Page 124 of Inked in Bloom
“Thanks for picking this up. I’m so glad you could come over.” I grab plates and dole out slices while the girls clean up the table to make room for the food.
“Girls’ night pajama party? I wouldn’t miss it.” She shimmies in her jammies—cherries scattered over the pale-blue button-up shirt and matching shorts. A pair of hot-pink bunnies stare up from her feet, and she smiles at my pair, almost identical, though they are gray. Shuffling to the table, she glances down the hallway. “Love the new wall.”
“We helped,” Taylor tells her, lifting her head with pride.
“I bet you did.” Cherri holds out her fist, and Taylor bumps it with her own.
“They’re still deciding what they want to paint over it, but it’s going to be beautiful.” I take a bite of pizza, savoring the pull of cheese stretching from my lips to the crust. It finally releases and smacks my nose. The girls chuckle and I pretend to have no clue as we continue to eat and chat.
After dinner, we head into the backyard. I get the projector ready while Cherri sets out popcorn and snacks atop the picnic blanket. We huddle together under the stars and watchEnchantedin our jammies before bed.
Cherri’s waiting for me with a steaming mug when I come out from the girls’ bedroom. Gone are the days of staying up until midnight. Not when a tiny harbinger treatsthe mattress like a trampoline come dawn. Fortunately, there have only been a few nights of being woken by Juniper crawling into bed.
“There’s still a few more days until the ceremony… Do you think they’ll make it back?” Cherri asks between sips of lavender-chamomile tea.
“I’m sure they will.” The tension in my body unfurls more with each warm swallow from my cup that’s painted with a brown blob bunny and a few small pink flowers. A Briar Bloom original. The girls keep me busy during the days, but once they go to bed, that’s when it really hits me how much I miss him. “Dani wouldn’t miss it and Briar will want to get back to his girls.”
“And his mate.” Cherri waggles her maroon brows.
“That too.” I take a long swig of tea, grateful for another day where nothing alarming has come through the bond. Briar doesn’t conceal his emotions from me—something that used to frustrate me but now I see it for the reassuring blessing it is.
I nibble my bottom lip, the quiet house making space for my curiosity to rise to the surface. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course. You know I’m an open book.” Cherri sets down her teacup and leans forward with her hands clasped.
“What is the sex like—with the lock?”
Sex for me has always been stress relief, the pathway to a quick dopamine release. I never had the desire to savor it—there were always more important things to be doing. But with Briar, every touch carries a purpose, every kiss a lingering devotion. A quick release was an appetizer for him, and I had a feeling the main course would alter my brain chemistry.
An hour of him feasting on me spread over his desk before he left already had.
“You haven’t?” Cherri’s face screws up in confusion. “Sorry, I mean, I just assumed since your scent marks were all over each other.”
“There are plenty of other ways to mark each other,” I say, blushing.
“Well, yes, but the lock is justso damn good.” She exhales audibly. “I’ve enjoyed a lot of Bloom fuckery, but nothing compares to being joined and sweaty, and when the?—”
She clamps her mouth shut, eyes wide.
“What?” I ask, leaning forward, uncertain whether to be intrigued or terrified.
“Nothing. Well, not nothing, but some things are worth experiencing firsthand.” She shakes her head and holds an invisible key between her fingers, twists it in front of her shut lips, and tosses it off to the side. “I won’t ruin it for you.”
I groan. “So not helpful.”
“Trying to explain would be a disservice. The surprise will be worth it.” She winks.
“I’ll have to take your word for it,” I mutter into my teacup before taking a sip.
Cherri’s mouth lifts into a smug grin. “For now.”
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
Cherri pushes her seat back and holds up a hand, stopping me from doing the same. “Sit. I’ll get it.”
I continue savoring the calming lavender-chamomile blend, relaxing with each sip, at least until I see who’s in the doorway. I halt and set the cup down.
“Monroe.”
