Page 102 of Our Little Cliche
Oh, that’s right. Because we can’t keep our hands off each other. ??Cyrus is taking me out to lunch downtown today, then to Vermillion Lakes for a romantic, scenic hike, then to see the northern lights—for real this time. I flashback in memory of the night he attempted to come around to invite me to see them the first time, but saw me… taking care of myself through the window instead.
“I’m so excited. I’ll just have to settle for a ponytail, I don’t have time to do anything else.”
He gestures for me to sit on the bed between his thighs. “Nonsense. Sit down for me. I’ll do your hair.” I do as he asks, and let him take the pressure off of mybad hair day.
My eyes roll into the back of my head at the sensation of him tugging at my scalp as he begins his twining.It’s so beautifully euphoric, and relaxing. Like a narcotic.
I sigh, still annoyed at myself for not being able to do it myself. Usually I can manage it without failure, but in defense of my vexed emotions, it might have something to do with it having been pretty busy at home lately—trying to edit Cyrus’s book, as well as filling in for Riverton’s previous editor by editing Renee’s book too. Work is great, I’m doing what I’ve always wanted, butdoing it at the same time as unboxing my stuff… themoving inthing… the re-organizing his library formybooks.
It’s been…chaos.
And don’t even get me started on the conundrum with Quinn over our confession. We truly did think that our careers were going to plummet six feet under when the world discovered that members of Riverton House were sleeping with their employees, but it was thetotal opposite.
Quinn,the fucker, had rung Cyrus the morning after the New Year’s Gala, calling him every name under the sun, and handed him an instant dismissal, but guess what? He cared none. Because the next day came along, and he received a call.
A call from Penny Kraiten.
Kraiten Publishing.
Cyrus couldn’t pass up the offer. A once in a lifetime opportunity. Myself included.And Stacy. Leaving Quinn and Riverton Houseempty. Now he’s only weeks away from submittingourbook, with high expectations of it landing a New York Times Bestseller on release day. I’m officially registered on the team of editors for Kraiten Publishing. And Stacy—my best friend—is officially a contracted author. Anout and proudone, too.
So, yeah. It’s been absoluteCHAOS!God, I feel so tense right now. Plus, until now, I feel like I haven’t actually had a chance to unwind. Not like this, at least.
“Relax, angel. I’ve got you,” Cyrus’s words put me at peace in an instant. They always do. He runs his palm over the tight, finished plaits and grabs my chin from behind, tilting my head slightly with a growl. “Mmm, perfect,” his hot breath simmers over the delicate part of my neck before planting a kiss there. “You’re simply perfect, my love.”
I don’t know how he does braids so well, but I guess having three sisters would do it. He did mention he treated them likeprincesses, as did his father before him. I’d love to meet them one day, they sound so lovely.
Suddenly I have an image flick through my mind and it’s almost surreal. A beautiful, purple and pink Gold Coast sunset in the backdrop with Cyrus wearing a crisp navy suit, and his sisters beside him dressed to the nines. There’s a young child holding his hand. A daughter of our own, dressed in a smaller version of the dress I’m wearing. A white one. A wedding dress.
“We’re perfect,” I say, facing him. His eyes drift from my left eye, to my right, rolling down to my lips, then back to my gaze once more. He repeats this pattern until I make sense that I’m holding my breath.
“We’re perfect,” Cyrus’s words mirror mine, adding more hunger and depravity.
Oh, he issostraight out of a book.
And doesn’t that just make my heart sing for him?
He breathes inward heavily, causing me to do the same and my vision fogs slightly. “That’s better. You forget that you have lungs and a heart to keep pumping sometimes.”
“That’s on you, Mister.” I wave my index finger playfully and he kisses it. “I’d better get dressed before…”Well, you know…
He flicks his wrist, checking his watch with a smile. “Don’t get me wrong, I could manage in less than two minutes with you looking like that. Actually, I hate to admit it, but at this rate, thirty seconds is all I need. Except you deserve more than half a minute of attention. You deserve hours. Days.Weeksof it, even.”
“How about a lifetime?”
Time pauses for a beat before his eyes smile with him, as if he saw the same vision I had a moment ago. “A lifetime is it.”
He lowers my beanie over my head, and threads my coat on. “I’ll get the door for you, madam.”
Chapter Fifty-Three
CYRUS
“Ughh.I desperately need to walk this extrafluffoff,” Holly cries with discomfort, rubbing her belly as we wait for our ride at the front of the restaurant. She’s not wrong—I haven’t eaten that much food since… well, ever.
“Yeah. I could have done with one less plate of food. I feel like a bowling ball,” I say, humored by my own remark. Saying that I was full is an understatement at best, we’d spent the best part of six hours at the five star restaurant putting away meals like it was our last, and if it wasn’t for the food absorbing most of the liquor we’d drank we’d not remember these northern lights we’re going to see tonight. The Vermillion Lakes isn’t far, but walking from here to there certainly wouldn’t be easy…unless rolling is an option.Plus it’s dark.
Holly looks at me with soft eyes once we sit in the car. “Yep, I think I’m going to explode. Considering the food was served in portion sizes for infants, I don’t know how we’re so full.”
