Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97780 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
“Huh,” she said, stalling.
“Yesterday,” Juno said casually, her eyes straight ahead, “he left some shorts.”
“Oh.” Jess scrambled to come up with a suitable explanation, but the image of River suffering his way through a workday without underwear made her cough out a tiny laugh. “He probably used our place to change after, um, going for a run?”
Juno nodded at this and kicked a stick into the street. “Yeah, probably.”
They stopped at the border of school property, and Jess turned to face her daughter, needing to see her eyes when she asked, “How would you feel about it if we were dating each other?”
“I would like it,” Juno said absently, and her eyes veered to the side as she started scanning the playground for her friends.
Jess guided her chin so Juno was looking at her again. “Are you sure? Because it means sometimes he’ll be with us, doing things.”
Her daughter’s eyes glazed over. “I know.”
“But you are still the most important thing in the world to me.”
Juno’s attention started to drift to the side again. “I know.”
God, it was not the time or the place to be having this conversation.
“Juno,” Jess said with gentle authority. “Look at me.”
Her eyes cleared. “What?”
“It’s important to me that you hear this,” Jess said. “You asked about River, so I want to say this now. You are my family. It’s you and me, and nobody can change that, do you understand?”
Juno nodded. “I know, Mama. I like River. And I know you love me.”
From a few yards away, Naomi and Krista called out Juno’s name. She tensed in excitement, bouncing on her feet, but obediently kept her gaze on her mother, waiting for the release of the goodbye kiss.
Jess pressed it to her forehead. “I do love you, Juno Merriam.”
“I love you, too, Jessica Nicolas!” With a delighted giggle, she tore off toward her friends.
RIVER’S HAIR WAS a tangled mess from Jess’s fingers as he kissed his way back up her body, and his expression quickly turned cocky at the view of her rag doll prostration on the bed.
“That was inspired,” she mumbled.
He kissed her once, breathless and smiling, and then fell to the side in his own exhausted puddle. “Good.”
Jess rolled over, half sprawling across his chest, and grinned up at him. “How was going commando at work yesterday?”
Letting out a laugh-groan, he reached with his free arm and wiped a hand down his face. “You’d think I would notice the lack of boxers sometime before leaving for work.”
“Sex drunk.”
Humming, he smiled into a kiss, and then went completely still as realization dawned. “Shit. We had sex in the kitchen yesterday.” He squinted apologetically down at her. “Juno found them, didn’t she?”
Jess waved this off. “She thought they were shorts.”
He winced, face grim. “I’m sorry, Jess.”
“No, it’s good.” She rested her chin on her fist, gazing up at him. “I did tell her we’re together, though. I hope that’s okay.”
River bit back a smile. “Of course it is.”
“Honestly, I’m amazed her friends at school didn’t ask about the U-T article. Or the Today show, for that matter.”
“Was she okay with us?”
She stretched to kiss him, because that was the perfect first question. “I think she’s thrilled, River Nicolas.” Returning to her perch on his chest, she added, “I don’t want her to worry that things are going to change too fast.”
He dragged long, lazy fingers through her hair and gazed unfocused at her face.
“I’d ask you what you’re thinking,” she said, “but I bet the answer is, like, RNA editing or restriction enzymes.”
“Actually, wiseass, I was thinking how beautiful you are.”
An important circuit shorted out in her brain; she had no idea how to respond articulately while elation simmered in her veins. “Oh. So … not RNA editing.”
River smiled, curling to kiss her. “No.” He settled back on the pillow. “I was thinking how happy I am.”
Her blood cells stood up, gave a roaring standing ovation. “Just like your fancy machine predicted.”
“I haven’t felt this way before,” he said, ignoring her joking. “Is it too soon to say that?”
Jess grew short of breath. “Of course not.”
“I haven’t been home in years, but I feel that way with you.”
She bent and pressed her face to his chest, squeezing her eyes closed and trying not to hyperventilate.
“You okay?”
“Just trying not to freak out,” she said, and quickly added, “Good freak out. Deeply infatuated freak out.”
“That’s a good freak ou— Oh.” When she looked up in response to his tone, an uneasy smile spread across his mouth and he pushed back into the pillow to be able to see her better. “I meant to tell you this as soon as I got here, but—”
“But I was waiting for you naked?” she interrupted with a grin.
“Yes, exactly.” He laughed. “We have people coming into the offices on Monday.”
“… Okay?”