Page 124 of Brittle Heart

Is that what this is?

Joshua kisses down the side of my face, holding me close. “You can sleep a little longer, but I wanted to make us breakfast. Eggs and bacon or toast?”

“No, stay here.” I pout, snuggling back into him.

“How do you feel? Are you sore?” he asks, his tone gentle.

I check myself and admit, “A bit, but it’s not bad. I’m okay.” I turn in his arms and blink up at him.

“There are those beautiful eyes,” he says, smiling down at me and lifting a hand to stroke my cheek. “Thank you for this. For trusting me with you. I swear I’ll do anything to never make you regret that choice,” he says, leaning down to put a lingering kiss on my forehead.

I love this man.His kindness, his fun side, his gentleness. All of him.

“You said you love me,” I whisper.

“I am so madly in love with you it isn’t even funny anymore.” He chuckles, leaning back a bit to look down at me.

“I love you too, Joshua,” I whisper back.

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before opening them again and smiling at me. “I don’t deserve you, but I’m going to keep you anyway,” he whispers.

If anything, it’s the other way around.

* * *

After we cuddled for a while, Joshua went to make us breakfast, and my stomach won’t stop tingling.

I take a quick shower and pull my hair into a ponytail, then slip into the same clothes as yesterday. Making my way downstairs, I feel a slight ache, but it only brings a smile to my lips. We’ve done it, and it wasn’t terrible, not even bad. I can’t wait for it to feel fantastic.

Music is coming from the floor beneath, and my curiosity takes over. There’s no one in sight, so I quickly make my way down the last set of stairs, halting on the last step finding myself in a basement turned into a gym. The music is super loud, a remix of ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” playing, so Clay doesn’t notice me as he’s jumping rope.

He’s wearing gray sweat shorts, a red cap on backward, and white sneakers—nothing else. His chest glistens with sweat, and his calves and arms are tattooed, though his chest is bare. I can’t help but watch in awe as his muscular pecs wiggle with every jump.

He had shown me videos of other people doing it, and I found it somewhat amusing that someone like him would have such a hobby. But damn, seeing him in action now it’s really fucking cool.

The rope is swinging so fast while he skips his feet, crosses his legs, and even turns around himself effortlessly. He lets go of the rope with one hand, allowing it to hurl around before catching it again out of thin air. Then he swings it beside him like a pro. It’s truly fucking impressive, and he’s mesmerizing to watch.

An arm wraps around my shoulder, pulling me back against a hard stomach. I see tattooed fingers when I look down, so I relax against Xander, who bends down to whisper in my ear. “I know I make fun of him most of the time, but our boy is fucking sexy when he does this, don’t you think?”

I nod absentmindedly, my eyes still fixed on a bead of sweat running down Clay’s chest before I even register what Xander just said.

“I am going to lick that fine chest. Let me know if you want to join.” There’s an obvious smirk in his voice, but I’m too mesmerized to think more of it.

He lets go of me when the song stops and walks over to Clay, who is panting hard, before grabbing his neck and licking from his collarbone to his ear.

A tingling between my thighs starts when I see Clay let his head fall to the side with his eyes closed on a groan before I quickly make my way upstairs.

“Hey, your timing is perfect.” Joshua smiles at me as he places two plates on the kitchen island. He’s wearing dark gray sweatpants and a matching hoodie, looking swoon-worthy.

I smile back and climb up to sit on the high barstool, inhaling the delicious-smelling plate of eggs and bacon. I can’t remember the last time someone made me breakfast.

“Thank you,” I say. “I haven’t even asked. Did you sleep all right?”

He sits beside me, his left hand going to my knee and strokes it with his thumb. “Never slept better,” he says, his eyes briefly lingering on my lips as he leans in, kissing me.

“God, that smells good. Is there something left for us?” Clay asks as he and Xander walk into the kitchen. “Oh, hey, kitten, early morning visit?”

“She stayed the night,” Joshua says casually, kissing my temple before getting back to eat his eggs.

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