Page 45 of One Shameless Weekend

Her lashes flutter open, her brows drawn together as her breath hitches repeatedly, whimpers and moans eking their way up and out her throat. “You’re still an asshole.”

“And you still want me.”

Elle presses her forehead against mine. “Fuck you.”

“Youare,” I growl just as I press long and hard into her, my vision blackening as she cries out that word again.

“Baby… yes.”

Stars explode behind my eyes, and I can work withbaby, yes.I can work with that all goddamn day.

As we both descend from our simultaneous climaxes, I frame her face with my hands and press long, firm kisses to her forehead, her eyelids, and her cheeks because of that jarring shift in my feelings from only minutes ago.

I love her.

In theotherversion of this, this is when I would tell her that. But,of course, I can’t do that right now. Instead, I remain close to her, stroking her cheeks and her hair while I drink in the sight of her.

Half-lidded eyes. Full, pink parted lips. A bloom of color on her cheeks. Honey-hued hair in wild waves that frame her head like a halo.

“Pretty,” I murmur without much of a thought.

Elle is watching me under those fluffy black lashes. “Pretty,” she echoes.

I lift one brow and draw my thumb across her temple. “Are you calling mepretty, Miss Kissinger?”

Her lips purse as though she’s fighting a smile. “Are you going to write me up for emasculating you, Mister Flannery?”

“Iwould,” I return, raising both brows, “but if I recall correctly, you are planning to quit.”

Her features melt into disappointment. “I needed a million dollars to quit.”

I sink against her as the recollection grips me. “I’m sorry, Elle. I really am.”

One side of her mouth gives a half-hearted quirk. “It’s okay.”

It’s not okay, not for either of us, and there’s nothing I can do about it right now beyond offering her another long, deep kiss. “Should we just bail tonight? If we left now, we’d be back in time to hit up Eileen’s for some cheesecake before they close.” I tilt my head. “Have you been to Eileen’s before?”

A ghost of a smile plays on her lips as she shakes her head.

I offer a serious look. “You should let me make all of this up to you by getting you some cheesecake from Eileen’s.”

The tiniest laugh shakes her shoulders. “Does it taste like a million dollars?”

“No,” I clip with faux severity. “It tastes liketwo million.”

At that, her lips pull away from her teeth in a wide grin as she gives me a full laugh. I can’t stop the smile that tugs across my face, and a look passes between us that feels like the second chance of that dashed hope.

Elle inhales deeply before exhaling a sigh. “I think I’m too tired to drive home tonight.”

“That’s okay.” I kiss her again before pushing up and reluctantly sliding out of her so I can go clean up. “We can just hide out in here and be lazy.”

Elle rolls onto her side, clutching the sheet to her breasts and gesturing at the flat screen attached to the opposite wall. “Maybe we can find a crappy nineties comedy or something.”

I smile to myself as I climb out of bed because, despite the mid-sex bickering, this feels like what we could be doing in the not-so-distant future if I can sell her onus.

Unfortunately, it hits me like a brick to the face that, without the closed deal, she can’t quit. That means Ican’tsell her onus.

Son of a fucking bitch.