Page 88 of Romancing His Heart

Loki: Give East our love. Later.

Lexi: Easton can suck a bag of dicks.

Since the day I saved Lexi from my half-brother, Miles, we’ve had a weird friendship. When I stop to think about how entwined our lives have become, it’s overwhelming. Finding out she was Lanie’s cousin was a shock but brought our fucked up family full-circle, I guess.

Lanie and Dexter. Julia and Trevor. Even Preston has settled down with Emory. It’s a scene I never thought I would live to see. I never allowed myself to picture the future. I had to live in the present and not get caught up in the what-ifs. But what if that’s not my life anymore?

“What are you thinking about so hard over there?” Sloane’s voice drifts through the cabin.

“Just thinking about how much everyone’s lives have changed. Lexi texted a few minutes ago to check in. It sounds like she and Easton are still at each other’s throats.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.” She laughs. “Are you okay?”

“Me? Yeah, why?”

“You look a little melancholy over there.”

Not ready to have this conversation with her, I grab the Kindle and shake it in the air.

“I’m good. Just contemplating what to read next.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” she admonishes. “But you can tell me what’s up whenever you’re ready.”

I’m not sure how to feel about the fact that she may know me better than I know myself. I make a show of scrolling her Kindle, and eventually, she grabs her headphones.

“You don’t have to use those. The music won’t bother me. I can block anything.”

She smiles like she’s embarrassed before saying, “Yeah, I kind of need them sometimes.” I notice her fingers move, tap-tap-slide, and now she has my full attention.

“How come?” I smirk while I wait for her answer.

Sloane slaps a hand over her eyes and peeks out through her fingers. Now I’m really freaking curious.

“I need them.”

“Okay, why?”

“I have to blast music when I write the sex scenes.”

The Kindle falls to my lap, forgotten, and I’m pretty sure I just swallowed my tongue.

“You’re writing a sex scene tonight?” My eyes dart to the kink kit.Will she need supplies?

“Yes, and this might be my dirtiest book yet.”

Is that right?

“Are you going to need, ah, will you need your supplies?”

She looks up, surprise crossing her face before confusion settles in its place.

“Huh, you know what’s so weird? I haven’t needed them.” She sounds perturbed by the revelation, but I am dancing the goddamn merengue in my head. My ego goes from solid to over-inflated in mere seconds, and I want to beat my chest like I’m king of the jungle.

“You don’t have to look so proud of yourself over there,” Red teases.

“Oh, I’m so fucking proud of myself,” I gloat.

“Yeah? We’ll see how you feel about that when this book comes out.”