Page 77 of How Good It Was (Excess All Areas 3)

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Eleven days later, Luke wandered into the spare room to find Willow editing a video of their trip to the doctor. He still found it a little strange that so much of their life was online.

But it was working.

At least, by Willow’s measures of success.

There had been some fallout. She’d lost about ten thousand followers. And there had been comments about her being a poor example, some threats about her going to hell for having sex outside of marriage, and some mutterings about how he was borderline satanic and a bad influence.

But the majority had been hugely supportive.

Only one of her collaborations had cancelled. A makeup brand targeted to late teens to early twenties. But Willow had mentioned that her father had set up the collaboration, and that while it was a good product, she didn’t particularly love the colour palettes, and she’d never endorse something she didn’t think was good.

Surrounding her were three planners, all colour coded, and a stack of books he assumed were aimed at female entrepreneurs. Words like boss, rich, and life. Coloured stickie notes stuck out everywhere.

“Do you ever rest, flower?” He placed his hands on her shoulders and pressed his thumbs into her tight muscles.

Willow groaned and tipped her chin forward so he could dig in even harder. “The dream is free. Hustle is not.”

He kissed the side of her neck. “Don’t sit at this desk all day,” he said.

“I’m not going to. I’m going for a massage with Iz and Chaya at some Thai massage place they know in Didsbury Village that’s apparently awesome. They even checked they had someone who understood pregnancy massage, so I’m all set.”

“I like that you’ve made friends here.”

Willow looked up at him and smiled. “Is that your polite way of saying I hang around you too much?”

Luke slid his arms around her neck, allowing his hands to slide over her breasts that looked particularly full that morning. “No. It’s my way of saying you’ll be here for a long time, and I’ll be away for chunks of it. It’s good to know you have friends to look out for you and spend time with so you’re not lonely.”

“Well, you should know that the next time you are away, we’re all going for a sleepover at Cerys and Zoe’s.”

He kissed her cheek. “If there’s going to be pillow fights in underwear, I’m coming over.”

Somehow, she managed to stand and turn around without dipping out from under his arms. “There will be virgin cocktails, gossip, and no men.”

“Damn it.” He kissed her lips. Couldn’t get enough of them. They’d had sex ... which had felt scarily like making love ... more times than he could count since they’d got back from London two weeks earlier. Now, he wanted her again, but he caught sight of the time on her laptop. “Shit. I have to go. And I just got the email with my test results. All clear.”

Willow grinned. “A quickie?”

He kissed her again. “Would love to, but I don’t want to rush the first time I really get to feel you, and Ben just messaged that he’s leaving his house now. He’ll be outside in ninety seconds.”

“Enjoy yourself.” She ran her palms down his biceps.

“I will. I made you breakfast. One of those parfaits you like. And I added chocolate chips, because I know you’ve been adding them when my back’s turned.”

“Mmm.” The sound Willow made caused him to regret the time.

“Don’t groan like that.”

“I don’t know what it is, but I want chocolate and strawberries together all the time. I even sliced up strawberries and carved up a Snickers bar and ate them together. It was like Snickers crackers and berries.”

“That sounds bobbins, flower.”

“Bobbins?”

“Rubbish. Awful. Grim. Gross.”

“Bobbins,” Willow repeated. “I like it.”

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