Page 45 of Replay
He presses his lips to mine and murmurs, “No turning back now, Trouble.”
“Okay then.” My body swirls with need over his pet name for me that brings back all sorts of erotic memories we’ve shared in the past.
“We’ll take everything slow. No sex. No stripping off clothes. It’ll be fun. Like we’re teenagers again.” He pulls back, a smirk teasing the edges of his lips as he plays with a lock of my hair. “Tonight, however…” He pauses, his gaze roving over my face with complete adoration. “Just let me kiss the fuck out of you.”
My heart instantly lightens. I don’t know how he managed to turn this fucked-up conversation around, but he did, and he did it well. “Very well then, Sonny.”
He smiles victoriously and leans in to kiss me again. It’s softer, gentler, but all fucking man.
I pull back, parting our lips with an audible pop. “Maybe we can add in a little dry humping?”
He presses his forehead to mine and growls. “You are too much trouble for your own good.”
“Good morning!” Freya calls out the next day as I enter the kitchen to find her seated at the table with Hercules draped over her shoulder. Jasper is hot on my heels, and Hercules doesn’t seem to like it. He stares at our sudden appearance with unmitigated irritation, like we’ve just interrupted a peaceful morning. “You were gone for ages yesterday,” Freya says with a knowing tone to her voice.
I stride over to the kettle with a sheepish look on my face. “Did you need me here?”
“Oh, heavens no. Allie and I rewatched the first three episodes ofBridgertonin bed while Mac played a new video game he’s been working on with Roan all afternoon. It was a lovely, lazy Sunday. Allie even painted my toes.” She wiggles her feet under the table. “It’s getting difficult to reach them.”
“That sounds lovely.” I fill one of Freya’s kitty coffee mugs that she seems to have an endless supply of. This one features a cat wearing a raincoat with big bold letters spelling out “WAP” on the side.Maybe not a great cup to have around once the bairn is old enough to understand.
I sit on the seat across from Freya and glance down to see that her breakfast appears to be celery and clotted cream. Definitely not a combo I’ve seen in my life, let alone for breakfast, but Freya’s pregnancy cravings are as unique as her personality.
“Is Mac off to work already?” I ask, glancing toward the other side of the flat to see if there’s any sign of his work bag in the hallway.
“Yes, he’s gone and I’m bursting at the seams, literally.” She points at her belly. “What happened yesterday?”
My eyes flare. “A lot more than I expected.” I take a sip of my tea.
“Oh my God, you shagged him,” she exclaims, slapping her hand on the table. Hercules jumps at the noise and shoots me a glower like it’s my fault his mummy is excited.
“I didn’t shag him.” I run my hands through my hair nervously.
“You didn’t?” She looks disappointed.
“We’re…taking it slow, I think?”
Freya’s brows pinch together. “Okay…but you’ve already had the sex before so what does that mean exactly?”
“Well, it’s kind of weird because he asked me to be…” I cringe as I prepare myself to say the words. “Be exclusive.”
“What?” Freya squeals at a high pitch, and like a shot, Hercules flies out of her arms and flops onto the floor, taking a swing at poor, unsuspecting Jasper before darting off. Jasper looks completely unaffected as he licks his paw and rubs his ear. “You’re exclusive already? How did that happen?”
“I don’t know.” I grip my mug tightly. “I showed up at his house, and his whole family was there making sauce—his mum, his grandparents and step family. They pulled me in to help, and the day was just so nice andnormal. And I guess I sort of felt like I was seeing Santino for the first time, you know? He has a basil plant on his balcony!”
“Shut up!” Freya cries out again, just as intrigued as I was by that fact. “What kind of single man grows plants on a balcony?”
I shrug. “Hot ones, I guess.”
She nods knowingly. “Very hot.”
“And when I made a move to kiss him—”
“You made the first move?” Freya squeals again. “Good God, this is reachingBridgertonlevels of hotness! You know, I think watchingBridgertonwhile pregnant was a bad idea. These pregnancy hormones are causing me to have the most sensual dreams of my entire life. I should have stuck toHeartland. Horses are much less sexually inspiring.”
My nose wrinkles. “Well, I should hope so.”
She sighs. “But…I do love ponies.” She looks forlorn and then shakes away that thought. “Anyways, I’m so proud of you and your Scottish lady balls!”
