Page 64 of Meowy & Bright

“Forever,” he growls.

“Forever!” I cry out as Knox pulls another orgasm from me. It explodes through me unlike any of the others. This time I’m connected to him in the most intimate of ways. All my walls have come down. Warmth fills my whole body, and I know it's love.

I’m hopelessly in love with Knox. I think … I think maybe I always have been.

I thought I came home yesterday, but as I lie under Knox after him making love to me, I realize this is actually my home.

17

KNOX

“You want me to buy out the whole store?” Olin asks.

I can feel him frowning on the other end of the line. “She loves the pumpkin marshmallow scents, so get all the candles they have like that.”

“This place is full of middle-aged women who treat this store like it’s a blood sport, and you want me to takeallof a certain scent of candle?”

I can’t help but smile. “Yes.”

“Boss—” He grunts. “Hey, lady! Watch it! I’m shopping here.”

I hear an irate woman in the background.

“Oh, shit. I gotta go.” Olin hangs up, and I can only imagine him getting beaten with an umbrella by a soccer mom.

“What’s going on?” Ruby leans on the bakery counter.

I pull her to me and steal a kiss. Several, in fact. She’s been in town for just a week, but it’s been the best week of my life. With her here, I get the feeling I’m going to have a lot of those.

“We’ve got more orders, you little front desk floozy,” Lorraine calls from the back.

Ruby pulls away and rolls her eyes. “She loves you. You know that, right?”

“Yes.” I kiss her again as my phone buzzes in my pocket. I ignore it. “And I love this little ‘front desk floozy.’” I reach down and grab her ass, kneading it as she moans into my mouth.

Lorraine grumbles in the background, but I can’t get enough of Ruby. I never will.

“Fine.” She sighs against my mouth and wriggles so I’ll let her go.

I don’t like it, but Lorraine does rule the roost around here. “I guess I should get to the shop.”

“It’s always work, work, work around here. I come back from the busy city to visit, and all I get is a pile of work to do.” She smiles.

I smile back and drop another kiss on her before I grab her shoulders and turn her around, then give her a pop on the ass before she disappears into the kitchen. She and Lorraine start play-bickering over icing colors as I stand at the counter. Ruby’s words bounce around in my mind—she said she’s here “to visit.” I thought I’d changed her mind about that by now. That she was ready to stay.

But that’s not what she said. I guess we haven’t really sat down to discuss it. I just assumed she’d want to be here with me. Hell, I already have a friend in the city designing her engagement ring. The center is a giant ruby, obviously.

But what if she wants to go back there? To that asshole boss and that shitty job and that jerk of a roommate? What if I’m not enough to keep her here?

Shit. I run a hand through my hair. My phone buzzes again.

I reach for it and check. It’s my father. I’m not in the mood for his brand of crazy, but maybe a distraction right now would be a good thing.

“Yeah?” I answer.

“That’s how you pick up the phone? ‘Yeah’? Did I raise a hooligan? Mr. Finley, I do believe I raised a hooligan!”

“Yes, sir,” Mr. Finley agrees with his usual tone of tired and bored.

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