Page 99 of The Problem with Perfect

Taking Jackson’s advice, I contacted George Sterling to see if he’d be interested in taking on an employee temporarily until he retires. He was actually thrilled by the idea, and we negotiated not just my employment, but my purchase of his business. Apparently, his clients were all very worried about him retiring, and he had been considering different ways to make sure they all found a good home with a new tax advisor.

Thankfully for both of us, the timing was absolutely perfect, and I started working for him as soon as I finished my last section of the CPA Exam in July. It’s been a busy two months transitioning into full-time work, but it’s everything I thought it would be and then some.

A little bit of guilt swims in my stomach, though, knowing that everything in my life is coming together so—dare I say it—perfectly, when my brother’s life seems to have slowly fallen apart.

And unlike difficult times in the past when Bishop and I have turned to each other, for whatever reason, he seems to be retreating into himself and pushing me away. Things between us are strained, and I hope a day comes soon when he will let me back in.

I just have to be patient and keep trying.

Rusty puts my foot down then taps his lap, so I slip off my other boot and put my other foot in his very capable hands. I moan again, and he pauses.

“Make another sound like that, and I’ll have to cart your ass upstairs,” he says, a teasing look on his face.

Licking my lips, I shift just slightly, nudging at his lap with my foot, and I moan again.

He squeezes my foot, narrowing his eyes at me.

“Bellamy.”

I squint at him playfully.

“Rusty.”

He pushes up off the couch and crawls over me, scooting me so I’m lying flat on my back and he’s hovering over me, his body gently resting against mine.

“You know what it does to me when you make those noises,” he says, dipping his face into the crook of my neck and placing gentle kisses against my skin.

“I do.”

He pauses and pulls back to eye me. “And yet you do it anyway.”

I beam at him. “Obviously.”

Rusty chuckles, then presses his lips to mine. We kiss lovingly, longingly, languidly, our tongues dipping and stroking and tasting each other in ways that have become so familiar over the past months.

I love the way it feels to be in his arms, to have his attention on me, to feel like I belong to him.

Because I do.

I do belong to him, and he belongs to me.

When we crawl into bed a while later, sated and snuggled together, I feel incredibly thankful, not just that we love each other, but that we love each other in ways that feel so much deeper and so much more true than I ever thought love could be.

We might have started off as something fake, but each night I go to sleep in his arms, each night I feel his naked body against mine and hear his quiet breaths in my ear, I never have any doubts…

Everything about us is real.

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Thank you for readingThe Problem with Perfect! Visit mywebsiteor thealso bypage for more information about my books!

The Problem with Perfectis the third book in the Cedar Point series, and the next book will be coming winter 2023! Was this your first trip to Cedar Point? Make sure you check out the first book in the series,The Trouble with Wanting, a steamy, grumpy/sunshine romance,available now on Amazon!

If you loved the Cedar Point series, make sure you visit Sandalwood! Keep reading for the first two chapters of my steamy, single dad, boss/employee romance,Solo.

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