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Unspoken words of trust and understanding pass between us. I note the roll of Anthony’s throat as he nods. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Anthony exhales a shaky breath before taking my mouth again, exploring every inch. My hands curl around the back of his head and as he lines up at my entrance, I take a deep breath. He holds my gaze as he pushes himself in, watching me as I adjust to him.

“Jesus,” he grunts, his head falling onto my shoulder.

Anthony’s voice is hoarse as he whispers my name repeatedly, slowly sliding in and out of me. “This feels amazing.Youfeel amazing.”

It’s as if he reached into my chest and squeezed my heart with his fist. It’s a mixture of warmth and fear and anxiety that swirls in my gut and to every limb as he makes love to me under the stars. Again, silent tears roll down my cheeks as he fills me to the hilt repeatedly.

I’m falling for the way he speaks and moves. The way he drinks me in and looks me up and down.

I’m falling for the way he puts up with my mood swings and makes me laugh.

I’m falling for the way he’s helped me day and night, to make my studio come to life.

I’m falling …

Falling …

My vision goes white with starlight as Anthony collapses in a heap on top of me, our sweaty bodies entangled. My heart thunders in my chest.

I’m falling for Anthony Bonetti.

32

ANTHONY

I’m a man re-born.

Well, I don’t believe in that hippy shit, but Kali does, and she could tell me mermaids exist and I’d believe her.

Last night was amazing. Better than amazing. Something shifted between the two of us. It started out with heat and anger and ended with the two of us vulnerable and exposed. I cuddled her in my truck for hours and drove her home before the sun came up. She let me walk her to the door and kiss her goodbye. Shemoanedinto my mouth before I left and looked at me like she was happy.

That’s how I feel.Happy.

Elated.

Fucking flying.

Sonny and Jared have given me shit all day. Even Bill surprised me when he grunted, “You look like an idiot in love.”

I’ve been so nauseatingly chipper I decide to show them photos of the studio, a sense of pride for Kali and myself trumping any sort of reservations I had about sharing the hard work we’ve put in.

“Jesus, Peaches. When do you sleep?” Jared asks, looking over Sonny’s shoulder at my phone.

I laugh. “The studios pretty much done. I can go back to early nights again.”

Sonny frowns at the phone. “What the hell are these?”

For a split second I panic, wondering if I’d inadvertently left an embarrassing selfie or any evidence of my late-night attack on the graffiti boys on my camera roll. I relax when I realise Sonny’s looking at the photos I took of Kali’s mandala piece, and some others I’m working on in my workshop.

“Mate.” Sonny takes a long pause, squinting as he scrolls through the photos. “These are bloody beautiful.”

He’s got the same look on his face that Patrick gets when he looks at my artwork. It’s wonder mixed with respect. That’s not an ego thing - I can see it in the way they go quiet, how their eyes narrow to focus on the detail.

“You made these?” Jared asks, peering over Sonny’s shoulder.