Page 36 of Craving

“You can hear that?” She gasped as Marlon increased the pressure between her legs.

“I jerk off to it every time,” Marlon admitted. He clamped a hand on her hip and helped her grind herself against his other hand. “Wish it was me using it on you, making you squirm.”

Camilla let out a cry, her body shuddering as her fingernails dug into his arms. Marlon watched her orgasm, his own body throbbing in response. She arched her back as a flush spread over her chest and neck. She was so beautiful he could hardly stand it.

He let her ride his hand through her orgasm until she whimpered and pushed it away, and then it was the work of a moment to unfasten his belt and reach his hand inside his pants. Planting a hand next to her body and curling his face into her neck, Marlon breathed in her scent as he jerked himself. It took two swift strokes for him to make a mess of his underwear.

Rational thought returned in fits and starts. Camilla’s arms had draped themselves across his back, her head resting against his shoulder. Marlon pressed a kiss to her neck and straightened, watching her.

She blinked, bit her bottom lip, then began to smile. “I do feel better, actually.”

Marlon’s laugh burst out of him. Unable to resist the temptation, he kissed the tip of her nose before slipping out of the kitchen to go clean himself up. By the time he came back, Camilla had her sweater back on and her singed, frilly apron wrapped around her waist. He still needed to get her a new one. The kitchen smelled like home-cooked dinner, and Marlon wondered how he’d ever survived life without her.

TWELVE

“Girl, that definitely counts as sex.” Scarlett pursed her lips as she arranged a bouquet of flowers on the counter in her shop.

Lucy hummed in agreement.

The shop smelled of fresh-cut flowers, the air heavy with moisture and warmth. Camilla leaned on the front counter and pursed her lips at her friends. “We had our clothes on the whole time,” Camilla protested, then said, “I mean, except for my sweater.”

Scarlett just rolled her eyes and laughed. “Right.”

“There was no penetration. We didn’t even touch each other skin to skin.”

“Sex isn’t just penis-in-vagina, Camilla,” Lucy noted, her feet swinging as she perched on a cushioned stool.

“I know that.” Camilla slumped, dropping her head on top of her arms where they were crossed on the counter.

Scarlett plucked a bit of greenery from a bucket beside her and slid it into the bouquet. She was grinning.

“Stop it,” Camilla complained.

Scarlett painted an innocent look on her face. “What! I didn’t even say anything.”

“I can hear your judgment.”

“I, of all people, cannot judge you for sleeping with a beautiful man. I’m still in the throes of my slut phase. In fact, I’m going away next weekend, driving down to Boston for a sexcation with a man I’ve been chatting with online. That in itself should be proof that I can’t pass judgment for making bad decisions when it comes to men.”

“So you think it was a bad decision?” Camilla asked, cringing.

“What, hooking up with your roommate and pretending that you were just scratching each other’s itch? Telling yourself it was a one-time thing? Pretending that you haven’t been lusting after him twenty-four-seven since the day of Amelia’s wedding?”

“All right, all right,” Camilla grumbled. “I get it.”

“I think it’s great,” Lucy cut in. “You look all glowy and refreshed. With all the work you’ve put in at the bakery, you deserve to let your hair down.”

Camilla did her best to give her a genuine smile, but it was a little tight around the edges. She’d never told her friends about the loan, and she definitely hadn’t told anyone about the ten-thousand-dollar late fee.

Everyone thought she’d built this business on her own, that she’d made good decisions and created something special. But she’d taken a huge risk, and it still had the potential to blow up in her face. She had mere weeks to come up with the money, and things kept going wrong at the bakery. Between the broken window and the malfunctioning oven, the deposit that Fred and Nadia had paid was dwindling.

She needed to make more money, and fast. Hooking up with Marlon wasn’t just scratching an itch; it was a distraction.

“I have news,” Lucy announced as Scarlett gave the bouquet one last primp before wrapping it in colored paper. Lucy grinned. “I’m going to get a booth at the Wedding Expo next year.”

The Wedding Expo happened annually every summer in Stirling. Vendors hocked their wares, pushed their services, and made connections. A booth was expensive, and competition was fierce. Booths weren’t just rented out to anyone; an application had to be made and approved.

“Amazing!” Camilla’s smile turned genuine as she crossed the space and wrapped Lucy in a hug. “Congratulations. I think that’s a great idea.”

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