Page 101 of The Muse
In less than ten minutes, I have the desk assembled.
“No luck?” Ally asks, when I join them in the living room as they share a bag of microwave popcorn.
“Luck? I don’t rely on luck. It’s put together. All the trash is neatly piled by the door. I’ll run it down to the dumpster in the morning.”
June stands, and her big grin is all the reward I need as she steps toward me with the popcorn bag.
“Flynn, you arethe best,” Ally says, heading into the kitchen. “How can I thank you?”
“No need. I’ll handle it,” June says, backing me into the bedroom with the bag of popcorn between us.
I’m conflicted. The look on her face says she’s offering something pretty special as a thank-you. But the popcorn smells delicious, and I love popcorn. June closes the door, eyes on me.I take the popcorn bag and sit on the end of her bed, eating it while she unbuttons her jeans.
“It was no big deal,” I mumble over a mouthful of popcorn. It’s butter flavored. My favorite.
“Ally easily crashes out. You saved the night. It’s a huge deal.” She steps out of her jeans and shrugs off her shirt.
I take another bite of popcorn.
We need to talk. But now I’m a hero in her eyes. And she’s stripping. Maybe she’s right. We can talk after the orchestra. At this point, what’s twenty-four more hours?
“I know Ally will be a big shot lawyer, and I’m just a girl who rides a bike”—she removes her bra—“but I don’t think she would suggest eating pizza in the car.”
I chuckle. “Do you think I’m interested in Ally?”
She shrugs a shoulder, and I don’t know if she’s genuinely insecure or just messing with me. So I set the bag of popcorn on the floor, then reach for her hand, guiding her to stand between my legs. Her breasts are hidden behind her hair, but I don’t touch anything but her hips as I drop my forehead, resting it over her heart.
Closing my eyes, I commit this feeling to memory.
The warmth of her soft skin. Her silky hair brushing my face. The gentle stroke of her fingers in my hair. I’ve never felt so human. If I focus solely on this moment, I might even allow myself to feel deserving.
“I love you,” she whispers before kissing my head.
Why does she love me? What does she see that I don’t? And is it real?
Chapter Twenty-Four
Flynn
“Why are you here?”I whisper, holding June in my arms just as the sun rises.
“In bed?”
I feather my fingers up and down her arm. “In Minneapolis. Giving bike tours. Your family lives in California. Just seems odd.”
“As odd as being a muse?”
I chuckle. “Not quite, but close.”
“After the abduction, I needed to escape. Find a new normalcy. Search for a sense of safety again. And come to find out, I was looking for you.” She kisses my chest.
“Liar.”
She giggles, sliding her leg between mine. “I’m not lying. Maybe I didn’t know your name or what you looked like. But I absolutely believe life is a journey, and thinking we’re in control is just an illusion our ego thrives on. Tell me you think this—us—wewere meant to be.” She tries to tickle my sides.
It doesn’t tickle, but I laugh at her attempt. I’ve never wanted anything more than to believe that June Malone is meant to be with me.
“I think I need to spray some WD-40 on your frame. It squeaks too much,” I say.
