Page 85 of Shiver

I practically catapult out of the bed to follow after her, and when she gets to the sliding glass doors, drawing back the curtains, she undoes the zipper on her dress, looks over her shoulder at me with a sly smirk, and drops it to the floor. The fabric pools around her feet, and I know I’m a fucking goner.

Next thing I know, I’m sprinting out of here, tearing my clothes off like a madman, tossing them over my shoulder, and leaving a mess in my wake. Samara has the hot tub bubbling already as she sits on the ledge, dangling her feet inside. She gathers her hair into a bun on the top of her head. Stray strands fall around her beautiful face, framing her high cheekbones.

God bless her genetics because Kemar and Camila created a fucking angel.

I’ve never in my life met a woman as flawless as she is.

“If you’re done drooling over there, feel free to pick your jaw up off the floor and climb in. The water’s heating up quickly,” she says with a grin.

I climb in, taking a seat beside where her legs are dangling in the water.

My breaths come in quick spurts, and I work to calm my racing heart down. Samara gives me a small, content smile before closing her eyes and leaning back slightly onto her palms.

I tentatively stroke the side of her calf with my thumb, trailing it down her ankle. She sucks in a breath but doesn’t complain.

Her feet and ankles are swollen from dancing and those sexy heels she’s always wearing.

It’s a love-hate relationship for me.

They accentuate her impossibly long legs, making her look even more delectable, but they also look so painful that I resent them for causing her any discomfort at all.

I have a visceral reaction to the idea of that and have to remind myself I’m talking about a pair ofshoesright now.

My hands wrap around one of her feet, dragging it into my lap, which makes her pretty thighs part, and I consider begging her to let me put my face between them for just a minute. I dig my thumb into the heel of her foot, and her eyes burst open, her lips parting as she sucks in a breath.

“Too much?” I ask, relaxing my hands and applying less pressure.

She shakes her head. “No, it’s perfect.” Her voice is practically a whisper.

The cool air and dark sky surrounding us make this feel like the most intimate moment we’ve shared, and we’ve been sleeping in the same bed all weekend.

I continue rubbing her feet, working my hands up and down her strong calves, and revel in every moan and hitch in her breathing.

My lids feel heavier with each passing minute, and when she seems totally blissed out and ready for bed, I press a kiss to the inside of her knee before picking her up and taking her back to our room.

She winds her arms around my neck, sleepily shaking her head at me with a small smile on her lips. “Thank you,” she whispers.

I dip my head, pressing a light kiss to her temple and setting her back on her feet.

“Anytime, princess.”

“I’m gonna take that shower now. You calling Cici before bed?”

I nod. “I’ll text first since it’s late. If she’s already asleep, I can wait for her call in the morning.”

She reaches out and squeezes my hand before gathering her things and heading to the bathroom.

***

“Gia doing okay?” Samara asks me as she sits on the edge of the bed, detangling her curls and getting ready to put them up in a protective style, just like she does every night. I like that I get to see her like this. Just doing mundane, everyday things that show me little bits of herself.

An easy smile crosses my face. “Yeah, it looks that way. Cici’s doing a really great job with her, but fuck, I miss her,” I admit.

I see Samara’s expression twist in the closet mirror. “Cecily or Gia?” she asks.

“Princess, are youjealous?” I ask, a slow smirk stretching my lips.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course not.” She waves a hand through the air. “I’m just trying to gauge how quickly I’ll have to tell my parents we split up,” she says matter-of-factly. Unfortunately for her, I see right through her, and not only that, but my ego’s big enough to withstand her bullshit.

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