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April 29 - May 2, 2024
I wanted that, too. More than anything. Someone to look at me like I was their universe, the way Benjamin looked at Angelina. How my dad looked at my mom.
I didn’t care about saying hello to any of them as I stared at the green dress that wrapped around Gabbi’s body and looked like sin. I couldn’t think about anything else when she slipped away from her table, except I needed to be next to her.
didn’t care about saying hello to any of them as I stared at the green dress that wrapped around Gabbi’s body and looked like sin. I couldn’t think about anything else when she slipped away from her table, except I needed to be next to her.
Mission number one: get back in Gabrielle’s good graces. Mission number two: ignore how pretty she looked tonight. One of them might have been easier to accomplish than the other.
And was I more frustrated that I noticed how attractive he was because he was also infuriatingly intolerable? Maybe.
“The Hunter Sullivan I know would frown at forced proximity with another person. And you’re signing up for 18 hours sitting next to me on a plane?” Maybe I wouldn’t hate it if it was you,
“You’re Belle,” I muttered, and she blinked up at me. “Like… the Disney Princess?” She blinked. “Mhm,” I grunted. Maybe I was exposing myself right now, but she’d always been my favorite growing up. “She wanted to see the world, and she loved to read, and she didn’t care what people thought about her. Like you.” And you’re beautiful,
I liked to think that Gabbi was like the night sky—so fucking beautiful to look at. Even when you didn’t see her, she still somehow affected you, just like the moon and the tides.
The liquid honey pooling in her eyes was dragging me in, and I couldn’t look away. Couldn’t move away, either. She’d caught me in her tractor beam, and I couldn’t have escaped even if I wanted to.
“Besides, if we ever fuck, I promise you’d remember it.”
But fuck—kissing him might have been the biggest mistake of my life. And even so… I wanted him to do it again.
all I wanted to do was scoot in next to her, to have her laugh because of something I said, to watch her light up while talking about something that she loved, and I hated she was doing any of that with anyone but me.
“I crossed a line I shouldn’t have crossed.” Oh. I did sort of know how he felt. I was sort of in the same situation—everything between Gabbi and me definitely felt fucked up. “You mean… with Zofia?” “Yeah. I’m… I don’t think I could live without her, man. She keeps my head screwed on straight, and with everything at work…” He sighed. “But it’s more than that?” Nicolas scratched the back of his head, fingers combing through the blonde strands. “Yeah. It is.”
“So you’re going to watch her marry someone else?” “What?” His head jerked up. “Who said anything about anyone else? Is she dating someone?” He almost growled. “Angelina didn’t tell me she was seeing anyone again.” The corner of my lips tilted up into an amused expression. “Can’t risk ruining it, huh?” He groaned. “You’re going to be a real pain in my ass for the rest of our lives, aren’t you?” I smirked, holding up my beer glass. “Absolutely, that’s the plan.”
I can’t touch you, because if I do, I know I’ll ruin myself for anyone else. I can’t touch you, because I want you so badly I can’t even bear it. I can’t touch you, because you’re everything that’s pure, and good, and perfect, and if I touch you, I’ll taint your shine. I can’t touch you, because I won’t want to stop. Because you said it yourself, it was a mistake.
He’d called me Elle. Never, in all the years, had I imagined how much I’d like it spilling from his lips. I knew now that there was a reason no one else had ever called me it. I’d simply been saving it for him.
“What?” He frowned. “I’m Scandinavian—I burn easily.” I glanced at Noelle. With her freckled skin and ginger hair, both of them had the skin-burns-easily gene. “I think your future kids are a little screwed, aren’t they?” He chuckled, and I knew he was looking at his girlfriend. “Probably. Still wouldn’t trade her for the world, though, man. She’s…” Matthew sighed. “She’s everything.”
“You look—wow.” “You like it?” I looked down at the dress, fiddling with the fabric in the front. “Do I like it?” He muttered, tilting my chin up to look at him. “Fuck. Gabrielle. You’re beautiful.”
“Why not Saturday?” I blinked, surprised he would willingly give up his Sunday to go shopping with me. “Don’t you girls have your book club on Saturdays?” Oh. He remembered. “I—well, yeah.” “So. You can’t do Saturday. I’m not trying to steal you from the girls.” I nodded. “Okay. Sunday it is then.”
“I can get really self-conscious when I try on swimsuits. I know I don’t act like it, but I don’t always love my body, okay? I’ve got a stomach, and stretch marks on my thighs, and sometimes I hate everything I try on.” “Gabbi,” he huffed. “I like who you are—how you are—no matter what, okay?”
“I definitely get to see you in the green one now,” he rasped into my ear on our way out. “You wish.” I taunted. “I do.”
“If you keep touching me like that, I’m not going to be able to help myself. And if I touch you again… I won’t be able to stop.” “I don’t want you to.” I said. “I want you. I want this,”
“Now be quiet and let me read about my favorite Tobias.” “Why bother, when you have such a fine specimen right here?” He smirked, wiggling his eyebrows. “Who would you rather have entertain you: me, or a fictional man who doesn’t exist?” “Tobias.” I glared at him. “I’d pick Tobias.”
Oh god. He’d caught me in the middle of a sex dream. About him. Fuck fuck fuck. Abort mission. How did I escape this? Could I jump off the airplane mid-flight? Where were we even above right now?
“I did it again, didn’t I? Ugh.” Gabrielle let out a groan. “I can never seem to stop myself from the word vomit around you. I’m sorry. It’s probably so annoying.” I shook my head, brushing a strand of her bangs behind her ear. “No. It’s cute. Don’t stop. I like when you ramble on and on to me about things you love.” “Oh.” She blinked at me. “Okay.”
“I’m just… I’m trying really hard not to kiss you right now.” “Oh. Okay.” I ran my fingers over his jaw. “But you could, you know? You could kiss me… if you wanted.” He smirked, dipping his head down and lightly brushing his lips against mine. “Sometimes… I think it’s all I want,”
“What are you wearing?” He growled. Why did I love that sound so much? My heart was racing as I turned to look at him. “What? You don’t like it?” I asked innocently. “Gabrielle.” His voice was tight. “What? We’re just—” “Say we’re just friends again, and I’m going to show you all the ways we’re not.”
“Can you just hold me?” I whispered. “Yeah, baby,” he said, and wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight against his chest as I buried my face into his skin. “Hunter?” “Yeah?” “You know you’re better than any book boyfriend?”
I hated she had all of her book boyfriends occupying her heart instead of me. Dammit, I was real, and I was right here, and I didn’t want to hold back anymore.
“Mmm, Elle?” “Yeah?” “Can I kiss you? Please?” Her eyes opened, and I pulled her into my arms.
She belonged among the stars, because she shined so bright, but I was glad to have her down here, anyway, where I could see her light.
It was a kiss I’d been waiting a lifetime for. A kiss I thought I might die without. It was a kiss to rival the ones in all my books, the way he kissed me—lingering, like he was savoring every moment.
“Do you want me to fuck you right here in this garden, my little fighter? Want me to take you out in the open, where anyone could see us?”
“Fuck. I’m such an idiot.” He slammed his mouth back against mine. “I’d been trying so hard, Gabrielle,” he groaned in between kisses. “Not to touch you. To not kiss you. Not to have you like this, in every fucking way I wanted you, because I didn’t want to fuck everything up. But I can’t resist anymore.”
“Come for me, little fighter. I want to feel you coming around my cock, sweet girl.”
“You look so gorgeous freshly fucked, my girl.” Her eyes met mine in the reflection, and I followed the movement as she swallowed. “Be a good girl, and I’ll fuck you again when we get back to the room. Maybe I’ll even put my mouth on you this time,” I whispered into her ear, before I dropped my hands from her.
I wanted my cum to be dripping down her thighs, so she knew who she belonged to.
“You’re so fucking wet for me, aren’t you? Naughty girl.” She nodded, looking down at me as I wrenched her thighs apart. “Only for you, Hunter,”
How had this beautiful specimen of a human decided she wanted me? I was a fool for her, and I didn’t deserve her. I didn’t, but I couldn’t survive without her.
“Does my little fighter need to come, hm?” I nodded. “Yes, yes, please,” “Good girl,” he purred, “begging for what you want.”
“I want to feel you like this,” he whispered into my ear, voice rough. “Want to feel your tight pussy squeezing my dick as you take me from behind, my fighter girl, and make you come on my cock. Do you want that?”
“I want to be with you. I’m just terrified, sweetheart. That I’ll screw everything up, and that I’ll lose my best friend, and the only girl I’ve ever cared about.”
“Angelina, I think I knew from the first moment I saw you that I was going to love you. Sure, it took a little bit of convincing to get you to realize you loved me too—” He paused as Angelina rolled her eyes—“but in the end, I don’t regret that moonlight swim with you one bit. I promise to love you, even when you hate me, and cherish you always. I vow that I’ll never forget to pick up mocha ice cream when you’re feeling sad. I promise that I’ll give you a foot-rub any time you get home from work, and that I’ll never stop supporting you in your career. I hope that I’ll be able to show you, more
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“Benjamin,” Angelina said with a small laugh. “If you’d told me three years ago that we were going to be standing here today, getting married, I would have told you that you were crazy.” She gave a small smile. “Well, maybe you are a bit crazy, because you’re marrying me, but still. I never would have opened myself up without you, and for that, I can never stop saying thank you. You showed me that someone could love me, and you’ve never stopped proving it to me every day how much you love me. I promise to not be such a bitch when you’re being nice to me—at least most of the time. I promise to
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“I’ve read thousands of romance novels, but truly, Angelina and Benjamin are real soulmates, and I couldn’t be happier that they found each other. I already know your lives are going to be filled with so much joy and laughter—and a lot of bickering—and I’m so happy I get to be a part of it. I cannot wait to see where the next few years take you, and I know all of us here can’t wait for the ride.
There was nothing I wouldn’t do for this girl. I hope she realized it. I hope she knew how my brother felt about Angelina was how I was feeling about her.
“Have I told you how gorgeous you look tonight?” He said, moving to kiss my bare shoulder. He had, but I didn’t care. I’d let him tell me a hundred times if he wanted to. “Hunter…” I said, low, pleading. “Someone might see us.” “I don’t care,” he shook his head. “I told you—I think if I don’t kiss you, I’ll die.”
She’s special, okay? And I don’t want to fuck it up like I screw up everything I touch. I can’t do that to her. I’d kill myself before I ever hurt her.”
She shone like the stars in the sky, while I was a moody asshole with attachment issues.
“Please,” I said, low enough that only she could hear. “Or do you want me to ask on my knees? Cause I will. I’ll get on my knees and beg for you, my fighter girl. Just dance with me.”
