white dress shirt and toss it aside. As I do, I refuse to take my eyes off of Layla.

She’s standing in the middle of my bedroom. She seductively pushes one of her dress straps off her shoulder. Then the other.

As soon as the straps fall, the rest of the silky fabric slips off her body, pooling on the floor at her feet.

My mouth waters when she’s down to her bra and barely-there panties. Layla’s little strip show makes me realize that I’ve been missing out.

I clear my throat. “Come here.”

She doesn’t hesitate, stepping across the room. Then she’s at the foot of my too-small bed and crawling toward me.

“You want me to make you feel good?” I ask her when she’s in my arms.

“Yes.”

I drop kisses to the curve of her neck while I unclasp her bra. She mewls for me.

I gaze around the room before meeting her eyes again. “These walls are super thin, Belle.”

I grab the lace fabric of her panties, ripping the flimsy thing off her body with a firm tug. She gasps and I seal my mouth over her’s in a long, dirty kiss.

“Ronan’s bedroom is on that side, and Darius’s bedroom is on the other side. Are you gonna be a quiet girl for me?” I reach between us and flick the pad of my thumb over her clit.

Her back arches and she throws her head up to the ceiling. “Yes…”

I ball up her torn underwear, grazing it over her lips. She eagerly opens her mouth and I shove her panties inside.

My lips curl into a half-grin. “Such a good girl.”

53

LAYLA

Iwake up in a small, foreign bed, my body overheated and tangled with Archer’s. My head is fuzzy and my limbs are sore. I hear distant talking and laughter, pulling me further and further from sleep.

I take stock of all the major muscle groups, wiggling and flexing each area one at a time.Man, I thought chasing a toddler around kept me in some semblance of shape, but one full night of dancing and the sex—yeah, the sex might explain some of the soreness down there—and I’m in need of an ice bath.

Despite all that, I’m pretty content to never get up from this too-small bed. That is, until I hear Sky calling out for me from a nearby room.

I groan, rubbing my eyes.

Archer stirs next to me. “I’ll get him,” he murmurs.He rolls out of bed completely nude and perfectly perfect.

I follow clumsily. As tired as I am, seeing the smile on my baby’s squishy face every morning is one of my favorite parts of the day. “I’m coming. I’m coming.”

He grins over his back as he pulls on his clothes. “Yeah. That’s what she said. All night long.”

Laughing, I smack his ass.

He pins me to the wall and kisses the fuck out of me.

Then he digs through his old drawers and finds me something to wear, so I don't have to squeeze back into my wrinkly dress. When I’m looking super fashionable in my borrowed Starlight Falls High School T-shirt and gray sweatpants from Archer’s younger days, we go grab Sky from the crib in the room across the hallway.

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