Page 27 of The Next Chapters

Riley groaned as she lifted her legs up to let Gianna sit down before she lowered them back down so her thighs rested over Gianna’s. “You know, it was our fourth date. And it was going really well.”

Gianna nodded. “Right. He took you to that amazing wine bar last week and he was a good kisser – all signs pointed to yes.”

Riley pointed at Gianna. “Yes! Thank you! So… the sex.”

Her tone was so dismal, it made Gianna snort with laughter before she grimaced. “How bad was it?” she asked, rubbing gently at Riley’s thigh in support.

“Oh my god, it was awful. All about him. Seriously, every second. I was naked in front of him, and he was more into his own body?” Riley’s face screwed up adorably in confusion. “I don’t get it. And that was before we even got started. But it really sums up the entire theme of the short-lived time together tonight. He was finished while I was only halfway there – and when I say he was finished? He was finished.”

“Hence why you’re ending the night here,” Gianna surmised, gesturing around them at her apartment.

Riley let out a sweet little sigh, pushing her up onto her elbow so she could take a hearty sip of her own wine that she’d been holding balanced on her stomach since Gianna had handed it to her.

“Look, I don’t care how long someone can last. I just care that you aren’t selfish after. Am I asking for too much?” Riley asked, turning her hazel eyes to Gianna, incredulous.

Oh, there it was. That little, tiny burning seed of jealousy.

Gianna had a good hold on her jealousy, truly. It would be impossible to have a healthy friendship with Riley, otherwise. But moments like this…

“No, babe, you are asking for the bare minimum,” she affirmed. “Egotistical Eric it is. And he sucks.”

Gianna could be a reasonable human about Riley having sex; she was an adult woman with a healthy – glorious – sex drive, and Gianna understood and supported that. The jealousy didn’t come for her over sex.

The jealousy reared its ugly head at the fact that there were people like Eric that had the opportunity to have sex with Riley, to make Riley come, to send her into the pinnacle of pleasure… and then didn’t.

Like, how dare he?! Didn’t he know what he had?

“He really, really sucks,” Gianna repeated darkly.

The Reunion

AGE: 38

“You seem… nervous?” Riley murmured as she carefully brought Gianna’s nametag just above her right breast. “Is it because I’m putting a metal pin through your Hélène Pierce cocktail dress?” She glanced up at Gianna through her lashes. “As I said a minute ago – I really don’t think you need a nametag, babe.”

Riley paused, her hands resting on Gianna’s chest ever-so-lightly – just above the breast, nothing inappropriate for public consumption – as she shook her hair back to look Gianna in the eye. There was that quietly teasing smile on her face that Gianna fucking adored. “After all, you are Gianna Mäkinen, of Worthy designs, available at retailers internationally.”

Gianna felt a pleased warmth emanate through her entire freaking body. Worthy's success had soared in the five years since she’d officially left the world of influencing to focus on her family and her business – in that order, thank you very much.

Which had been a slight concern, when she’d jumped into her lingerie brand with both feet. Financially, she had enough money to fall back on, plus Riley’s promotion to director at the station last year had ensured they could more than take care of their family.

Still, though.

She arched a challenging eyebrow at Riley. “What if no one in there,” she tilted her jaw in the direction of the large room they were standing outside of, “Has heard of my lingerie designs? Or don’t know it’s me behind it?”

Riley lightly stroked her fingers against Gianna’s bare skin, right above the neckline of her dress. The touch made her shiver, even as Riley nailed her with a skeptical look. “Even if I could buy into that ridiculousness, you are still you. And I would bet Emmi’s stuffed bear that no one we went to college with has forgotten you.”

Gianna reeled back, affixing the proper look of horror to her face at Riley’s statement. “You would bet Kalevala? Do you understand how much suffering losing that bear would cause our daughter? And – more than that – how much suffering her cries would cause our ears?”

When Riley’s hazel eyes locked onto hers, they laughed, even as they shuddered at the thought.

Emmi, their soon-to-be three-year-old, never went anywhere without Kalevala, her beloved stuffed animal that Gianna’s Mummo had given her when she’d been born. And Emmi wasn’t shy about voicing her displeasure about anything.

“Okay, fine, I’ll give in,” Gianna admitted, “I’m not shaking because I’m nervous. Or because you are stabbing Hélène with the nametag. Though, I don’t love the thought of it,” she added, thoughtfully.

Which was entirely true.

“All right then,” Riley said softly as she properly affixed the nametag into Gianna’s dress. Still, though, she didn’t move to go into the room. “Then why are your hands shaking ever so slightly? And your face is a little flushed?”

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