Page 27 of The Upgrade

I must make a sound because Eve lifts her head. “Is everything okay?”

Everything happens in slo-mo.

Eve turning to face me, her green eyes lifting to mine.

Eve bolting up straight, her pretty face flooding with shock.

“Oh my God.” She blinks in the bright glare of sunlight. “Kit?”

Waves shush the shore as a seabird calls in the distance and laughter rings out from the café below.

But here on this balcony, with Eve splayed out naked and tousled and lovely, it’s all I can do to stay upright. To drink in her gaze and the sweet slope of flesh as I nod.

“Eve,” I squeeze out as my throat fills with sand. “It’s you.”

“It’syou.”

We stare at each other, wide-eyed and stunned into silence. Then we both speak at once.

“Holy shit.”

CHAPTER5

EVE

“Kit.” I blink a few times to be sure my eyes aren’t fucking with me.

That this isn’t just one of my dreams he’s appeared in each night since last week.

But wait.

“Topher.” That was the name in the portal. “The enchantment request form said I’d be working withTopher.”

The second I say it, I wince. Seriously?That’swhat I’m hung up on?

Not the fact that my best friend’s brother just banged me senseless at a tropical sex resort?

Kit just stares, eyes wide with shock and Caribbean sun. “I’m Topher. He drags a hand down his face. “Eve, I—you didn’t—I had no idea—” He stops to draw breath. “You’re here.”

“You’rehere.” How did this happen? “Thisis your research?”

“Yeah.” Perfect pecs flex as he picks up the drape that’s dropped to the floor. “I’m uh—studying sex workers.”

“Bybeingone?”

“Basically.”

Holy fuck.“Camille didn’t tell me you worked here.”

“Camille doesn’t know.”

Lobbing my best friend’s name back and forth feels wrong right now. I’m sprawled naked on a table, sweat and sunlight sprinkling my flesh that’s still flushed from what he just did with his fingers.

From what I’d been hoping he’d do with his tongue.

I must lick my lips because Kit—or Topher?—drops his gaze to my mouth. “It’s my first day.”

For some reason that strikes me as funny.

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