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She didn’t ask about the conversation with the queen, like that was the last thing on her mind

It was certainly the last thing on mine

I unclasped my cloak, unbuttoned my tunic, and at the foot of the bed, I undressed until a pile of clothes was on the hardwood floor

Her eyes looked ry

My knees hit the htly in my direction Farther I went until I heldto hers for a kiss The landing was soft, our lips coainst a blue sky My eyes opened and looked at her underneathmore

I tugged the sheets fro over ether like two logs in a fire My ry round our bodies together at the saainst her entrance

I hadn’t showered in three days, but she didn’t give a damn

Her nails dug intointothe bed shake One hand went to ed on me, too anxious to continue this unnecessary foreplay

I directed ainst my mouth

A moan came next, a quiet and drawn-out one

With slow and steady thrusts, I rocked into her, my eyes on hers “Welcome home, baby”

TWENTY-FIVE

Ivory

As if we’d never left, he wokejust the way I liked, his lips on etting right to the point so he could start his day

I lovedsex

I’d never had it before because ht

He bathed then left, and I went right back to sleep the second the door shut

When I woke up hours later, I bathed even though I had bathed last night, because it was a pleasure I would never take for granted again I took thelunch then returned to the house to sit in front of the fireplace in the bedroom and read one of the books I’d found on the sloop I felt like a aiting forday at work