Page 39 (1/2)

I’d just told Simon I loved him While my snot soaked into his North Face I breathed in his scent, then peeled h stuck there Nerves sprang to life, for once working for us Could I cover? Could I rally?

"Which part?" I asked the wall--and Clive, who had stopped playing with his nuts to listen in

"That last part," I heard hi and clear

"I killed ed

"You really think that’s the part I’ain"

"I don’t wanna"

"Caroline--wait, what’s your middle name?"

"Elizabeth"

"Caroline Elizabeth," he warned, in a deep voice that unexpectedly ood, when it’s not flavored all," I blurted,with my confession for an odd buzz I actually felt a little relieved

"Turn around, please," he asked, and so I did He leaned against the counter, unzipping his snotty North Face "I’ed, so a quick recap, if I could One, you see as he took off his fleece, throwing it over the back of one of my chairs

"Two, brioche is really hard to aze away from him Underneath the North Face was a white button-down Which was good enough on its own, but couple that with the way he was slowly and

"And three, you think you love me?" he asked, his voice deep and thick, like han--blanket, not country

"Yes," I whispered, knowing it was one hundred percent the truth I loved Siiant dur

"You think, or you know?"

"I know"

"Well, now That’s so as he drew near "You really have no idea, do you?" He spread his hands alonghis thu quickened,to life in spite ofhihly you ownin to whisper this part in h to want you to have your happy ending"

And then he kissed me--Heart was in heaven--kissed h in this fairy tale I had dough sticking to my back and a cat with a pawful of nuts But that didn’t stop hfor you the night you banged onet to know you, I wasn’t with anyone else?"

I gasped "But I thought, I ht, but it’s true How could I be with anyone else when I was falling in love with you?"

He loved oing?

"And now, I’hedat the stacks of bread on the table With a deep breath and a grimace, in one fell swoop he knocked them all to the floor Bread rained down in foil-covered bricks around us, and I can’t be sure, but I think I heard a tiny whine escape as he watched theerous He grabbed s apart to stand between the to have?" he asked, slipping his hands inside h on my tummy

"What are you up to?"

"An O has been lost, and I’e of the table and snugly in to his around his waist, kissing oing to be easy She’s pretty lost," I protested between kisses, worrying his buttons open and exposing his Spanish suntan

"I’m done with easy"

"You should print that on cards"

"Print this--why do you still have clothes on?"

He laid rinned up at hi to the floor, dusting us thoroughly in the process Sihed and a pluhing stopped when I reached down for hiroaned, my favorite sound in the world

"Fuck, Caroline, I love your hands onhisa trail of white-hot kisses across e of my apron Hands quickly found the botto across the room, into the kitchen sink Within seconds, a pair of shorts found theside, quickly followed by a pair of jeans and a white button-down

The apron? Well, ere having a little trouble with that one

"Are you a sailor? Who tied this knot, Popeye?" he seethed, struggling to get it undone In his struggles, he laze, which now dripped down the table and on to the floor My contribution was to flip over a carton of raisins while I cranedto see the knot behind me

"Oh, screw the apron, Si the front ofit to the floor I pulled down the top of the apron, arranging and propping up e Pie eyed, he looked at my now-naked brsts and went in for the kill I was pushed roughly back on to the table oncepersonal to hie it was

Dipping a finger into the marmalade puddle, he traced a path fro the sticky intohis head, he tasted one, then the other, both of us groaning at the sa hot wings This could be a different story--, that’s nice" I sighed as he responded to my smart-assery with an actual bite

"These would be extra spicy"

He laughed as I rolled et so down in this apart the jar of honey fro aside ot h there was that…

As I watched, he poured the honey all overme squeal He stood back to ad to have to coain I stopped him with aat his flour-covered boxers He raised an eyebrow, and dropped the boxers Standing nad in my wreck of a kitchen, he was insanely cute