Without hesitation, he crawls on top of me, and I open my legs wide, inviting him inside me. Certain it’s what I want, without a shadow of a doubt.

“You’re sure?” he whispers.

“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”

Fish touches my wet entrance, briefly, and then presses his covered tip against it. But he pauses. I feel the sensation of him entering me, but only the slightest bit.

“Ready?”

I nod, barely able to breathe.

With an exhale, he slowly pushes himself inside me. And I tremble and pant through the initial discomfort.

“Are you okay?” he chokes, his body trembling against mine.

I nod. “Keep going.” But it’s all I can manage. I’m too thrilled and overwhelmed and relieved to say more.

He thrusts, slowly, his green eyes locked with mine. But just when I feel my body beginning to fully relax to receive him, just when I think, “Hey, I think I could really like this!”, Fish stiffens sharply, growls, and shoves his hips forward, all the way. I feel a rippling sensation against my innermost walls inside me, and then, Fish’s body goes slack.

Apparently, that’s it.

The deed is now officially done.

“Shit,” Fish whispers. He’s still inside me, though he’s perfectly still now. “I’m sorry. I wanted to last a really long time for you, but you felt so damned good, I—”

“No, it was perfect. I loved it.”

“Next time, I’ll last way—”

“No, no, it was amazing. Don’t apologize. I’m excited you were so excited. Plus, this way, we’ve gotten the ‘big moment’ out of the way, so that, next time, I’ll be totally relaxed and rarin’ to go, right out of the gate.”

Fish lies alongside me and pulls off his condom. “I wanted to make tonight perfect for you.”

“It was perfect. In every way.” I roll onto my side. “Matthew, this has literally been the best night of my life.”

He smiles. “Mine too.”

He takes me into his arms and we cuddle for a few minutes before hitting the shower together. From there, we brush our teeth and get ready for bed, before crawling into bed and turning out all the lights.

“I’m nervous about tomorrow,” I say. “Or, rather, later today.”

He kisses the top of my head. “You’re going to do great.”

We lie together, quietly, for a long moment. Long enough that I think maybe Fish might have fallen asleep.

“Matthew?”

“Mm-hmm.”

He’s got his left forearm draped over his forehead, so I can see his iconic fish tattoo. I trace it with my fingertips. “I’m so glad you were my first.” And last.

Fish removes his arm from his face and looks at me. “I’m glad you were mine. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

We share a smile.

I touch his stubble. Stroke his shaggy hair. Run my fingertips across the three tattooed haystack-poop-pile-goats on his ribcage. “I love you so much,” I whisper. “Thank you for making me feel so special tonight.”

“That’s because you are.” He pulls me to him, to rest my cheek on his chest, and kisses the top of my head. “I love you, too, Alessandra the Lioness. Now, get some sleep. You’ve got a big day ahead of you.”

Twenty-Seven

Fish

“I hope that’s a quadruple shot,” Keane says, flopping down on a chair at my table. He’s referring to the coffee cup on the table in front of me. “You look like shit.”

“It’s only a triple,” I reply. “Although, granted, it’s my second triple of the past thirty minutes.”

We’re sitting in the coffeehouse in Brooklyn that’s been rented for Alessandra’s music video shoot today. Our rising star is sitting in one far corner with Georgina and a makeup artist. In another far corner, our fearless director, Maddy, and the big boss who hired her are huddled with Owen and a small film crew, presumably figuring out how the heck they’re going to cram all planned scenes into one day of furious shooting.

“Is Maddy stressed out?” I ask, looking at her gesticulating form across the room.

Keane nods. “She knows this is a huge opportunity for her. But also for Alessandra. She wants to hit it out of the park for her, even more than she wants to impress Reed for herself. When we got back to our room last night and she started plotting out the schedule for today, in detail, she said she realized the storyboard she and Reed had concocted at dinner over several drinks was hella ambitious. She said, in a perfect world, she’d have two full days to shoot this thing and get it right, especially with all the drop-in cameos planned throughout the day.”

“Why not expand the shoot to two days?”

“The coffeehouse isn’t available tomorrow. But, regardless, Reed said everything has to be captured today because he’s taking Georgina on some elaborate vacation tomorrow and doesn’t want to change any of his plans.”

I roll my eyes. “God forbid the emperor ever has to change his plans.”

Tags: Lauren Rowe Romance
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