Page 105 of Until Joy

I felt the first flutter of my climax building low in my belly, spreading outward like ripples on water. Graham must have sensed it too because his hand slipped between us, finding my clit and circling it with the perfect amount of pressure.

“Come for me,” he growled against my throat. “Let me feel you.”

The combination of his touch, his words, and the angle of his thrusts sent me over the edge. I cried out his name as pleasure crashed over me in waves, my body clenching around him.

He followed me over, his own release tearing through him with a force that left us both shaking. For long moments, we lay entwined, hearts racing, skin slick with sweat.

When he finally moved to collapse beside me, I immediately missed his weight, his warmth. But then he pulled me against his chest, and I listened to the rapid beating of his heart as it slowly returned to normal.

“We're going to get through this,” he murmured into my hair. “Whatever comes next, we face it together.”

I pressed a kiss to his chest, right over his heart. “Together.”

Chapter 27

Three days later, the morning rush at the clinic showed no signs of slowing down. We'd had a steady stream of walk-ins since we'd opened, everything from routine check-ups to a genuine emergency involving a kitten who’d been caught underneath a rocking chair while the owner was rocking. When they came in, July didn’t know if he would make it and rushed him into surgery.

I was restocking supplies in exam room two when Kayan came in.

“Glenda’s here.”

I poked my head out to see Glenda standing at the reception desk, holding a manila folder and wearing what looked like a brand-new outfit. The pale blue dress was flattering, and she'd done something different with her hair.

Go Glenda!

“Hi, Glenda.” I walked out to greet her. “How's Rosebud doing?”

“Perfect.” Her smile was bright and animated. “I actually came to see all of you. I have an invitation.”

July came out of her office to see what was going on. She’d just come out of surgery a few minutes before and she was pretty sure the kitten would recover so she was in a really good mood.

“You have an invitation?” Kayan asked.

“Girls' night!” Glenda's eyes sparkled with excitement. “I found this amazing wine bar downtown. They have a live jazz band on Friday nights, and the reviews are incredible.”

July stopped at the reception counter. “This Friday?”

“I know it's short notice, but I've been so lonely since Rob and I broke up. You three have been such good friends, and I thought it would be fun to do something special together.”

“That sounds nice,” July said diplomatically. “But Friday's pretty busy for us usually.”

“Oh, but it's just one night.” Glenda's expression shifted slightly, and I could see her disappointment. “We could meet around seven? I already made reservations for four.”

“You made reservations without asking us first?” Kayan's eyebrows rose.

“I was so excited about the idea.” Glenda laughed, but it sounded forced. “I guess I got carried away. But they can always cancel if you can't make it.”

Damn it. I hated seeing her sad.

“It sounds like fun to me,” I chimed in. Glenda gave me a grateful smile.

“I suppose I could rearrange a few things,” July said slowly.

“Me too,” Kayan added, though she didn't look thrilled about it.

“Wonderful!” Glenda clapped her hands together. “I'll text you the address. Oh, this is going to be such a special night. I can't wait to spend some quality time together. Just us girls.”

After she went to the bathroom and left, Kayan turned to me. “Just remember, you got us into this, so you owe us.”