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He pulls a giggle from my fluttering chest.
Standing back to his full height, he kisses my forehead. “I never lie. Every day, I want you to stand in front of that mirror and tell yourself four things you love about yourself. You’ll become less self-critical, and your brain will create new neural pathways to self-belief and you’ll be happier within yourself. It works. I know because I have done this myself.”
“You have?” I blink up at him.
“Yes. When I was around eighteen years old, I went for therapy. It didn’t matter how many times my father told me my mom left us and it wasn’t my fault or his. I didn’t believe it. I thought there was something wrong with me. She didn’t like me. But after following some simple exercises and a few sessions at therapy, some things changed for me. But it began with me. I had to put the work in figuring out who I was inside and out. Your ego wants nothing more than to keep you stuck. It wants you to believe all the shit your sister has said to you in the past and probably still does, but right now, you are letting it win. Fuck it.”
He moves behind me again. “Now look in the mirror and tell me what you see.”
I stick my shoulders back, making my boobs pop out, and take a deep breath in. My eyes search for an answer. “I have nice ankles.” I lift my foot up, pointing my toes.
“They look sexy as hell in heels. Next.”
“I like the length of my legs.”
“Mm-hmm. You have great legs. What else?”
“I do actually like my waist. I think it looks smaller today.” I push my arms out on either side of me and twist back and forth, checking it out in the mirror. It’s not bad.
“And I like my teeth. I have no fillings.” I bare my teeth, displaying my perfect rows of pearly whites.
“You missed one.”
“You said four.” I mentally count again, ankles, legs, waist, teeth. I did four.
“You missed this.” Lincoln slides his hand down my cleavage.
“Trust you to say boobs.” I tilt my head to the side so he can drape his arm over my shoulder.
“Not that. Your heart, sweet Petal. There is a beautiful heart in you. You give to charity, help children to have a sense of belonging. You give them a second chance. Your sister says unkind things to you, but I haven’t heard you say anything nasty about her in return. You, Violet West, have a beautiful heart.”
Hot tears well in my eyes.
“I think we met for a reason.” I focus intently on his face.
He nods his head in agreement.
“Does your visa really expire in just six weeks?”
“Yeah.”
“I want to spend all of my spare time with you.” I turn around in his arms and rise on my tiptoes to kiss him.
“Same.”
“Take me to bed, Lincoln. Show me how much you love my body.”
No persuasion needed. He lifts me into his arms and carries me up the stairs to my bedroom where, for the rest of the day, he proves to me just how much he appreciates my body—with his tongue, his mouth.
Everything.
* * *
Our moans and wispy breaths fill the hot air.
“Hold on to the headboard.” His pants become more rapid against my nape, sending shock waves down my spine.
I wrap my hands around the white metal bars as Lincoln drives himself into me from behind.
