Page 46 of Where the Little Birds Are (Little Bird Duet 2)

“Hey, Zach?”

“Yeah?”

I take a deep breath and wrap my arm around his as we walk over to the yarn on display a few tables down. “Thank you.”

He looks over, brows drawn inward in confusion. “For what?”

Grazing the soft green skein of yarn in front of me, I whisper, “Being my friend. I know I haven’t been the greatest one to you, so it means a lot to me that you did this.”

He pulls on my arm. “You’ll have to make it up to me by buying me food when we leave here.”

I grin and pick up some yarn. “Are you sure you don’t want this instead? I think green is your color, Mr. Russo.”

He groans.

I smile. For real this time.

Chapter Sixteen

Kinley / Present

My office door

cracks open as I sit at my desk and read through the words on my screen. Thumb nail between my teeth, I turn to look at Corbin as he peeks his head in. Penny immediately jumps from where she’s perched beside me and walks over to him.

Traitor.

He notices the word document pulled up and smiles, kneeling to fuss over the cat. “Are you working on your new book?”

Drawing my thumb away, I turn in my chair to face him. He’s been here for almost a week, and in that time he’s watched me sit in my office and stare at my computer struggling to find the right words to write. I’ve managed to write five chapters that I’m proud of, but the rest comes with emotional attachments that I find myself drowning in. When I give up, Corbin kisses me, touches me, and sends my body in a frenzy of need that leaves us in a tangle of limbs and pants, chasing highs with our bodies.

“Something like that. Jamie likes to remind me I have deadlines to make. No pressure or anything there.”

His chuckle is light. “I know that well. Eddie does the same thing with me when my schedule is booked up. When does it have to be done by?”

My stomach drops. “Soon.”

Instead of pressing, he stands with Penny in his arms. I can hear her loud purrs from here as she nuzzles his chin with her nose. “You’ll get it done. I believe in you.”

Such simple words go straight to my heart, making it squeeze tightly in my chest. I clear my throat and save my document before closing my laptop. “What comes next?”

His eyes light up. “I can think of a few things, Little Bird. All involving a lot less clothing.”

I stand up and wrap the throw blanket around me tighter. “We need to be serious. What happens now? What do we say to people?”

We told each other we’d give it time. In that time, three more articles have surfaced with pictures of me and him. Headlines waged a larger war between fans of Corbin and Lena and me, and most of them aren’t in my favor. Since he arrived, we’ve lost ourselves in the mayhem our hearts have walked us right into and formed no real plan as to how to survive it all. Eventually, we’ll have to make those decisions instead of hiding in my house ordering delivery and cooking with what little food I keep stocked.

He sets Penny down much to her dismay, standing back up and reaching out for me. “I think we have to ask ourselves what we’re willing to say.”

Willing? My face screws as he tugs me to the bedroom. I dig my heels in and shake my head, knowing the likelihood of my treacherous body climbing onto his and stripping us bare is too likely if we close ourselves in there. Every morning my body is so worked up it needs release, and more times than not I find myself climbing onto his lap and guiding his hard cock inside of me and riding him until we’re both sweaty and insatiable from the hormones and emotions swirling between us. Neither one of us complains because we need it—the feelings, the touches, the way we hold each other after.

So, I walk toward the stairs instead. He doesn’t argue, just follows with our hands still tangled together.

Guiding us to the living room, I sit down in the furthest corner of the couch near all my decorative pillows and hold one to my stomach. It’s grown a lot this month, and I can only imagine how much larger I’ll get by the time I near the second trimester’s end in less than two months. It’s become second nature to cover myself and I don’t know why. It’s become nearly impossible to hide the undeniable bump under even my baggiest shirts. But I can tell by Corbin’s disapproving stare that he’s not okay with me hiding anything.

He settles in beside me, keeping our fingers interwoven on his leg. “I need Lena to sign the papers. That’s what’s next. Once that happens we can say and do what we want.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

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