Page 69 of The Publicity Stunt

A tired half-laugh leaves April’s mouth and I tuck her close in my arms. The low thrumming of her heartbeat over mine brings a smile so big across my face, I’m pretty sure it looks borderline psychotic.

“Was that good?” April asks.

Good? I kiss her nose. “Having sex with you is my new favorite hobby.”

She smiles and my love for her spills out my chest, seeping into my bloodstream. “Yeah?”

“I’m going to chain you to my bed.”

She starts to laugh and whispers, “We should do something.”

“Round two?” I tease.

“No, something to commemorate this day. We should—”

“Commemorate this day?” I parrot. “What do you wanna do, get matching tattoos?” When my joke is not met with a laugh, the nerves in my chest bundle up. April’s eyes snap wide open and she gasps in that familiar way, making it clear that I’m fucking in for it. “April, no.”

“We should totally get matching tattoos!”

“We totally shouldn’t.”

“Why not?” April whines. “You can get an ‘A’ and I can get an ‘H’.”

“I’m not getting a tattoo with you,” I say, trying to sound as stern as one can after having the most mind-shattering orgasm of his life.

Her face falls. “Why not with me?”

“It’s not you, Chere. It’s permanent and it hurts.”

“It doesn’t hurt that much.” She’s still half-naked, latched on to my body like a baby monkey. And we’re still in a public bathroom stall. We just had sex for the first time and this is what we’re talking about.

“How do you know? Do you have one?”

“I will, shortly.”

“April, it hurts. I’m scared of needles and—”

“Fear is a mental game, Parker. Besides, I’ll be right here with you. You can squeeze my hand. Like pregnant ladies giving birth,” she says, with a huge smile on her lips. “I’ll be your rock, I promise.”

“There are a hundred other things we can do instead,” I say. “You like froyo. Let’s go get some froyo. Or let’s just have some more sex.” My fingers skate below the hem of her skirt, careful and slow, and when I brush the sensitive spot over her panties, April lets out an aroused breath. “I promise you, I’ll erase the thought of getting a tattoo from your brain.”

She looks me straight in the eyes and leans forward so that we’re nose to nose. “We are doing this. It’ll be cute.”

Deep down, I know there’s no scenario where I emerge victorious. “It will?”

“Very.”

“I want the tiniest one possible,” I mutter.

“YES!” She pulls me in a tight hug and it almost makes the pain I’m about to endure worth it. Almost. “You’re not going to regret this.”

“That’s a loaded promise.”

She laughs into my chest and gives me a peck on the lips. One day. One day, I’ll learn how to say no to April Moore.

ChapterFifteen

Present Day