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Yasmin sighed and jumped from her seat on the counter. “I’m just saying, don’t throw something – or someone – away before you test the waters. I understand your reticence, I really do.”
Ori smiled at her fondly and tugged one of her sister’s long braids. “When did you get so smart?”
“Brown.” Yas flashed her a smile. “Thanks to you. Not everything from that time was bad, Ori, it paid for this place, after all. Just because Milo knows who you are, doesn’t mean you have to go back to that life.”
After Yas had gone, Ori flitted around the bookstore, helping customers, dusting the shelves. Her mind, however, was fixed on the night she’d nearly ended it all. She’d always told Yas that it was the endless touring, the lack of privacy, the peer pressure to be a party girl. What she hadn’t revealed to anyone was the incident in the hotel bathroom. Lyon’nel (and yes, that was how he spelled his name), the lead singer of her support band, had cornered her. He’d always given her the creeps and she’d avoided him as best she could, without trying to appear aloof and now he’d gotten her where he wanted her. Ori swallowed back a wave of nausea as she recalled his hands on her, her struggle to get away from him…she’d rammed her knee hard into his groin and slipped past him but the damage was done. Never again, Ori thought now, never.
Milo arrived at noon and she closed the door after him, locking it and flipping the sign. She felt awkward now with this man in whose arms she’d spent a night. What made it worse is that he looked gorgeous. Gorgeous and more than a little pissed. Ori took a deep breath in.
“I’m sorry. I freaked out.”
“Yes.”
Okay, straight shooter. Ori looked down at her hands for a moment then met his gaze. “I walked away for a reason – actually, several reasons. I don’t want any of that life back. None of it. Astoria Vine doesn’t exist anymore, Milo and I…”
Milo took two long strides and swept her up into his arms, covering her mouth with his, pressing his lips against hers so fiercely she thought she might pass out. His strong hands holding her so tightly, she melted into the embrace, her fingers stroking his hair.
Breathless, they broke apart and gazed at each other. “That,’ Milo said, his big chest heaving for air, “That right there is the only thing that matters. The only thing.”
And in that moment, Ori Herd fell in love.
***
Yas fixed him with a beady eye. “This is the part where I tell you not to mess with my sister or you’ll have me to deal with. Now, I realize you’re built like a Sasquatch so you probably think you could win but I play dirty.”
Milo grinned at her. “You do, do you?”
“Oh yes.”
“Shut up, Yas, you brat,” Ori called from the kitchen. She appeared then, carrying three plates loaded with pasta. Yas and Milo fell on them gratefully.
She had officially been dating Milo for a week now and so far, she would never have known he worked in the music industry. They talked about music, of course, but in the terms of who they loved to listen to, which bands and singers they had in common – Pearl Jam, Tom Waits, Prince – and they spent one entire date sitting on the floor of her apartment playing records on her ancient turntable.
So far, Milo had been a perfect gentleman, but Ori knew that he wanted more. She knew because so did she; they had kissed, passionately, stroked each other’s skin, had even gotten to the inside-the-underwear part (before a returning Yas had quickly had them scrambling to cover themselves up).
Tonight, though, Yas was making herself scarce. There was an air of anticipation in the small apartment and when, after supper, Yas gave them a knowing wave and disappeared, Ori suddenly became nervous. Milo grinned at her.
“Alone at last.”
He pulled her down on the couch next to him. “Dinner was amazing, thank you.” His lips brushed hers tasting of tomato and basil. Her heart was thumping out a staccato beat, her palms suddenly felt very sweaty.
She opened her mouth to speak when Milo smiled at her. “I want to take you out to dinner tomorrow night, my favorite place in the city.” He named a place and she nearly balked – it was one of the most exclusive in the city. Milo was watching her carefully.
“My treat,” he said. “I like to think of myself as an enlightened man but sometimes, let a guy treat his girlfriend.”
Girlfriend? Wow. Ori tried not to grin. “Deal.”
Milo leaned over to kiss her, and as it grew in intensity, he pulled her onto his lap, wound his arms around her waist. “Ori…”
She hushed him with her mouth and got up, holding out her hand. Milo took it and followed her into her bedroom. They took their time, peeling each other’s clothes off slowly, exploring every curve, every inch of the other’s skin. Milo’s body was unreal…his arms thickly banded with muscle, his shoulders wider than her waist, his broad chest, a faint smattering of dark hair that covered his pecs trailing down to the deep vee of his hips. Ori felt tiny, vulnerable as she stood naked in front of him but he kissed every part of her as if in wonder. His lips trailing across her belly and she felt her senses quicken. Milo scooped her onto the bed, covered her body with his.
“You are so lovely, Ori, every part of you…”
She curled her legs around his waist, the way he was looking at her giving her a confidence she’d never felt before. “I want you so much, Milo.”
His hand slipped between her legs and caressed her and in turn, she touched him, stroking and feeling him thicken. Milo kissed her deeply and as he entered her, Ori felt her whole body react, pressing against him, wanting more, needing his skin against hers. The gentle rocking of their lovemaking grew more intense and they moved together as if they were made for each other, their eyes locked on the other’s, green on violet, skin damp with sweat, hot delirious pleasure vibrating through their bodies.
As she climaxed, Ori whispered his name over and over and he smiled, moaning as he came, kissing her neck, her throat, her breasts. Afterward, they lay, wrapped in the other, kissing tenderly. Milo smoothed the damp hair away from her forehead.
