Page 79 of Priceless

“Get some rest.” My hand moved to her neck, finding the tell-tale spot that would relax her. “Because I’m going to fuck you again later, and I’m going to do it hard.”

Her eyes narrowed and fluttered closed. “Can we listen to your song? I’d like to hear some good music tonight.”

I knew the one she meant. Reluctantly, I left the warm enticement of her body to open my laptop and startThe Sound of Silence.

“You really listened to this over and over last summer?” she murmured, drowsy.

“Hundreds of times.” I stretched out in bed and pulled her into the circle of my arms, wondering what the fuck I was doing. “It never got old.”

She sighed, a dreamy sigh, and pillowed her cheek on my chest. “Where’s your nice watch?”

“So many questions.” I began massaging her neck again. She lifted her head to give me a baleful look, and I chuckled.

“I gave it away.”

“What?” She tensed.”Why? To who?”

“Your friend James. I didn’t want it anymore.”

“And he accepted it, just like that? You should have sold that watch. It looked like it was worth a lot of money.”

“It wasn’t worth anything to me.”

More questions crossed her face, but she shook her head like she was giving up on my sanity and relaxed against me.

A minute later, she was breathing peacefully. It was cute how quickly she fell asleep. I wished I could do the same.

13

Love Letters

Christina

Click. Click. Click.

My sister stood in front of a three-way mirror, her posture straight and perfect. The lights surrounding the mirror illuminated her from every angle. Bridal gowns lined the walls like clouds.

She pivoted with practiced ease, all in glittering white, as I snapped her picture: front, side, and back. Twisting her waterfall of hair off her neck, she eyed the scoop of satin below. A saleswoman swooped in with a veil on a jeweled comb.

“You’re an angel in that dress,” the saleswoman sighed. “All you need is a pair of wings.”

I heard Patrick’s deep murmur as he touched me between my legs.

Angel.

Did he have to call me that?

“You’re too sweet.” Alexis beamed at the saleswoman, who was already her new best friend. “This dress is magic. It’s a definite maybe,” she added to me as she went into the dressing room. Yards of satin swished with each step.

“You’re such a good assistant,” the saleswoman said to me. “Taking pictures of everything she tries on.” She gestured to the drifts of white dresses, billowing like whipped cream. “I wish I’d had a sister to go wedding dress shopping with me.”

“Mmm,” I said. “Yeah, it’s special.”

I was sore. Every twinge, sharp and delicate, was a memory of Patrick waking me in the middle of the night and plunging into me from behind.

Afterward, I’d asked him to set his alarm even earlier than usual, because I had to drive home to meet my sister.

“How early?”

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