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She blinks hard, and her eyes focus on me. “Holy shit. I—That felt amazing.”

“I know.” I flop back down, relieved and exhausted and so damn happy.

“Is it always like that?”

“No. No, it’s not.”

Not ever. I’m fucked.

I’mglad I followed my instincts and pulled the brakes on a physical relationship. That wasn’t just the hottest sex I’ve ever had, I’ve never smiled so much during sex that my face hurt.

Reena might have been right. This could be…something.Neither of us are looking for it, but we’re both mature adults, and we’ll figure it out.

I know there are layers to this woman I can’t even see yet. I want to pull each one back slowly, so that when I finally find that warm center of her, we’ll both be ready for whatever comes next.

CHAPTER 14

LABELS

Three MonthsLater

Jules

“We’re so close.”He points at the countertop where the two slabs of sample stone quartz we’ve narrowed it down to sit.Finally.We’ve spent almost two hours in the countertop showroom. “They’re both beautiful.”

“They are. You can’t go wrong with either.”

“I want you to choose,” he says.

I balk. “That’s too much pressure. This is your kitchen countertops. And you have a lot of countertop to cover. Are you sure?”

“I love both of these, and I trust your eye. So yes. I’m sure.”

“Fine, but if you hate it, you don’t get to blame me.”

“I won’t hate it. Now, please hurry so we can get the fuck out of here.” He puts his hands together as if in prayer.

I laugh at his melodrama and run my hand over the cool smooth surface of the first stone. It’s white with light gold marbling. The other one is white too but with prominent threads of silver and cool gray running through it. “I like this one.” I drum my fingers on the white and gold.

“It’s too plain. I think this one’s better.” He taps the other one and grabs a piece of paper from a stack on the table and writes down the number of the one I didn’t choose.

I glare at him. “I don’t know why you even asked me. You always know what you want.”

He flashes a sly grins and tucks the paper into his pocket. “I couldn’t know for sure until I faced the prospect of losing one of them. Thanks for your help.”

“You’re weird.” I bump his hip.

“So are you.” He drapes his right arm around my waist. “Let’s go place this order and go home.”

“Gladly.” We’ve been out all day, and I’m exhausted. But I’m not complaining. Work is busy but going very well. I’m almost certain I’m in the running for a tenancy at the end of my pupilage. And at night, I’m at the mercy of a sex god. I can’t get enough of him. But I show restraint when we’re in public. Omar, not so much.

We haven’t taken two steps when his hand starts to travel down my hip. I dance away from him. “No way, baby. I don’t know the laws in America, but here you get arrested for public sex. We got lucky we didn’t get caught earlier.”

“I was just fingering you, which doesn’t count as sex. And I was trying to finish what you started before we left.”

I blush. “You heard me?” I shove at his chest. I was in the bathroom with my favorite vibrator when he announced himself.

He presses his ear to my lips. “Didn’t you want me to? Isn’t that why you were moaning my name so loud?”