Page 135 of Effortless

“Yeah, Aug. Anytime.”

August’s smile bloomed wide. “That’s all I care about. Free food and board, and I get to consider it a mostly paid vacation.”

Camilla rested back on the couch, and laughed loudly. “You almost made me cry, you asshole.”

“Psht,” August replied. “Says the girl with the heart of ice.”

“Not anymore.”

At that second, a knock echoed on Camilla’s apartment door. Her gaze narrowed as she looked between her grinning friend, and the door.

“Who is it?” she asked.

August shrugged dramatically. “Who knows?”

“Bitch.”

“Hey!”

Camilla laughed, and dodged the half-ass slap from her friend as she jumped up from the couch, and passed August by. She gave August a peek of her tongue over her shoulder when she stuck it out. At the same time, she yanked open the door without staring at it, or even checking the peephole.

It might have helped to prepare her heart had she done those things. It might have helped hearing the sound of his voice just a couple of inches away.

It might have helped …

It probably wouldn’t have helped at all.

“Someone told me you’re on summer break, Camilla.”

Tommaso.

She spun around so fast, everything was a blur in her vision. And then her gaze landed on him standing outside her apartment door, and absolutely everything in her life was right again. The world’s axis tilted back, and the globe began to spin in the right direction.

It had been too long.

Three weeks since she had seen him last.

Not really long.

Still, too long for her.

“Tom,” Camilla whispered.

His grin deepened, and turned sexy in a blink. “Hey, babe.”

“Surprise?”

Tom nodded. “Surprise. I’m here for the week.”

She looked over her shoulder at a slyly smiling August. “Let me guess, this was who you meant?”

“Yep.”

“What did you do?”

August looked over her fingernails. “Got his number from your brother, and thought I should finally introduce him properly to the best person to have ever graced your life. I mean, what else?”

Tommaso chuckled behind Camilla, and then he came closer. Close enough to press a soft kiss to the spot behind her ear, and make her fucking melt.