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“Oh.”

Bryce watched Sophie swallow hard, and she worried she’d said the wrong thing.

“I know what I want, Sophie. I want you. Only you. I want you tonight.”

“Um…” Sophie looked around the gallery, which only had a handful of people milling about and not paying attention to them. “I want that, too,” she whispered that part as if she wanted to make sure no one else could hear them.

“Tonight?” Bryce asked hopefully.

Sophie nodded.

“Okay. I’ve got it wrapped up for you,” the gallery employee said as she arrived and handed Bryce a bag with her newly purchased painting wrapped up inside. “Anything else I can do for you? Would you like to receive our newsletter? We don’t just do this at night. We’re open Monday through Saturday and have great artists we work with displaying their landscapes, mainly during the day. We have sales and new–”

“No, thank you,” Bryce interrupted her.

“Okay. Have a good night,” the woman replied.

“I will,” Bryce said, still cupping Sophie’s cheek.

“I hope so,” Sophie added after taking a deep breath.

Bryce nodded toward the door as she squeezed Sophie’s hand, and they walked back onto the dark street with the gas lantern lights illuminating their walk to her hotel, which, she knew, was only a couple of blocks away. Things were quiet between them now. They both understood what was about to happen and that they didn’t need words. They just needed each other.

CHAPTER 25

Sophie hadn’t had sex in a long time. She kept thinking about that as they walked to Bryce’s hotel. She had woken up with Bryce that morning and had showered but hadn’t shaved her legs, and her dark hair would be popping back up right about now. She had also stupidly had garlic at dinner. There were onions, too. Why had she had garlicandonions? One of them was bad enough, but her breath was probably all bad, and she didn’t have any gum or mints in her purse. Maybe she could sneak into the bathroom at the hotel, take some of Bryce’s toothpaste, and slather it over her teeth and tongue to make her breath a little better. Yes, they’d had the morning breath conversation, but this was different. This wasn’t just a good morning kiss. They would be seeing each other for the first time tonight, touching each other, and Sophie wanted it to be perfect.

“You’re very quiet,” Bryce noted when they got to the hotel and stood under the red awning.

“I am?”

“Soph, if you don’t want to, we–”

“It’s not a question of want. Trust me.”

“Okay. Well, whatisit, if it’s not that?”

“I… didn’t exactly have time toprepare. We’ve basically been together since you got here, and I showered at the hotel. On top of that, I ate garlicandonions at dinner like an idiot, so I–”

Bryce’s laugh cut off her rambling. She pulled open the front door and motioned Sophie through it.

“I had the shrimp appetizer, too. I don’t care. I haven’t had time toprepare, either, but, Soph, I just want you. I don’t want some ideal version of you where you have perfect breath and smooth legs because you shaved or waxed just because we were going to have sex. I don’t want you to wear makeup when you don’t normally do that, and you clearly don’t need it. I don’t need fancy lingerie, either. I just need you.”

“Why are you so good at this?” Sophie asked when they arrived at the elevator.

“At what?”

“At calming me down when I get nervous; making me feel like you don’t need anything special.”

“Youarespecial.”

“See?” Sophie chuckled as they got inside the elevator. “That’s what you do.” She pointed at Bryce. “You make me feel that way.”

“Good,” Bryce replied as she moved into her, pressing Sophie’s back against the wall. “I want that. I want you to feel special tonight.” Her hand slid up under Sophie’s shirt. “And every night.”

The elevator dinged on their floor far too soon. Bryce’s hand had been sliding a little farther north, so Sophie’s breast had been expecting it to land there and apply pressure that it suddenly very much needed. They got out of the elevator, allowing a couple to enter after them, and Bryce took Sophie’s hand as they walked down the hall. When Bryce unlocked and pushed the door open for her to go through, Sophie knew her life was about to change. Everything had been leading up to this moment. From that first night on, their chemistry had been off the charts. Now, they were about to have sex for the first time, and it would either be the best sex Sophie had ever had, or theirchemistry wouldn’t translate to the bedroom, and it would be a big letdown for both of them.

She then felt Bryce’s hand take her own from behind, and she was turned until her back was against the wall by the door. Bryce was pressed against her completely in an instant, and her hands moved to Sophie’s thighs, which she pushed apart, and her hips were between Sophie’s now.