Chapter 25
Chapter
Twenty-Five
REED
R eed was in heaven.
Pearl sat on his lap in his bookstore, approximately six inches from where he’d made her come on his tongue.
The lights were low, and the sound of rain on the ceiling made him close his eyes.
This is absolute perfection.
His heart was beating out of his chest, and he knew who the true owner of it was in that moment.
Only her.
Maybe he’d died. Maybe this was all in his head as his brain shut down.
He didn’t care.
He’d gathered her on his lap, feeling the glorious weight of her against his chest, his thighs. He could sleep like this every night.
For as long as we both shall live.
His brain had scattered to the wind when he’d realized she was Bookish that afternoon. He’d almost double-charged their first customer because his fingers had been shaking so badly.
He’d been terrified during the entire soft opening that she’d run away. She’d block him. That she’d hate that it was him after all.
“Did you ever suspect it?” she asked, nuzzling under his chin.
Goosebumps flooded his arms at the pleasure of her cuddle.
“Did I suspect that a Colorado printer salesperson was living one door down the hall?” He laughed at the ludicrousness of it. “No,” he said quietly as his lips brushed her head and he inhaled her scent. “How’d you get the vibrator?”
She waved a hand as though it was nothing. “Mail forwarding service.”
“There were some spooky coincidences now that I think about it, like your taste in books and your way of typing like a serial killer.”
She peered up at him, her pretty eyes narrowed. “You said it was endearing.”
He kissed her temple. “Endearingly creepy.”
“Aw, just like me,” she said, cuddling into him.
He pulled her tighter to him. “Did you?”
“I don’t know. There were some things you said to both me and Bookish that made me think I was losing my mind.”
“You knew I lived in Pennsylvania?—”
“On the other side of the state. You know.” She sat up with some attitude. Adorable. “I’m a little peeved that you had a crush on another girl when we were so obviously in a serious situationship.”
He laughed, exasperated. “Pearl, you told me I could kiss whoever I wanted. Plus, you were the other girl.”
“ So ?”
He held her chin, knowing she’d want to escape his next question. “You never told me how you feel, scaredy-cat.”
Her chest rose and fell with slight panic. “I mean, pretty sure I did. You know, when I shoved your face into my panties.”
He could smell her on him even now. She’d covered his face and he hadn’t wiped a bit of it off. Pure fucking heaven.
He kissed her tenderly, brushing his lips against hers. “If I recall, Bookish slash you said you were starting to get gooey feelings.”
She nodded, kissing him harder as she reached for his belt.
“Nice try,” he said, pulling back and grabbing her hand. He was nervous too, but he had to know.
She bit her lip, her eyebrows furrowed. “I had a crush on two guys, okay? One was hot and sweet and a little broken and a giant fucking nerd. The other one could make me come and laugh and made every day better. He was sort of my best friend,” she added, avoiding his eyes.
“So you don’t, um…” He swallowed. “…you’re not sad that it’s me? You don’t hate me?”
She considered him for a moment, then relaxed against him, taking her time answering. She played with the hair on the top of his head, and he shivered in pleasure.
“Pearl,” he said as his eyes closed. “Please.”
“I never hated you,” she said finally. “I guess I just pictured you with, I don’t know, someone more like Allison. Cute, conventional. Not someone who regularly gets in fights with little old toads.”
“Allison’s nice,” Reed said, his hand rubbing up and down her arm as he tugged her closer to him. “But she’s so happy all the time.”
Pearl burst out laughing. “ You’re happy all the time,” she said, sitting up and straddling him, pushing his chest with her hands.
A laugh rumbled out of him. He liked seeing her like this—playful, laughing. Happy.
“Which is why I’ve always liked people who kept it real, since I knew exactly where I stood with them.” His hands slid up and down her hips. He couldn’t stop touching her. “Someone who would make sure to point out the gray cloud coming toward me while I saw all the silver linings.”
She smirked.
“And it was a big added benefit if their ass just wouldn’t quit ,” he growled, squeezing her butt hard as she laughed and caught his mouth in a kiss.
He savored each one. Couldn’t take this miracle for granted.
“But I’m ragey,” she said, leaning back with concern.
His fingers threaded through hers as easily as if they’d done it for years.
“I know,” he said, shrugging. “I like your rage, and your anger, and your curses. Always have.”
Always will.
But she’s probably not ready for that yet.
Reed reached over, feeling for Pearl in the bed.
He cracked his eyes open and found himself alone.
He’d offered to sleep in his bedroom last night, but she hadn’t let go of his hand since they’d walked in the door of the house.
Such a softy.
And so she’d tugged him into her bedroom. She’d promised him raucous sex, but he’d seen the circles under her eyes and kissed the top of her head, assuring her that he was fine with just being beside her.
She’d fallen asleep before her head hit the pillow with his arms wrapped around her, so they’d done nothing more than cuddle all night.
He’d stayed awake for hours holding her as his brain churned, trying to make sense of how the woman he loved was also the woman he lusted after.
He could still taste her from last night. Smell her on his lips and under his nose and his fingers.
Fuck me. His cock was already hard.
He never wanted to shower ever again.
She normally kept the door closed, so he’d never even peered into her bedroom. He stared at it now, alone in her bed. It was somehow unexpected, but perfectly her.
Stacks and stacks of books filled the room, some occupying old, makeshift shelves, some just pushed against the wall. Taxidermy raccoons and crows sat atop the bookshelves. The art hanging on her walls made him smile. A black cross-stitch with white thread saying “Fuck this shit up” was framed on her nightstand.
Another piece in black watercolor on her wall said “Give no fucks, Take no orders .” AB’s scribbled drawings featuring an all-black stick figure were tacked up on the wall. A photo of a very drunk Allison in a bar squishing Pearl’s cheeks was tacked up beside it. She’s sentimental , he realized with a happy glow.
He wanted to ask her about all of it. Wanted her right here where she belonged beside him.
A chocolatey scent that meant only one thing drifted through the door, and he followed his nose down to the kitchen.
He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, noticing the pans and bowls on the counter.
So that’s where my shirt went.
Pearl stood braless in her tiny bright underwear. The only other clothing she wore was his shirt—unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up—as she mixed batter, her headphones probably blaring grind-core in her ears.
His teeth gritted with need at seeing the soft pouch of her belly curved over her panties. The deep valley of her breasts called to him as they curved under his shirt.
He leaned in the doorway, staring at her. She was makeup-less, and he kind of liked seeing her in her natural state.
Dirty thoughts that he’d pushed to the back of his head for over a month flared up, like pushing her over the counter and sliding into her while he sunk his hands onto her hips.
She jumped when she saw him.
“Morning,” his sleep-roughened voice croaked.
“Hi, uh...” She stared at him, her jaw slack and her eyes boring into his chest.
He was shirtless, only wearing the boxer briefs he’d slept in. Her eyes combed up and down his body.
“Uh,” she said, blinking quickly. “Morning,” she said, seeming shy as she gave him a half-smile. “Couldn’t sleep. Festival starts in six hours.”
She scooped batter faster onto the sheet.
It was almost like she was nervous to see him. Normally he’d think something was wrong.
But she’s wearing my shirt.
And she looks so goddamn good in it.
He slowly walked around the kitchen island, feeling possessive. Craving her.
Need her repeated in his head and his cock grew hard. He didn’t even care that she could see it in his boxer briefs.
She stopped as he stood next to her, and he gently tugged on the shirttail, the backs of his fingers stroking her upper thigh. “You look good in my shirt.” He kissed her jaw below her ear, and she sighed, leaning into him.
He leaned over her, his arm resting on the top cabinets as he boxed her in, and cupped her jaw to kiss her.
But before he reached her lips, she burst into overwhelmed giggles and slid down to sit on her heels. “Oh my gooood .”
“What?” He laughed in surprise, stepping back. Pearl giggled ?
She sat with her face in her hands, crouched in a ball. “Jesus fuck you’re so hot with the glasses and the naked muscles,” she murmured. “And you just, goddamn . I can’t think when you look like that leaning over me.”
She peeked up at him between her fingers.
A smile tugged at his lips. “Pearl. Darling.” He crouched down in front of her and pulled her hand away from her face. “My face was between your thighs last night. Trust me when I say you’re the hot one.”
“I’m not used to this. My brain…it hasn’t caught up.” She bit her bottom lip.
He nodded as his thumb stroked her fingers. “I couldn’t sleep last night. It felt like I was already in a dream and I didn’t want to wake up. Because I might lose you. Both yous.” He brought her fingers to his lips, brushed light kisses there.
She licked her lips.
“Maybe…we should just kiss. Just to make sure it wasn’t just a heat of the moment thing yesterday. For science,” she added.
He smiled. “For science.”
Her normally dark, pouty lips were a dusky rose, and they called to him. He slid a hand up into her hair as he kissed her. She smiled against his lips, and he couldn’t take it. He needed more. He fell to his knees as he pulled her toward him.
His tongue traced the seam of her lips, and when she parted them, he dipped in for a taste. Chocolate cookies and lusty flavors hit his tongue. She leaned toward him, chasing his kisses, his shirt slipping off a shoulder.
She moaned and pushed him to his back, her hands clutching his biceps.
She straddled him as he lay on the floor, and his hands slid down to her hips.
He squeezed her against him hard, feeling like his heart would burst from being the luckiest man in the world.
The hot softness of her tits pressed against his chest, and the heat of her core landed directly on his hard cock. He ground her against him, shoving her ass down, and she canted her hips toward him, grinding harder.
“God, I love science,” he muttered as he kissed his way down her neck, pushing his shirt off her shoulders.
It got halfway down her arms when a timer went off. She froze, head in the air. “No, that can wait.”
He captured her lips and her hips dug against his cock again and again. He rocked her harder, clutching her hips. She was so wet it had seeped through his boxers. The friction was too perfect.
Another timer went off, joining the beeping of the first. Her head hit his shoulder as she sighed in frustration. “Urgh. That one can’t.”
He kissed her temple, hand sliding over her hair as he tapped her hip to get up. “Come on. I’ll put some clothes on, grab your shorts, and come back to help.”
She slipped his shirt back on and leapt up to take something out of the oven. “Why? You’ve seen me pantsless now.”
He leaned up on his elbows, his eyes devouring the tattoos running up her muscular, thick thighs, seeing the curving peek of her ass cheek from under his shirt as she moved around the kitchen. “Yeah,” he sighed. “But that’ll keep happening if I keep staring at your ass.”