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He glanced at her in shock “You’ve checked up on me?”
She ducked her head in embarrassment “It’s my only contact to the outside world,” she admitted “To real people I’ve known and any friends I used to have, and what their lives are like now But you clearly don’t share much online”
“No Social , really” He popped the rest of his cookie into his e, I came back to New York and was offered a job at MadX-Tech as a security analyst, which I love, and that’s pretty much where I spend the majority of my time”
He’d already told her he hadn’t had a girlfriend in a long tih she was curious about the reasons, she didn’t ask “Now, your sister is much more open about her life on social media”
“Yeah, she posts everything,” he said, clearly not understanding the appeal of sharing things online
“I love that she uy Avery had dated exclusively in high school “And their two kids are adorable” Yes, she’d scrolled through all of Avery’s posts and photos when she’d had the chance, which had been her only connection left to the best friend she’d grown up with, and she regretted not keeping in touch, because she truly missed their friendship
“Yeah, Harper just turned four, and Lucas is three,” Collin said of his niece and nephew, then grinned as he ate another cookie “They’re definitely a handful, but Avery loves being aan uncle”
Raevynn sed hard at the envy crowding in her chest How many times had she and Avery talked about their futuresboth of the best friends forever? And their kids would be besties and cousins, too, because Raevynn had envisioned her life with Collin Avery had oing to cosy school to become a hairstylist, while Raevynn’s future hadn’t been her own
Finished with his half of the Oreos, Collin relaxed against the couch and stretched his ar the back of the sofa “And what about you, Rae?” he asked, his fingers lazily trailing along her bare shoulder, causing chills to tu the world, where do you call home?”
“Most of the time, since I’m all over the place, I live out of hotels,” she ad not to be too distracted by his light caresses now at the nape of her neck “But about a year ago, I bought a house in Hidden Hills in Calabasas, which is just outside of Los Angeles However, I’ve spent maybe a month total in the place”
She’d purchased the house—which wasshe’d ever needed for one person—because her financial advisor had told her she needed the invest her choices and future But the place was huge and lonely and not at all what she wanted for herself No, what she’d always envisioned as a teenager washappily ever after—the whole white-picket-fence drea beside her that she’d alanted and desired
She still wanted and desired his had ended between the Raevynn kneith absolute conviction She was still in love with Collin, which she was certain he’d never understand or even believe when, to the outside world, she’d been coupled with Zane Bishop for three years But their pairing hadn’t been based on love or the kind of deep emotional connection she’d shared with Collin No, it had been a relationship of convenience and an easy friendship, for both her and Zane
And with her body bloo strokes on her skin, just as it always had whenever he touched her, and his gaze gradually darkening as he, too, felt the growing awareness between the more seductive, her heart raced in her chest
She craved this man like no other Seven years apart hadn’t lessened that deep, sensual hunger but had only aain And for the first ti solely for herself Because she’d given up so much, and this moment with Collin hat she wanted, and everyone else’s opinions and rules be damned
Before she lost the nerve, she boldly, brazenly straddled his lap, framed his face between her hands, and kissed him