Page 15 of The Incredible Kindness of Paper
“That’s great,” Zac said. “I like your paper flowers. It’s a cute project.”
Chloe flinched.Cute project?She didn’t think he meant to come off as condescending, but was that really what Zac thought she was doing—just folding a bunch of paper roses because it was adorable?
She wanted to make a difference. It’s what she loved about being a guidance counselor, and after her experience with Thelma the Terrier Lady and Giovanni the Croissant Guy, she’d thought that these paper roses could bring hope and light to an even broader audience. Chloe wasn’t doing this because it was arts-and-crafts time.
“I hate to think of you being by yourself all day, though,” Zac said.
“It’s not so bad.”
“Yeah, but you’re used to being at a school with kids around you, people to talk to. I know we haven’t been seeing each other that long, but I think it’s long enough that I know you’re going to miss that kind of personal interaction after a while. I don’t want you to feel lonely.”
Chloe exhaled and tried to let the “cute project” comment go. Maybe it was a Briticism that meant something different in England than here? Besides, Zac was attempting to help.
“What if,” he said, “instead of folding the origami alone at your apartment, you did it somewhere else? Like, find a bench in Central Park. At least that way you can do that Chloe thing of yours where you smile and say hi to people all the time.”
She laughed. It’s true, she did do that. You could take the woman out of the Midwest, but you couldn’t take the Midwest out of the woman. Even if she’d lived in New York City for four years.
“Okay. Central Park might be a good idea.” She leaned over to kiss him.
“Oof, can you brush your teeth, Chloe? No offense, but post-sushi kissing… It’s like doing CPR on a fish.”
She jerked away, mortified.
Zac shrugged. “I’m sure my teeth could use a good scrub, too.” He got up from the table and offered his hand to help her up. “Shall we wash up and turn in?”
She brushed her teeth twiceandused mouthwash, just to be sure. Then Chloe decided to take a shower to wash away the sweat from the hoursbooking it across all of Manhattan. She wanted to be fresh when she crawled into the sheets with Zac, where she planned to spend a good hour or more feeling his skin against hers.
But as Chloe sudsed her hair in his luxurious marble shower, the glass door opened and closed behind her. Naked, Zac pressed himself against her.
God, he was hot. And yet, Chloe stopped shampooing.
“What is it?” Zac asked, his voice husky against her ear. His body was slick with water and shampoo against hers.
She turned around to face him. “I want you, I do. But I’ve been on my feet all day, and—”
Zac kissed her. “Mmm, minty. Much better.”
She sighed. It’s not that this wasn’t sexy. It’s just that she’d been craving a long, slow unwinding together in bed. But still, a man with an irresistible accent wanted her.
Chloe parted her lips and let his tongue in. Zac was a hungry kisser, every movement like he wanted to consume her whole.
After a minute, she pulled away. “Let me rinse the shampoo from my hair and I’ll join you in bed, okay?”
Zac shook his head. “Your body is glorious. Please?” His eyes roved over her, the look as voracious as his mouth had been.
She could say no, and he’d listen. Zac was respectful like that. But she also knew he wasn’t lying about how much he wanted her; the physical evidence was very obvious.
He wasn’t perfect for her. They’d only been seeing each other a short time, but she already knew it. Still, he was here, wasn’t he? Chloe had been in love before—a long time ago—with someone whohadbeen perfect for her, in every way. Up until the moment he walked out of her life without a trace.
Maybe it was better to compromise with the people you actually stood a chance of holding on to.
“You owe me a foot massage later,” she said, teasing.
“Deal,” Zac said. With a gleam in his eyes, he flipped her around and angled her hips toward him, and Chloe braced her hands against the shower wall. Zac was aggressive when it came to sex, just like he worked out aggressively and competed at the office aggressively.
He was done quickly, and he kissed her on the forehead. “Your turn when we get into bed.” He left her to wash the shampoo from her hair.
Chloe showered as fast as she could. But when she walked out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around her, Zac was already cocooned under the duvet, snoring.
