Page 144 of Happily Never After

Luke sat her on the desk, and his hands moved to her shirt. He tugged at the buttons of her blouse, planting kisses as he slid them open one by one.

Screw the binder tabs. Her shirt slid down her shoulders until it fell away. He pressed her back until she lay flat on the desk, then he kissed the swells of her breasts and moved lower.

She unbuttoned her pants herself and wiggled them off before groping for Luke. If this wasn’t a brand-new shirt, she would have simply ripped it off him.

He kissed her like they were the last two people on earth, a desperate hunger coming through as he plundered her mouth with his tongue. His grip was so tight that there were sure to be bruises, but she didn’t mind.

Rrrrrip. Her shredded panties fell to the floor.

She barely had time to catch her breath before he was inside her. He crashed into her like thunder. Something fell off a shelf. The desk, a secondhand purchase from a thrift store with a cartoon sticker on the corner that she could never quite get off, creaked underneath their weight.

Was this going to be how he reacted every time he finished a major project? If so, she was going to insist he get started on the next one ASAP. She might need to do some Kegels to prepare for the Emmy ceremony this fall.

Her bra strap slipped off her shoulder as he moved with her. The desk wobbled beneath her. The dogs whined at the door. It wasn’t the most romantic lovemaking they’d ever had. But damn it if it wasn’t hot.

He pulled back to stare into her eyes, so deeply it was like he was seeing her soul. The afternoon light drifted in through thewindow, painting the curves of his shoulders and lighting him up like a Greek statue. Minute by minute, the fire in her grew until it was almost unbearable.

As they plunged over a crest together, something popped underneath Claire. Her back still arched, she pulled away breathlessly.

“Maybe we should?—”

Crack.

Something gave way beneath her, and she fell hard onto the floor, nearly hitting herself in the face with her knees as her body crumpled like an accordion.

“Shit. Are you okay?” Luke’s face appeared behind the splintered wood that used to be the end of her desk.

“We broke my desk.” Her knees were still in her face.

“I told you it was a shitty desk.”

“Just because it wasn’t made from the rarest, most deforested tree in the rainforest doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good desk,” she said indignantly. It was hard to be dignified when she was flashing her vagina to the ceiling.

Luke sighed. “Why do you always act like I’m some bougie asshole? My desk is from Costco.”

“Can you stop arguing with me and just help me up?” She stuck her hand up and glared at him.

“Are you okay?” He helped her to her feet.

Claire rubbed at the scrape on her back. “I’m fine. I can’t believe your project is done.Wait.”

She took him by both shoulders and stared into those infuriatingly beautiful green eyes. “This means we can finally, officially have your premiere.”

He crossed his arms. “I told you I don’t need a premiere.”

“Yes, you do. Now talk to your agent or Streamster or whoever you need to and get permission. Two weeks from now sound good? That gives us a week after Bri’s premiere. I havethe perfect place.” Her mind ran full steam ahead, ideas flashing in and out like news bulletins. “I need the binder.” She whirled around. Splintered wood and a mess of pens covered her rug. “Shit. I forgot everything’s broken.”

Luke frowned. “You can use my desk.”

“Really?” She almost gasped. Sneaky McSecretFace had never let her use his desk before. He protected his office like a mama bear guarding a pack of cubs. He had only just started leaving it unlocked.

“Yes. Just don’t touch anything or delete anything.”

“Like your super-secret porn?”

“Especially my super-secret porn,” he said, pointing at her as he walked out of the door, naked as the day he was born.

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

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