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A miniature rose bush in a galvanized steel pot. The flowers are the beautiful pink-peachy color that was my mom’s absolute favorite.
“Oh.” My voice is soft and I rush toward the desk, picking up the pot and sniffing the tiny blooms. The familiar scent fills my senses and I set the pot back onto the desk, reaching out to trace over the petals of one of the roses. “They’re so pretty.”
“You like it?”
I turn to face Arch, frowning. “What do you mean?”
“My surprise.” He shoves his hands in his front pockets, looking…
Nervous.
“This is my surprise?” We both glance over at the pot. “I thought Vivian brought it for me.”
“Nope. This is all me. I wanted to get something bigger for you but I didn’t have much time.” He’s smiling, his hands still in his pockets, a funny light in his eyes. Reminding me of someone trying to balance on a tightrope and not sure if he’s going to tip over to the left or to the right and fall off, plunging into darkness. “I know how much you like roses, and this way, you can keep them in your house. Your room or whatever, and you don’t have to cut them off. They can grow and live inside, you know?”
My heart aches. Feels like it is going to burst out of my chest as I go to him and throw my arms around his middle, pressing my face against his chest as I murmur, “I love them. Thank you.”
His arms slowly come around me and his big hands run up and down my back, comforting me. Yet also firing me up. “You’re welcome.”
“What in the world is going on here? Oh, the roses! So beautiful!”
I jerk out of Arch’s embrace, my cheeks hot as we both turn to face Vivian, who’s watching us carefully.
“Arch got them for me,” I say, trying to play it off. Failing miserably. “For my birthday.”
“Well, isn’t that thoughtful of you, hmm?” Vivian’s gaze narrows as she studies Arch with a scrutiny I don’t think I’ve seen from her before. “How interesting, that the two of you have become—friends.”
Friends. Friends who kiss. Friends who dry hump each other because that’s what I did to Arch yesterday.
It’s what I want to do again. I’m willing to take it a step further even, and I feel bad that he didn’t get any sort of satisfaction yesterday. Though I have no idea what to do with a penis. I’ve never seen a naked one in real life before and I wouldn’t know the first thing of how to touch it.
Well, that’s not true. I’ve read plenty of romances over the last few years, and they’ve taught me a lot. Maybe I do know how to touch one.
Maybe I should test it out and see what Arch thinks.
TWENTY-FOUR
ARCH
I walkalongside Daisy as we head toward the library to continue working on the project that Vivian asked us to do yesterday, me basking in the glow of Daisy’s good mood. She was pleased by my gift and I sweated over that for way too long, so thank God, she liked it.
That hug she gave me more than proved she liked it.
This girl though. I can’t quite figure her out. She runs hot and cold. Standoffish or all over me. Currently, I’m thinking I could get her all over me and I’m down for that. Down for anything she wants to do.
Watching the orgasm sweep over her yesterday when we were at the ruins was one of the hottest things I think I’ve ever witnessed. The way her skin flushed, her gaze going unfocused when it first hit, her lips parting. Kissing her, touching her, letting her rub all over me—Jesus.
I wonder if she’d want a repeat performance in the library. No one would be around. No one would catch us. We could find a dark spot behind a shelf or a stack of boxes and I could press her against the wall, just like I did yesterday, slide my fingers inside her welcoming hot pussy and stroke her until she’s shouting my name. So loud I’d have to put my hand over her mouth, muffling her cries and…
Yeah. I need to keep my thoughts under control.
We don’t talk at all when we enter the library, where I shout a hearty greeting to Miss Taylor. She merely glares, not shushing me like she does everyone else, and I flash her the most charming smile I can muster.
The librarian merely scowls as we walk by her desk, Daisy sending me a nervous glance from over her shoulder.
I let Daisy lead the way through the library, enjoying my view as I trail behind her. The way her blonde ponytail swings. How straight her shoulders are, how perfect her posture is. The length of her neck. How soft her skin is there, how fragrant. That damn skirt and how it moves when she walks. The back of her thighs. Thighs that were wrapped around my hips only yesterday. Thighs I want to caress with my fingers. My lips.
I scrub at my face, mentally reminding myself I need to calm down.
