Page 56 of One Short Summer

Gabe

My eyes roamover Monica’s body the second she enters the living room, cataloging everything like it’s the first time I see her. Even though she’s wearing her usual combo of leggings and a T-shirt, having seen her naked has changed things.

Not to mention the several rounds of mind-blowing sex with her this morning.

Once we got started, neither one of us was able to stop. The pull between us was too strong to resist. The promise of desire so palpable in the air, it was impossible not to chase the thrill of it over and over again.

It also allowed me to see another facet of her, confirming what I knew all along. Monica is a lot more sensitive and vulnerable than she admits to be. Without a doubt, she’s a lot of fun in bed, but I liked seeing that softer side of her. The one when we slowed down, and she gave herself over to me, quiet, her eyes closed and her head tipped back, exposing her delicate neck in a way that made me consider giving poetry a try just so I could capture all of her beauty in writing.

It all added to the awesome person I already knew she is.

I’ve seen glimpses of that side before, but I don’t think she ever noticed showing it. Usually, she’s too busy trying to put up her fun, exuberant front for everyone. More than once, I’ve thought about how exhausting it must be to pretend. To act and feign to be a certain way just to make others happy.

My gaze follows her as she walks around the couch, stopping right in front of me, her strawberry-blonde hair falling in waves around her face. “Hey. How did your writing session go?”

So simple, yet so dang beautiful.

I blow out a long breath. “Really good. Changing my character made all the difference, and the words come easily now.”

“That’s awesome. I’m happy for you.” The smile she gives me is breathtaking, and a real one too, crinkling eyes and all.

My favorite.

“Thank you.” Since she’s still standing in front of me, I take her hand and give it a tug, pulling her down on my lap, hoping that was the right move. It’s easy to navigateusin the bedroom, but outside of it, I’m not sure what the rules are. “How about you? Did you end up going to the academy?”

Her eyes widen at the mention of my sister’s workplace. “I did.”

“Yeah?” I try to act nonchalantly, but it’s not easy. This is huge for her.Huge.

“Yes!” Her eyes sparkle, her hands moving around frantically as she speaks. “It was soooo good. The mirror room is absolutely beautiful. They did such a fantastic job with the renovations, I didn’t want to leave. I’m so grateful your sister offered the space to me. Dancing in your gym started to become a bit difficult with the limited room.”

“I bet. I definitely didn’t have a dancer in mind when I fixed it up.”

She sticks out her tongue at me, and I’m a second away from catching it with my lips, but she’s too fast.

A small yawn escapes her mouth, making me chuckle.

“How can you be tired after all the sleep you got last night?”

Her shoulders move up and down. “No clue. Sometimes I’m even more tired after I sleep a lot. Go figure. Plus”—she leans in closer until our noses almost touch—“someonetired me out with his little sex marathon this morning.”

“Are you asking for more?”

She throws her head back and laughs, her laughter ringing through the room. “Is that what it sounded like to you?”

I grin and nod. “Absolutely.”

“You’re the worst.” She pats my cheek once. “Sounds likeyou’rethe one wanting a repeat.”

Sitting up a little taller, I gaze at her until I’m sure I’ve got her full attention. “Withyou—all day, every day.”

That does the trick.

She stills in my arms, her eyes heating up the instant she realizes I really mean it.

After clearing her throat a few times, she moves around on my lap awkwardly, her gaze on me sharp. “Are you trying to distract me, Charming? Don’t think I forgot what you promised me for tonight. I believe it’s story time first.”

Right.

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