Page 43 of All Mine
‘YouTube has videos on how to make them out of toilet rolls. . .’
Etienne ran his foot alongside hers, increasing the gap between her feet. Her eyes widened and she took a long swallow of wine. A spot of colour had appeared on each of her cheeks. He’d bet she was a blusher after sex. His dick came to life in his shorts.
‘Make sure you take a photo,’ he said to the group, but keeping his eyes on her. ‘It’s always good to take a photo for reference.’ He wondered if Isabella had used the one he took for her.
He moved his other foot so he now had both between hers. He hoped she was throbbing as he was. This time when she met his eye, she held the contact. She squeezed lightly on the outside edges of his ankles and he pushed back, holding her open. Her eyes flashed wider but she didn’t look away. He could imagine her looking at him like that when he drove inside her.
Suddenly, a joyful screech ripped through the air and everyone jumped.
‘Found you!’ shouted a petite woman with a black pixie cut. ‘At last, Isabella!’
Isabella took a second to react, eyes locked in lust as they were with Etienne’s, but when she turned and recognised the woman, her jaw dropped in delight and she scrambled up, all thoughts of foot sex with him obviously forgotten.
‘Surprise!’ The woman launched herself at Isabella, and the two women collided in arms and kisses.
‘What are you doing here?’ Isabella choked.
‘I’ve got a day off so here I am.’ They hugged again. ‘Wanted to make sure you were okay,’ the newcomer said, more seriously.
‘Everyone,’ said Isabella, turning to the table, ‘this is my cousin, Gabriella. Gabi for short.’
Standing next to Isabella, Gabi was almost a head smaller, but equally beautiful in a pixie like way.
‘And that’s one thing I am,’ she said to a collective laugh.
Etienne closed the empty space between his two feet, swigged his beer and swallowed disappointment along with it. He’d just been starting to enjoy that. Never mind. Next time.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Isabella
Back at the flat, the two women sat at either end of the sofa, their toes touching in the middle, cupping a large coffee each and both wearing huge grins at being reunited.
There had been periods in their lives when they’d seen each other every day, when they were young and Gabi moved in to live with Isabella’s parents for a while when her own parents divorced, and most recently when she moved in to get Isabella through the tsunami of her breakup. But there’d also been times when they didn’t see each other for months on end. Gabi’s job took her to far-off places and film sets all around the world. One of the best stuntwomen in the business, she had appeared in a dozen box office hits, not that you’d recognise her. Standing in for the leading ladies, the stunts Gabi performed were normally at such high speed that you’d miss her on screen if you blinked. She earned mega money and had to go where the work was. But it didn’t matter how long they were apart, they were connected. They were family.
‘So, tell me what you think of everyone. . .’ Isabella was keen to know if Gabi liked the new crowd as much as she did.
‘Rosie and Wren are the cutest. Real-life couple goals right there,’ Gabi started first.
‘And Amber seems so determined to do things on her own and be a good role model for Jayden. She’s a lot like you in that way.’ Gabi inclined her head at her cousin. ‘She’ll be great to have at the restaurant.’ She paused, considering.
‘I didn’t get to talk to Walker. But helookedgood!’ She grinned. Walker had been called back to work almost as soon as Gabi arrived, so she’d only had a hello and a goodbye.
‘Oh, Walker’s great. He was the one who introduced me to Millie, the girl needing help with Italian?’ Isabella clarified and Gabi nodded, piecing the puzzle together.
‘And the silver Fox is the hot daddy,’ Gabi said. ‘Shame I’m not the mummy type.’
‘Still not feeling the maternal urge?’ Isabella asked. It had been a topic of conversation for years between the two cousins. Isabella had always known that she would want to try to have a family one day, although that seemed further away than ever. Whereas Gabriella had always said she thought she might not have a maternal streak.
‘Nope,’ said Gabi, scrunching up her nose. ‘Plus, I don’t think I could throw myself off a burning building if I were six months pregnant.’
‘There is that,’ Isabella agreed. And then, as casually as she could, ‘What did you think of Etienne?’ She shut her mouth firmly after the question, conscious even to say his name, knowing she’d called it out loud several times in the last week in her bathroom, her bedroom and even on the sofa where they now sat. Damn that photo.
‘The guy opposite you?’ Gabi asked.
‘Hmmm,’ Isabella said, playing for time.
‘Looks dangerous to me,’ Gabi said. ‘Too gorgeous for his own good.’ Isabella slumped, not sure what to say, but then decided on the truth.
