Page 141 of Sit, Stay, Love
She put her head in her hands. ‘I’m letting you down. I should at least come and work with you on the movie.’
‘No, you shouldn’t.’ He blew out a long, weighty breath. ‘You’d just be miserable. Then we’d both be miserable, and I don’t want that for either of us.’
‘Now you’re going to be miserable on your own.’
‘Nah, I’ve got too much happening to be miserable. I was just a guest onThe Talk! Do you know how cool that is?’
‘Ethan.’
He sighed. ‘I’m okay, Sera. I really am. I’ve already met the dog and her handler, and it’s going to be fine. I’m going to be fine. I will miss you, though. I guess I need to find someone who makes me feel as good about myself as you do. Us actors need a bit of ego-stroking.’
‘Just look at your award-winning arse. That’ll perk you up.’ She chuckled. ‘It always perked me up.’
He laughed. ‘Can I call you if I need any help, or a confidence boost on set?’
‘You’d better.’
‘Hello, Stink,’ Toby said as Buffy charged into his lounge room and threw herself at him. He looked up and beamed at Sera.
She beamed back, her heart almost stopping from sheer happiness. Now that the dam holding back her feelings was finally opened, there was no preventing the love from gushing out. She dropped her overnight bag to the floor, pushed up on her tiptoes and kissed him full on the mouth.
‘Still not weird,’ she said, smiling at Toby.
‘It’s almost weird how not weird it is.’
Her finger twisted in his t-shirt. ‘Did you know everyone thought for ages that we’d end up together?’
His brow furrowed. ‘I wished they’d told us.’
‘Right? A little heads up would have been good.’
‘Are you moving in or something?’ He nodded at her bag on the floor.
Oh god.Her cheeks warmed. Was she being presumptuous?
He laughed. ‘You’re blushing. And I’m teasing. I’ll put your bag in my room, shall I?’
She gave him an enthusiastic nod.
‘I made dinner,’ he called over his shoulder.
‘You made what?’ In all the time she’d known him, he’d only ever made breakfast. ‘Is it eggs?’
‘It’s – and don’t laugh – pizza.’
Sera laughed until he yanked her into his arms and silenced her with his lips.
They lay on Toby’s couch, making out whileJurassic Worldplayed in the background and Buffy snored on the floor.
‘So not weird.’ He gazed at her after a lengthy kiss and pushed a strand of hair from her eyes. Her thighs were pressed on either side of his hips, and his fingers trailed along her skin, in his almost-painfully-tender way.
She grinned and wiggled her t-shirt up over her head. He stared at her, his eyes dark and smouldering.
‘What? Haven’t you seen me in a bra before?’ she asked.
His breath rasped. ‘Not while you’re straddling me, I haven’t.’
She tugged the corner of his t-shirt, and he leisurely stretched his long arms out, and bit down on his well-kissed lips. He was so hot – lying there, waiting to be undressed – that every part of her twitched. She shimmied the t-shirt up his body, pulling it awkwardly over his head, making him grunt, then tossing it to the floor, where it landed on Buffy.
