Page 47 of The P Arrangement

Because we still meant something to each other.

“Delaney.”

Slamming a hand over my chest, I jolted a foot off the mattress.

Preston laughed. “Sorry, Laney. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

I shifted ninety degrees and bent a leg on the bed. “I thought you were still sleeping.”

“I was until five seconds ago. What were you doing there, staring off into nowhere?”

I was trying to figure out if he wanted to keep his tattoo a secret or not. Just because he was naked now, it didn’t mean he hadn’t been trying to hide it, especially since I hadn’t seen it so far. And he certainly hadn’t pointed it out when he found out I still had my piercing. Although I had immediately fled the room after that revelation.

I didn’t know what to think, and I certainly didn’t know how to answer him, but thankfully, I didn’t have to because he asked another question right away.

“You’re not regretting last night, are you?” He took my hand in his. “I hope I didn’t push you to do something you didn’t want to do. In the moment, it just—”

I squeezed his hand. “I’m not regretting anything.” My discovery was starting to really settle in my brain, and I felt even less regret than I’d had when I woke up, if it were even possible. “Seeing your old friend might be a little awkward, but we’re all adults. I’m sure after a few minutes of stiff hellos, we’ll move on like it happened years ago.”

Preston grinned and, in a flash, grabbed my legs and yanked me half under him as he rolled over. “I don’t think he’ll ever forget the sight of you coming. Trust me. I’ve seen it a million times, and I’m still awestruck every time.”

Heat flushed my cheeks at his compliment. “I was just a woman having an orgasm, Pres. There’s nothing special about me. You could get on the internet right now and find hundreds doing the same thing.”

“Nah.” He pushed my sweatshirt up and kissed my stomach. “That’s where you’re wrong. You are very special.” He frowned. “And why are you wearing clothes? I brought you to bed naked last night.”

“I was going to go down and get something from the coffee shop.”

“Can I convince you to wait?” he asked as he tugged my pants down bit by bit, kissing my belly as he went.

I smiled. “I don’t know if it will take much.”

Preston was silent, and I lifted my head to find him staring down at me.

“What’s wrong?”

He ran a finger across my bikini line. “Your scar. I almost didn’t notice it.”

Shoving an arm under my head, I said, “I know, right? It’s hard to imagine a whole human being came out of that little area.” Whenever I looked at it in the mirror, it didn’t seem big enough to me.

Preston kissed my scar and laid his head on top of it.

Using my free hand, I ran my fingers through his hair. “You okay?”

I meant it as a half-joke, but when he looked up at me again, there was pain in his eyes.

“Pres, are you—”

Music blared, filling the room, as my phone rang. I reached over and checked it.

“It’s my sister.” Sliding the green button over, I answered the phone on speaker. “Hello?”

“You decent?” Natalie asked.

Preston helped me pull my pants back up.

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I thought maybe you’d found a stranger to rail you last night.”

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