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She rested her head and opened her e-reader again. I read a little over her shoulder. She finally looked up at me. “You haven’t even opened your book.”
“I’m reading yours.”
She gave me a look. “I guess I should be glad it’s not a sexy part.”
I straightened, completely alert. “Wait. You read ones with sex?”
Her cheeks turned pink. “They call it open door.”
“You like that?” I asked carefully, feeling like she was opening a door to a secret.
“It feels like something is missing when it’s not included. You miss that connection with the couple. It’s a necessary part of their relationship.”
“That makes sense.” Every muscle in my body tightened at the thought of her lying in bed at night reading sexy scenes. Did she think about me when she closed her eyes? Did she touch herself?
“And it’s hot.”
Fuck. “You continue to surprise me. You seem like a good girl, reserved and cautious, yet you’re spicy underneath.”
She winced slightly when I saidgood girl. I wondered why that bothered her.
“I was different when I was younger. More carefree and wild, but it didn’t get me anywhere good.”
Was she still that person underneath? I wanted to learn more about her, but I knew I’d be getting pieces of her here and there. And hopefully, in time, I’d know all of her. I had a feeling unraveling her and getting to know her would be the greatest journey of my life. She was worth the wait.
Around ten, Alice started yawning.
“I should get to bed. I have an early day tomorrow.” I would normally have gone to bed earlier, but I was enjoying her company. It was rare to find someone who was okay with silence or just reading together. I hoped she’d enjoy skiing as much as she had tonight.
She stood and stretched her arms overhead, causing her cropped shirt to ride up. A sliver of tan skin appeared, making me want to touch it, to see if it was as soft as it looked. I stood and averted my eyes, trying to think about anything else.
“Thanks for tonight.”
“You’re welcome.”
I kissed her once, then twice, soft kisses, a promise of more to come. “Go to bed. I’ll clean up.”
She smiled and turned to go. I watched her, excited about what was to come. I hoped we’d grow closer, and she wouldn’t worry about what any of this meant. I wanted time to get to know her and enjoy each other without worrying about what it meant for Maggie or her job.
I wanted to show her what it was truly like to let go. My mind jumped to her in my bed, writhing in need while I used my tongue and fingers to drive her higher. We weren’t there yet, but I hoped we would be soon.
I turned off the fire and cleaned up the hot chocolate mugs, mix, and fixings. If Maggie saw any evidence of hot chocolate in the morning, she’d be upset.
I wasn’t quite ready to tell Maggie about me and Alice either. It was one thing to hang out at dinner together, but another to kiss Alice in front of her.
But we had plenty of time for that. There was no rush. As far as I knew, Alice was here for the long haul.
CHAPTER14
ALICE
Ipractically floated through the rest of the week. Each night, I read with Sam on the couch before bed. I felt like we were growing closer, even when we were reading next to each other in silence.
While Maggie watched TV in the afternoons, I took the time to research the art shop in town. They offered summer camps, classes, and drop-in times when anyone could come in to paint or make pottery. It seemed like a nice place. On Friday, I took Maggie there to check it out.
I wanted to see if they’d be interested in me hosting a workshop for my mosaics. I loved teaching Maggie and those online. Maybe this was a step in the right direction.
Maggie kept up a steady stream of chatter on the short walk from the car to the pottery shop. Inside, there were a few other parents with their kids at different tables, painting canvases and the premade pottery pieces.
