Page 66 of Ordinary Secrets

I thought I was the one calling the shots.

Nope.

It’s her. She’s destroying me, and I want her to keep doing it.

I’m not sure how long it is before she finally releases me. With our foreheads pressed together, we pant—hard. My heart beats so fast, I’m pretty certain it’s about to give out. My lips feel cold without her. I need to kiss her again.

So I do.

I ease her lips back open with mine, and she lets me. After pulling her hair to one side, I leave her lips to kiss her neck. She arches her head back, giving me full access. I savor her delicious skin, nipping at the tender spot behind her ear as I breathe in her inebriating scent. Sweet lavender, springtime and... Arella. Her scent is familiar to me now. If I could only smell her for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t mind.

“Trey,” she moans in a whisper, and damn if it doesn’t make me weak in the knees. She could tell me to jump off a bridge, and I’d do it. No questions asked.

Finally, I lean back and breathe. If we continue this any longer, I might die from the lack of oxygen.

In a whisper, I say, “You wanna take a shower?”

“No,” she answers sharply.

I laugh, realizing how that sounded. “I didn’t mean together. We’re covered in flour. I figured you’d want to wash off, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Her cheeks turn rosy. “What will I wear?”

“My clothes. They’ll be big on you, but you’ll look great.” I’ve never let anyone wear my clothes before. It feels too intimate. But the idea of Arella in my shirt makes me more eager to get her into the shower.

“We should finish the cookies first.”

Right on cue, the timer beeps.

With some oven mitts on, I pull the baking sheet out and place it onto my new cooling rack. Then I offer Arella my hand. She takes it and allows me to help her hop off the counter. I like that she didn’t hesitate. She took my hand as if we hold hands all the time, except this is the first time.And it feels so... normal.

I don’t let go of her until we reach my bedroom. There, I point at my drawers. “Dig through these ’til you find something that fits. Bathroom is through there.”

After returning to the kitchen, I wave my hands back and forth, making damp towels slide up and down the countertops. The towels erase the evidence of our flour fight. I’ve still got a semi under my belt, and it’s super uncomfortable.Saggy grandmas, foot fungus, math problems...

“Trey?” Arella calls out.

Shit.My hands fall to my sides, and the towels freeze where they are. I glance up, but she’s not there. I breathe out a sigh of relief. I never know where she is.

I peek my head around the corner. “Yeah?”

Her voice comes from inside my bedroom. “Could you show me how to turn your shower on? I can’t figure it out.”

After instructing her on how to work the nozzles, I go back to cleaning the kitchen. Once that’s done, I grab some clean clothes, then run upstairs to my other shower.

By the time I’m out, Arella’s still showering. It’s no big deal, because I can start on dinner without her. This time, she’s going to sit around whileIdo all the cooking.

At the fridge, I rummage around for some steaks and a do-it-yourself salad kit. When I close the fridge door, Arella’s standing right there.

I jump back. This time, I don’t drop anything. “Goddammit. You gotta quit doin’ that.”

“You didn’t hear me coming?”

“No.” I’ve always relied on my Empath powers to tell me when someone’s near. Guess I’ll have to start training my ears. It doesn’t help that Arella’s so fucking quiet.

I step back to get a better look at her. Long wet strands of hair drip water down my white T-shirt that dwarfs her. No makeup. Flushed cheeks.And those lips!I want to kiss her again.

Finally, my eyes make it down to her legs, and I laugh. “Are those my boxers?”

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