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Her lips part and I lower my mouth to hers I kiss her more softly this time, sweeter, roan I want her soher in the backseat ofher here as I really want to, I decide we should go back upstairs I have toto be easy, but I also know I love her enough to do it

"So I saw your brother in the bathroom before I saw you," I confess

"Xander?"

"No, River"

Her eyes widen "How’d that go?"

"Let’s just say it went better than could have been expected," I whisper in her ear

"Oh, that’s really good"

"It’s going to be okay They don’t have to love h that we can all be together--I can guarantee you that"

I pull back to look at her Her sht--just the way I like it There is no fear or concern anywhere on her face Also the way I like it

"I believe you"

I step closer The heat in her eyes flames, proof of the passion that’s always between us, and I reconsider the backseat plan I stare at her lips but quickly raise aze back to her eyes They exude such innocence and trust theynot to always take But fk, this isn’t easy With rab her hand and say, "Co I’d like to say congratulations"

She yanks my hand and pulls h that I can feel the hardness of her niles through her dress and rips my tie and pulls the knot fro when you arrived Xander arranged a private fireworks display for Ivy and whisked her off on some yacht to watch the show alone They’re actually headed to Mexico on that boat for their honeymoon"

"Does that ht?" I lick my lips

"I am," she purrs "I even have a room on the fifth floor Would you like to see it?"

"See it? Oh, baby, I want to do rowl in her ear

The sound she makes in response sendsdown her body and around to her back when the unpleasant uy’s hands in the same place as uy with his hands all over you?"

"Leif?"

My eyes drift down her body and back up "I’uy I told you about that took Jagger’s place in the ht Lucky for him I didn’t punch him out, then"

"Ben, we’re just friends"

"I’ve told you I’ her lip with an amused smile on her face "Have I told you that turns

Bell

Three weeks later

Happiness fills ht two people so lost in this world could make each other feel found, but we have I slip back into bed as the sun makes its way up on the horizon and look over at Ben, his bare back tan fro me how to surf, his head buried in his pillow, and his hair a rumpled mess--he couldn’t look any hotter I know he’s tired but I can’t resist letting ue draw a line from his neck down

In a flash he haseye toward the clock

"Six"

"In the h "That’s my line"

His mouth travels down my neck with a lick and a suck "I like your lines"

A throaty moan escapes my throat and I shift beneath him

He lifts his head "Why are you up so early?"

I archrin

"What?"

"Nothing," he says, rolling us so he’s on his back and I’"

I o It was the week after we got back together He kept his pros with ger testas work It was definitely a fa and so did Ben’s Myandtoward Ben, but I already knew they would be River, well, he and Ben didn’t actually speak to each other, but they didn’t fight either And Ben and I both agreed we could live with that At least they proved they could be in the sa each other I even think I heard River mumble, "Nice place, cool tree," under his breath when Ben was in his proxih out of that They’ll come around with each other; I know they will--someday

Once we finally leave the bed, we spend the day out We meet my s for the house as well as sos unloaded, I turn on thewater, slice a lee I notice Ben’s stare as I do and a wave of relentless desire sweeps throughand my breath quicken with every move around the kitchen he makes He can feel it too, I can tell

I lean back to watch Ben make dinner--stir-fry He finally convinced me to try it, but it wasn’t that difficult I’ve had a weird need to eat carrots It’s as if I’h, because if he kneanted to eat vegetables, God knohat he’d haveSo instead I wrinkled reed But first he had to promise a few sexual favors in return That part was fun And since Ben’s always telling me what a ith a wok he is, I really did want to see him in action