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Gabe nodded and rolled me onto my stomach. That was when he increased his speed, taking me for himself.

My spent body somehow came back to life, and I felt every movement. I could’ve lived there forever.

I’d definitely find a way to do this again.

His thrusts grew short and choppy, and I knew he was close. I wanted him to lose his mind like I did, so I tightened around him.

Moments later, he sputtered a curse when he shoved in as deep as he could go.

I knew he’d come.

“Was it worth it to wait?” I asked.

“You’re always worth the wait, Jade.”

My eyes drifted shut. “Think you can go again in the morning?”

He huffed out a laugh. “I’ll do my best. Worst case, I’ll use your phone again.”

“Don’t you dare. I still have to clean it.”

“You have to put the other side over that one.”

Gabe frowned. “What other side? Left or right?”

I paused. “Uh, left.”

“This is my left.”

“My braid is taking forever,” Agnes whined. Beatrice’s was done, but Gabe had insisted that he wanted to learn.

He was terrible at it. I was terrible at teaching it.

“Okay, hang on.” I moved behind him and wrapped my arms around his. I was comically smaller than he was, and he laughed. “Shut up. You need this.”

“Sure, sure. It’s just . . . romantic.”

“If you didn’t have this sweet girl’s hair in your hands, I’d tickle you,” I muttered. “Okay. We do this hand”—I moved one for him—“and then this one.”

“And then what?” he asked.

“You keep doing it in the same pattern.”

“Wait, that’s it? I thought it was a whole thing.”

“Oh, Gabe.” I chuckled. “You always make things way too complicated.”

“Shut up,” he muttered. I didn’t need to look at him to know he was blushing.

By some miracle, we got Agnes’s hair braided. It was messier than Beatrice’s, but she seemed unbothered.

“You’re a terrible teacher,” he muttered.

“You’re a terrible student,” I fired back.

He opened his mouth and I was sure we were heading for more banter when the doorbell interrupted us.

When we opened the door, I had a feeling we both wished we hadn’t.