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I found myself smiling at the utter joy in her expression. Head tilted back, pink hair wild, blue eyes sparkling, she made me feel something I hadn't in a while. Interest.
"You're not what I imagined,"
Her quiet admission had me grinning. "No?"
"Not at all." "What were you expecting?" She grinned, her eyes sparkling. "Less lumbersexual and more Christian Grey perhaps?" I laughed, already enjoying this conversation far more than I'd enjoyed anything in months. "Who says I don't have a secret sex room ready for debauchery?"
I watched Frankie scoop a giant spoonful of cream from the top of her pancake pile. Her tongue flicked out, capturing the fluffy white dollop. My cock hardened, my body rigid as I watched her eyelids drift shut, listening to the satisfied moan as she savored the taste. I found myself wondering if she'd make the same sound when I got her under me, my mouth on her—
I turned to the rainbow in the room. "Frankie, are you happy to help me with this scene?" I watched her cheeks flush, enjoying the color I'd added to her already beautiful canvas. She nodded. "Sure."
"Why must men be difficult?" "Because if they were easy, they'd be dogs."
Frankie: We'll have to agree to disagree. Which is fine because it means I get dessert to myself. I chuckled, sliding the cell into my pocket. "See what I mean?" Ren asked, sending Linc and Theo an amused grin. "The boy has it bad."
My gaze caught on her dark wash jeggings, and I fought a sudden urge to peel them from her body. Fuck.
Frankie was the kind of woman who I referred to as a sun. She sucked people into her orbit, bathing them in her glow. If I wasn't careful, one of us could get burned. Badly.
"Adults forget to fuel their inner child. And those who had childhood experiences taken away—the kids who grew up far too fast—they deserve it more than most. Play is, and should always be considered, a birthright. Just as breathing, and living, and existing in happiness should be a birthright."
"Safe spaces are great but brave spaces are where it's at for me. And brave spaces mean inviting people in and building connections that might not otherwise exist. They're all about constructive discomfort."
She burst out laughing, her head tipping back as her delight spilled free. My control snapped. I leaned across the console, cupping her cheek to turn her face to me. Her laughter stuttered, her eyes widening. "Just so we're clear," I murmured gruffly. "This doesn't mean we're on a date." "W-w-what?" I kissed her, and to my fucking horror found she didn't taste like sugar or spice. She tasted like forever.
My lipstick smudged his mouth and I found I liked the look of it there, liked knowing I'd left my mark on him. My gaze dropped to his lap, pleased to find him as turned on as me.
"You're the kind of woman who should come with a warning label." "What? Loves trashy reality TV shows and fails at cooking?" "Makes a man lose his goddamn mind."
"It's not unrealistic to expect a guy to sweep me off my feet. Life imitates art all the time, and don't we all deserve an epic love story?"
I stared at the black-and-white nude portrait for a beat longer, committing to memory the curves of her body, the shape of her breasts, her slightly parted lips. My cock pressed against my fly as blood rushed to my dick, need pulsing through me. I want to taste her. "Jay?" I forced my gaze from the picture, finding Frankie watching me. "You're fucking gorgeous."
"Pain and joy aren't mutually exclusive. I can feel one while experiencing the other."
"If you stay for dinner and finish the podcast episode, I might say yes to letting you be my boyfriend." She sent me a grin. "You've got a deal." An unfamiliar but pleasant feeling settled in my chest, taking up space. "Well shit," I muttered, staring at the closed bathroom door. "I think I might be falling in love."
I found myself thinking of her far more often than I should, wondering if she thought of me, wanting the taste of her on my tongue.
I crossed my arms, a small grin playing on my lips as I stared at the man who made me feel like a queen. "I leave you alone for five minutes…." He shot me a smile, his face covered in a fine layer of white dust. "Sometimes a man sees an opportunity and has to take it."
"What can I do to help?" Jay lifted his shirt to wipe his face, the move revealing yards of delicious abdomen. If I lick him that means I own him, right? "Nothing. Sit over there and let the men flex for you." I started to protest but stopped when Jay leaned in to kiss my forehead. "I appreciate your offer but I don't want you getting your outfit dirty." He leaned in until his lips were in line with my ear. "I want it in perfect condition for when I tear it from you later."
I love you. The words hovered unspoken between us, courage failing me. "Say it," he whispered, his lips close enough to brush mine. "Say what you're thinking." I swallowed, trembling. "I can't." "Then let me." His mouth grazed my lips. "I love you, Frankie." I melted, leaning into his kiss, letting him taste everything I wanted to say. "I love you too,"
"I'm not going to ask you to explain whatever the fuck issue is going on in your head because years of counselling is needed to help you with that mess. I will, however, ask you to explain what's in your heart." I rubbed at my chest. "What heart?" "God damn it, Jay!" She stabbed me in the chest with a finger. "I disliked you. I thought she was too good for you. I worried about her. I worried about her heart. But now?" She shook her head. "You're as fucked up about this as she is. Which only means one thing." "What's that?" "That you love her, stupid!"
"Of course I fucking love her! She's Frankie. She's sweet, and sexy, and hilarious, and serious, and so fucking intelligent she blows my mind. She's creating a life for herself that is beyond anything I could ever imagine and what do I have to offer her? A fucking wreck of a home and a bunch of dinosaur statues. What am I? Fucking five? I'm not the guy she marries. I'm the guy she fucks and gets over."
"Frankie isn’t asking a lot. She doesn't expect you to be perfect." Mai gestured at herself and the women beside her. "She loves us because of our imperfections. She'll take you as you are, Jay. She'll do whatever's necessary to build a future with you. All she's asking for—all she wants, is for you to do the same."
"Fuck, I love you." I burned, aching with gratitude and awe for this woman. She sighed, burrowing into me. "I know." Amusement wound through me. "You know, hmm?" "I knew the minute you destroyed a wall to make room in your house for me." I froze, thinking back. "Well, shit." She giggled, her lips finding my collarbone. "You can't hide from me, Jay Wood. I see you."
