Before my back even hits the bed a few minutes later, his hand is in my panties, and he's all over me.
It's heaven.
Chapter Ten
Jasmine
"What are you reading?" Sarah Tolliver asks, peering over my shoulder at the sheaf of papers in my hand.
"What? Nothing." I slap my hands over them, trying to hide them.
She shoots me an odd look. "Um…okay, then?"
"Ignore her," Lilah advises, passing by the sofa with a stack of books. "River gave her his latest manuscript the other day. She's being weird about it."
"I am not being weird about it." I roll my eyes at my best friend's back. "I'm protecting his privacy." Maybe I'm being a little weird about it, but he didn't give me permission to show it to anyone else. I am not betraying his confidence. Hell no.
Sarah stares at me, wide-eyed. "Is it any good?"
"So good," I whisper, swallowing hard. In truth, I think it might be the best thing he's ever written, and that's not because I'm biased. It's because every page drips with emotion. I don't just feel seen in this novel, I am in this novel. And so are little pieces of him, like he's written the parts of himself that are wild about me into it, too. It's intimate, personal, and so damn beautiful.
His readers are going to love it. I love it.
"You're glowing," Sarah says, her expression soft.
"That's because she's getting laid every night!" Lilah shouts, her voice floating to us from behind a shelf.
"You do not get to judge me for riding River into the sunset when Lincoln has you tied to his bed nine nights out of ten, Lilah Davis!" I shout back. Naturally, the bell over the door jingles at that exact moment, and a group of shoppers spills into the store.
They all turn wide eyes on me, gaping.
Dammit.
Sarah laughs nervously, her face bright red. Not that she has any room to talk. She's been fucking Olive's brother for the last few weeks. They basically live together already. Honestly, good for her. She's never been this happy.
I quickly shove the manuscript back into the box before hopping to my feet. "Welcome to Book of Love, where we both read and discuss sex with hot men," I say, deadpan.
"Oh, count me in!" A curvy petite brunette grins from ear to ear, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I'm always down to discuss someone else's sex life."
"Yes, because you don't have one, Meridian," one of her friends says.
"Exactly," Meridian retorts, skipping forward to link her arm through mine like we're old friends. "I need to live vicariously through someone getting laid."
"I like you already," I murmur, earning another grin from her. "What can I help you find?"
"If dirty sex with hot men isn't on the menu, I'll take a filthy, possessive orc."
Oh, I really like her.
"We can definitely do that," I murmur, leading her toward the correct section while Sarah hurries forward to help her friends.
By the time we have them all sorted out, they're all loaded down with books, vibrators, and three bottles of wine, and the store is full of a brand-new wave of shoppers.
It's another hour and a half before I finally get a moment to breathe.
When I do, River is standing just inside the door, watching me.
"Hey," I murmur, my gaze running up and down his body. God, he's gorgeous. I don't think he even realizes how damn beautiful he is. He's just living his life, oblivious to the fact that he's fucking hot.
