Page 64 of The Sound of Silence

“You don’t have to do that. I can manage if you want to head home.”

“I insist,” I told her and began collecting dishes from the table. I brought what I could carry to the kitchen, turned on the faucet over the sink, and waited for the water to warm. Val came in with the remaining dishes and set them off to the side.

“Are you close with Isabella? As in, do you have a good relationship with her?”

“Yeah. I think so. Why do you ask?” I saw her shrug out of the corner of my eye as I sprayed hot water over the dishes to rinse them.

“I was just wondering. You seem close. I think it’s kind of cool, actually.”

“I guess…” I laughed. “If you think it’s cool to have an older sibling who’s constantly in your business.”

“I’m serious. Watching your dynamic is interesting. I never had that growing up. You know… siblings, a big family. I’m kind of jealous,” she admitted.

I eyed her curiously, pondering over where this line of talk was coming from.

“Nothing to be jealous of. Bells is kind of a mother hen. Sometimes, I wonder if she’s trying to fill the void my mom left when she passed. As for the big family, it’s really just me and my sister. We have aunts, uncles, and cousins who live out of state but we don’t see them much.” I paused when I caught sight of her bending over to put a bottle of olive oil away under a cabinet. I couldn’t stop myself from looking at her ass if I tried—it was just too goddamn perfect. When she stood, I quickly cast my eyes away and continued with what I’d been saying. “I have to be honest, though. It’s not like Bells and I feel like we’re missing out on anything by not seeing our distant relatives. Christopher has more cousins than I can count. There’s been plenty of family to go around ever since my sister married him.”

“I know.” She smiled her understanding. “I think every last one of them has been through the doors of Camilla’s in over the past week,” she joked.

Twenty minutes later, we had everything gleaming to meet Isabella and Christopher’s standards.

“I think we cleaned up alright,” I said as I looked at the surrounding area.

“Thanks for the help.”

“Anytime, Sparky.” I flashed her a wide smile as she prepared to lock up. “Let’s skip the train. I’m going to call an Uber. It’s faster this time of night.”

“With the amount of money you spend on Ubers, you should just buy yourself a car,” she teased.

“I have a car, a Jeep Wrangler. I just never use it unless I have to leave the city.”

“I’ve never once known you to use it. It seems silly to have a car and not drive it.”

“Not really. Off-street parking in New York is hard to come by. If you snag a spot, never move unless you absolutely have to.”

Draping an arm over her shoulders, we walked to the corner of Mulberry and Grand Street. As we stood on the curb, waiting for the Uber to arrive, I felt a few raindrops hit my face. I looked up at the starless sky and smelled the air. Lighting flashed in the distance and I knew a storm was rolling in. Turning to face Val, I circled my arms around her waist and pulled her in.

“Thanks for tonight. It was unexpected and nice.”

“Hmm… you’re welcome,” she murmured and pushed up on her toes to plant a light kiss on my lips. “Are we still hitting Club Revolution this weekend?”

“I’ll do whatever you want if it means I get to see you.”

I leaned down to kiss her again, this time applying a little more pressure. Her acceptance encouraged me to press deeper into her mouth—tasting, possessing. She met every stroke of my tongue as I pulled her in closer, crushing her torso against mine. My fingertips caressed the nape of her neck, gliding over the slope of her collarbone. I was drowning in sensation.

Holy hell…

What this woman did to me was unreal. The feel of her lips on mine rocked me to my very core. If a simple kiss made me feel that way, I could only imagine how she’d feel once I was inside her.

I heard a car pull up next to the curb and knew it was our Uber driver, but I didn’t care. The skies could open up and rain pour down, and the driver could wait in his silver Toyota all night. I cared about none of it. I had no intention of ever removing my mouth from hers until she gave the signal. I could stay lost in her, just like this, all night long.

28

Ethan

New York City

Istood inside Ferrara Bakery with the bill of my Yankees hat pulled low. Blending in with a crowd circling like vultures for a taste of the famous nougat candy hadn’t been too difficult. The location was the perfect vantage point for watching the doors to Camilla’s. I could only hope that my little rouse worked, and Gianna and the good-for-nothing lowlife would be leaving soon.

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