Page 51 of Je T'aime, Actually

Cécile took herself off to bed around nine, leaving Monroe and Chloé to snuggle on the sofa. The moment Cécile was out of sight, Chloé lunged for Monroe, pressing their lips together until Monroe’s mouth opened…an invitation, and Chloé slid her tongue easily into her lover’s mouth.

Monroe gasped against Chloé’s lips, her fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of her neck. “God, I missed you,” she murmured, the words barely escaping between kisses.

“I missed you too,” Chloé whispered, her hands slipping under Monroe’s sweater, palms warm against bare skin. “Every night…”

Monroe’s breath hitched as she arched into the touch. “I thought about you…every day.” She pulled back just slightly, eyes searching. “Cécile—why is she here?”

Chloé paused, her fingers splayed against Monroe’s ribs. “She had to give up her flat,” she said softly, a little breathless. “With the takeover…some of the team’s being cut. She couldn’t risk signing for a longer lease. She had nowhere else to go.”

Monroe blinked, taking it in, even as her hands slid under Chloé’s shirt in return, craving the contact. “So you took her in.”

“Of course I did.” Chloé leant forwards again, pressing a trail of kisses along Monroe’s jaw. “It’s not forever. Just until she gets settled.”

“Okay,” Monroe exhaled, her voice a low hum as her fingertips skimmed the line of Chloé’s back. “Okay. That’s…kind.”

Chloé smiled, her breath warm against Monroe’s neck. “You’re not jealous, are you?”

“Not even a little bit,” Monroe murmured, drawing her closer. “I’ll just…have to be quiet.”

Chloé’s soft laugh sent a thrill down Monroe’s spine. “I’m sure she won’t care.”

“I will,” Monroe replied with a grin. “I’m British—prude, remember?”

“Meh, you are no prude.” Chloé’s voice dropped to a whisper as her fingers worked open Monroe’s jeans, slipping inside with deliberate ease. She found her heat, slick and waiting, and her lips brushed Monroe’s ear. “Will you come for me, Monroe?”

Monroe’s breath hitched as Chloé’s fingers moved with slow, aching precision. Her eyes fluttered closed, a soft sound escaping her throat as her hips tilted instinctively towards the rhythm.

Chloé’s mouth found her jaw, then her throat, kissing gently, never breaking pace. “That’s it,” she whispered, “let go.”

Monroe bit her lip, barely holding back the moan that wanted to rise. Her hands clutched at Chloé’s waist, grounding herself in the heat of the moment.

“I missed you so much,” she gasped, her voice raw, honest.

“I know,” Chloé breathed. “Me too.”

The tension coiled tighter, pleasure humming just under Monroe’s skin until it snapped—quietly, reverently. She buriedher face in Chloé’s shoulder, her breath ragged, chest rising and falling with the force of it.

For a long moment, they stayed wrapped around each other, the only sounds their breathing and the distant tick of a clock.

forty-two

Cécile was gone by the time Monroe woke. She stretched luxuriously, a pleasant ache radiating through her limbs from the hours of lovemaking they’d shared. Smiling into the pillow, she recalled how Chloé had bitten her own hand to keep from crying out as Monroe's tongue moved through her folds and circled her clit with devastating precision.

“I’m still thinking about your face when you ride me,” Chloé murmured, as if pulling the thought straight from Monroe’s mind.

“You like that position, don’t you?”

“I do,” Chloé admitted, pressing a kiss to Monroe’s shoulder, her grin mischievous. “All the films act like all fours is the pinnacle of sexy, but I prefer to see it—the moment you can’t hide what you’re feeling—the way your eyes flutter, your thighs tense, and your mouth falls open just before it takes you over and you come.”

Monroe chuckled. “And you’ve got access to my boobs.”

Chloé laughed, warm and full. “Exactly. It’s a win all around.”

Monroe twisted in Chloé’s arms until they were face to face, their noses nearly touching. “I like when you thrust up into me,” she whispered, “your hands gripping my hips, pulling me down to meet you. And I can either kiss you…or watch your mouth wrap around my nipples.”

Chloé grinned. “So, we’re in agreement.”

“Mmhm…but I’ve got another fantasy.”