Page 56 of The Sun and Her Star

I make a mental note to never wash it again.

I stroke the back of her neck. The supple, soft skin reminds me of how vulnerable, young, and impossibly special Apollo is.

If I acted on how I felt now, she would hate me afterward. So, I won’t. No matter how tempted I am. No matter how much she thinks she wants me to.

She starts to snore softly, and I let my head rest on the back of my seat. The dark in the car is punctuated by the blue light from the car’s audio system and the glare of headlights that bounce off the rearview mirror as they pass by.

Naked

Apollo

The car comes to a slow, squeaky halt, and I pretend to still be asleep for just a few seconds while Graham pays the driver. My head is spinning, but not just from the alcohol.

He bustles me out of the cab, and I lean on him as we climb the steps to his front door. “Ugh, Graham, I don’t feel so good,” I groan.

“I can carry you. I’m only on the second floor.” He starts to wrap an arm around me and lifts me off my feet, but my stomach lurches.

“I’m fine,” I huff indignantly.

“Yes, that’s obvious from the way you’re tilting to the left,” he says dryly as he opens the door to his apartment.

I stumble in, feel along the wall for the light switch and then run into the bathroom.

“I’ll just be a minute,” I call over my shoulder as I slam the door behind me.

What am I doing?

Loving you is my wildest dream

Oh my God. He said he still loves me. A light bulb goes off in my head. Maybe if I can show him how good we are together, he’ll dump that agent, and we can be happy.

Not bad thinking for a drunk girl. I pat myself on the back.

I flip the switch and turn the water on. I stare at my face. My mascara is smudged, but otherwise, I don’t look bad. My hair is still styled from earlier. I put it in a bun on top of my head and step into the shower. I rub Graham’s soap all over me, loving that I’m going to smell like him. I rinse off, dry myself, and slather his lotion on every inch of my skin.

I look in the mirror and assess my body.

I’ve been doing the workouts Graham sent me. I look good. I’d fuck me.

I hope Graham agrees.

I take a deep breath, turn off the light and then open the door and step into his bedroom.

Restraint

Graham

The minute Apollo stumbled into the bathroom, I started rehearsing what I’d say. I would begin with an apology. I would try to make her believe that I still loved her. That I just had to do this for the money. I couldn’t tell her about the sex. But I didn’t think the sex mattered.

The shower starts and all I can think is that she’s using my soap. That she’s going to smell like me.

I’m sitting on the edge of my bed, watching the bathroom door, and bracing myself for the conversation that I know is coming.

When the door flies open, I look up and nearly have a heart attack.

“Apollo?” I ask, my eyes riveted in a way that feels involuntary. She’s as naked as the day she was born. And she’s so fucking beautiful. I can’t breathe and whatever blood might have been powering my brain has coursed straight to my cock and all I can think is what I want to do to that body.

She’s petite. Her breasts are smaller than a handful, and her nipples are the color of dark unfiltered honey. And each one is pierced with a tiny golden arrow.

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