Page 22 of Fluttering Heart

“I think that’s the best thing anyone has ever said to me,” he whispers and cups my cheek.

We sixty-nine before falling into exhausted and sated sleep.

The next day, at the airport, once we pass security and are only waiting to board, I get an idea.

“Hey, can I see your ticket?” I ask Lou.

“Sure.” He hands me his phone with the ticket on the screen and I can’t help but smile back at him, delighted.

“What is it?”

“Our seats are next to each other.”

“They are?” he demands with wide eyes.

“Yes,” I say with a laugh. “I splurged and got us business tickets.”

“The company bought mine,” he says quietly, staring at his phone in wonder.

“We were always meant to meet each other,” I say with a smile when I realize it.

He looks up at me, his eyes shining with emotion.

“I feel so lucky,” he whispers. I take a tiny step closer to him, wanting to embrace him when he’s clearly feeling so many things. “I feel like the universe is finally smiling down on me.” He lets out a watery laugh and leans back just as one lonely tear falls. “God, it feels like my heart is about to fly out of my chest.”

“Fluttering heart condition,” Beau mutters from behind to us. “I’ve heard of that before.”

I ignore my brother and lean down to kiss Lou, my cutie.

“I’m pretty sure it’s me that the universe is smiling down on. You’re so fucking amazing,” I whisper right against his lips. “Please tell me we can go on our soup date tomorrow?” I practically beg.

“Only if you spend the night with me tonight.” I’m speechless for a moment. I was trying to figure out how to ask without seeming clingy. My cutie takes my silence the wrong way though. “I mean, I’d go with you to Crushville, believe me, I wanna see that town, but I always go to the office on Tuesdays and?—”

I shut him up with a hard kiss.

“Any second you allow me to spend next to you, I’ll be there, cutie.”

CHAPTER 12

Lou

The sharp edgeof my breakfast table digs right into my ass when Finn just keeps walking me backward, both of us lost in the kiss.

I couldn’t care less.

I’ve been lost in his lustful gaze since we got into the cab to come to my place, and no pointy countertops are going to stop me from getting dicked down, dammit.

“You okay?” Finn asks when he regrettably stops kissing me. I guess I might’ve yelped.

“M’fine,” I mumble and try to drag him back down to my lips. Alas, he resists. “Finn,” I whine.

“Are you sure you want this? Tonight?” He looks so adorably concerned, but too bad it’s annoying me right now. I truly believe at any other moment I would melt at the way the Italian god cares about my sensibilities.

“Yes, I am.” I try to sound sure and decisive, but it comes out angry and impatient. “You already made us wait until we were in Chicago. We’re in Chicago now, so what is it this time?” An awful, disgusting thought flits through my mind, and I can’t forget about it. It’s like a bright neon sign now. “You don’t want me,” I say in a monotone voice.

All the emotion leaks out of my body; that’s a survival move.

“No,” he shouts and cups my cheeks with a stronger grip than before. “No, no, no, cutie. I do want you. I want you so damn much.” He groans and kisses me again, but I can’t seem to kiss him back.

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