Page 103 of Loathe Thy Neighbor

I didn’t. Not until this. Not until I realized what I might be missing.

“Not anymore,” I say.

She nods once but doesn’t look at me.

I fall asleep trying not to overthink the idea that tonight is the first time I’ve slept in here without the preface of sex…and what that might mean.

17

River

“I swear,if I miss the cherry pie because of you, I’m going to be—”

“What?” Dean cuts me off. “Big mad?” I shoot daggers at him when he throws my words back at me, but he ignores me. “Youwere the one who insisted on getting dirty again after our showers.”

“That was one hundred percent your fault.”

“I’m sorry, did Imakeyou suck my cock?”

I blush at his crassness.

I simply couldn’t help myself. He stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel, the water tracking down his abs.

I just wanted to see where it landed is all.

Sue me.

“What the hell!” I smack at him, peeking around the sidewalk as we speed-walk toward the diner to make Sunday breakfast, making sure nobody heard us. “You can’t just say something like that, especially in public.”

“Or what?”

“Or…or…I’ll snuff you!”

“Snuff me?” He pulls open the door to The Gravy Train. “What are you, a mobster?”

“Guess you won’t know until you know,” I say, slipping past him and into the diner.

He doesn’t look the least bit scared.

We step into the line that’s already formed at the ordering counter, and I don’t miss the way Dean doesn’t remove his hand from the small of my back.

“Seriously, Dean, if they’re out of cherry pie…”

He moves toward me, cutting off my words as he pushes his body against mine. Warmth seeps into me, and beads of sweat begin to form on my neck.

I want to sweep my hair into a bun to help cool down, but I can’t. Dean’s hands are on my hips, squeezing me in a teasing manner. The five o’clock shadow he’s always sporting tickles my face as he bends down, bringing his lips to my ear.

“If they’re out of cherry, I’ll make it up to you.”

“Make it up to me?”

I feel him nod. “I’ll let you suck my cock again.”

I clench my thighs.

We’ve been sleeping together for three weeks now, and I’m still not used to the dirty words that fall from his lips.

I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to them…or over them.

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