Page 193 of Surprisingly Us

It takes a moment to catch our breath. The skin beneath our clothes sticking with the sweat that has gathered there.

I stroke her back and soon our breathing evens out.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” I whisper, my voice husky and raw.

Lettie pulls back, then after studying my face for a moment, she kisses the corner of my mouth.

“Make you really horny?” She makes a silly face and we both laugh, but then I slide my thumb across her lips and she inhales.

“You make me happy.” Through the opening of my button-down shirt, I place her hand against the left side of my chest, on top of the ink that covers the skin there, and I let her touch,gentle yet determined, ease the loneliness and heartache that have lived there for years.

CHAPTER 58

Colette

After we clean up, Rhys takes me to Nobu to celebrate me landing the lead role inRubies.

We’re tucked into a small table toward the back. Having worked our way through all my favorite dishes, Rhys orders a chocolate namelaka. It’s so sinfully delicious, I eat it up. That, and it’s fun to tease Rhys by licking the spoon suggestively.

When the waiter leaves our table, I find Rhys staring at me, a knowing smile on his lips.

He lifts his glass like he’s about to give a toast, so I playfully snag the last bite of dessert.

“What?” I ask innocently, trying not to laugh. “I worked up an appetite earlier.”

“Order anything you want. I like watching you eat.”

“That could be interpreted in different ways, considering what happened before we got here.”

I lick my lips seductively.

“You’re right. To clarify, I love your mouth. I love the words and sounds that come out of it. And I love watching things go into it, whether that’s food or my cock.”

“Was that part of your toast?” I ask.

“No. You distracted me.” His lips twitch. “Lettie, you are an amazing dancer, and most importantly a beautiful human inside and out. I’m so fucking proud of you, Princess.”

“Thank you.” I have to mouth the response because his words have brought tears to my eyes.

We clink glasses. Rhys takes a drink of his cocktail, then leans back into his chair, his eyes full of amusement as they dance over me.

“Now, what am I going to do with you?” he asks.

“Keep me forever,” I tease, but Rhys’s expression turns stoic, the playfulness from a moment ago gone.

Whoa, Lettie. Too much.

“We should talk about how to handle the engagement,” he says.

“Oh, right.” I nod, the pit in my stomach now making me regret my comment and that last bite of food.

“What were you—”

“Did you—”

We start at the same time. I laugh nervously, struggling to get the words out. Earlier, when he asked me how I wanted to celebrate tonight, I had no issue telling him I wanted to give him a blow job. But putting myself out there, letting him know about the very real feelings I have, is harder. But we promised to be honest with each other.

“I want—" I start again.

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