Birthday Girl
by Penelope Douglas
Self-Published
JORDAN
He took me in when I had nowhere else to go.
He doesn't use me, hurt me, or forget about me. He doesn't treat me like I'm nothing, take me for granted, or make me feel unsafe.
He remembers me, laughs with me, and looks at me. He listens to me, protects me, and sees me. I can feel his eyes on me over the breakfast table, and my heart pumps so hard when I hear him pull in the driveway after work.
I have to stop this. It can't happen.
My sister once told me there are no good men, and if you find one, he's probably unavailable.
Only Pike Lawson isn't the unavailable one.
I am.
PIKE I took her in, because I thought I was helping. She'd cook a few meals and clean up a little. It was an easy arrangement. As the days go by, though, it's becoming anything but easy. I have to stop my mind from drifting to her and stop holding my breath every time I bump into her in the house. I can't touch her, and I shouldn't want to. The more I find my path crossing hers, though, the more she's becoming a part of me. But we're not free to give into this. She's nineteen, and I'm thirty-eight. And her boyfriend's father. Unfortunately, they both just moved into my house. *BIRTHDAY GIRL is a stand-alone, contemporary romance suitable for ages 18+.
Genre:
Birthday Girl has ben on my TBR for a long time.
I'm not sure why I held off for so long, to be honest.
Maybe I was subconsciously rebelling because it was so hyped up.
When Bookish Box announced that they were doing a special edition of Birthday Girl, I decided to read it. You know, in case I fell in love with it and kicked myself for missing out on the special edition.
I read it. I loved it.
I ended up missing out on the special edition anyway.
So I was pretty bummed out about that.
But I was - I will fully admit - very surprised that I loved this book as much as I did. It was ... surprising.
I honestly assumed I was going to be reading a bit of a taboo erotica. The way people reviewed this book as insanely steamy, I wasn't expecting a big story.
Birthday Girl, however, is 90% story, and 10% sex.
Yet, if you look at my ratings below, you will see that I gave this book 5 chili peppers for the steam. It's very rare I do that.
It's not just the sex. Though Penelope Douglas writes some intensely hot sex. It's the chemistry and tension. From chapter one, the tension slowly build, and build, and builds, and when it combusts, its soooooo satisfying.
Except that one part that involves a desk. That was the weirdest thing I've ever read.
But props for originality. haha.
What really surprised me was the romance. For a book that it highly recommended for the smut, I'm surprised that the romance isn't spoken of more. Because despite the obvious roadblocks between these two characters, the taboo nature of it, the love story is the most powerful, and best part.
The sex is a bonus.
The only problem I had with the book was Penelope trying to sell to us that Jordan is mature for her age. It didn't work. Being financially responsible and liking classic music does not make someone mature. Some of Jordan's decisions and reactions in this book were pretty immature, honestly. I saw what Penelope Douglas was trying there, but it didn't work for me. The age difference didn't bother me. The levels of maturity did.
Birthday Girl surprised me. I honestly didn't think I would love it the way I did. Pike is now official book boyfriend material (I loved him, right now to him using Irish Spring soap). While Jordan didn't always do it for me, it's hair to say that a woman in her 30's isn't going to relate with a 19 year old. That romance though ... woah. I wasn't expecting that.
Pike: “Time passes by you like a bullet, and fear gives you the excuses you’re craving to not do the things you know you should. Don’t doubt yourself, don’t second-guess, don’t let fear hold you back, don’t be lazy, and don’t base your decisions on how happy it will make others. Just go for it, okay?” Leaning over the table, I close my eyes, take in a breath, and make my usual wish Let tomorrow be better than today. And I blow, almost instantly smelling the pungent stream of smoke curling into the air from the extinguished wick. It’s always the same wish. Every candle. Every time. I want a life I never want to take a vacation from. That’s my goal. Pike: “The wives in this neighborhood don’t appreciate cock teases strutting around and taunting their husbands, okay?”
I state in plain English, so she gets it through her head. But she just lets out a bitter laugh like she can’t believe I’m for real.
Jordan: “Uh…yeah, wow.”
She nods and takes in a deep breath, lifting her chin and looking at me head-on.
Jordan: “Um, okay, here’s the thing…. I realize things were probably a little different back when you were a teenager—EIGHTY-NINE YEARS AGO!—”
Pike: “It was twenty, thank you.”
Jordan: “But nowadays, we don’t hold a woman responsible for a man’s behavior.”
Her eyes pierce, and there’s a little snarl on her lips.
Jordan: “If he wants to look, I can’t stop him. If he wants to step off somewhere private and do a little self-lovin’, hey, I’ll never know. Not my problem!”
I clench my fists. Damn brat. I can’t catch my breath, but we don’t break eye contact. She’s right. I know she’s right. She’s not doing anything wrong. I just… I don’t like him looking. At her. After a few seconds, I collect myself and straighten, taking pleasure that I’m half a foot taller.
Pike: “Cole does the yard work. Or me,”
I tell her, moving around her toward the lawnmower.
Pike: “Got it?”
I don’t wait for an answer as I spin around, heading for the lawnmower. But I hear her small, sweet voice behind me.
Jordan: “Yes, Daddy.”
I blink long and hard, my hand tingling with an urge to give someone a spanking for the first time in my life. Pike: “Why do you do that?”
He glances back at me.
Jordan: “What?”
Pike: “The closing-your-eyes-to-blow-out-a-candle thing. I’ve seen you do it a few times now.”
I shrug, not realizing he’d noticed. I thought I’d gotten pretty good at doing it quickly and under the radar.
Jordan: “Just a quirk.”
I follow him through the screen door.
Jordan: “Birthday wishes don’t always come true, so I don’t waste a chance when I blow out a candle.” Pike: “Please don’t cry again, or I’ll have to take out the pool and build you a gazebo or some shit.” I jerk my chin.
Pike: “Should I go after her?”
Jordan glances up at the girl outside the window and drops her eyes again, continuing to slice the fruit.
Jordan: “She’s too hot for you.”
Pike: “You think I can’t keep up?”
I joke, cutting off two more triangles.
Pike: “I’ve been around the block, you know?”
Jordan: “Several times by your age, I’m sure. Need a nap yet?”
Why, you little— She smiles.
Server: “Hey, guys.”
And then she starts unloading her tray, setting a round of shots in front of us. They’re pink or orange on the bottom with some kind of yellow liquid on top.
Jason: “What is this?”
Jason Bryant, one of my guys, asks.
Server: “It’s called a Pineapple Upside Down Cake. It’s on the house. Jordan says they’re Pike’s favorite.”
A round of laughter explodes around the table at the “chick” shot everyone now thinks I drink, and I shoot Jordan a look at the bar. She grins, giving me her biggest, proudest smile. And now we’re not mad at each other anymore. Pike: “Thanks for the intervention, but even if I were attracted to her, I’m capable of controlling myself.”
Dutch: “You’re not seeing yourself from my perspective.”
He looks out the front windshield, solemn.
Dutch: “You look at each other like…”
Pike: “Like?”
He swallows, an unusually troubled pinch to his brow.
Dutch: “Like the two of you have your own language.” He turns his head, asking softly,
Pike: “Aren’t you going to ask me what the tattoos mean?”
I step back around to his front, watching my fingers as they graze his muscled arm.
Jordan: “Someday,” Jordan: “It’s okay,”
she says gently. But I shake my head.
Pike: “It’s not. I don’t expect that from you. I want you to know that.”
God knows she gets enough of that shit at work. Taking her apple and bottle of water, she turns and walks for the table, picking up her bag. She can’t have class this early, but I’m not about to question her like it’s my business. I’ve done enough to her the past twenty-four hours. I watch as she leaves the kitchen and enters the foyer, pulling her house keys off the hook. She reaches for the door but stops, pausing.
Jordan: “My hands were on you, too,”
she says. And then she pulls the door open and walks out, closing it gently behind her. I stare after her, the empty space making me suddenly want her back.
Pike: “Don’t say things like that,”
I mumble to an empty house. If I know you want it, too, how will I be able to resist you? I hear the wooden door swing open and the kids shuffle through. Then I hear her voice.
Jordan: “Oh, and you’re a jerk,”
she says. I peer over at her.
Pike: “You’ll thank me when you’re not getting date-raped.”
She makes a face and pulls the gate closed, slamming it hard. I stare after her, laughing quietly. She’s so fucking adorable. Pike: “And it’s not turkey bacon, right?”
he suddenly blurts out. Huh?
Pike: “On the poppers?”
he clarifies, and I can see him looking at me out of the corner of my eyes. Jesus, is he still thinking about the food?
Pike: “And you didn’t sneak in anything weird like wheat germ or use cauliflower instead of actual potatoes in the potato salad like some of those low carb bullshit diets call for, right?”
I burst into laughter, letting my head fall back, my phone drop in my lap, and my eyes close. Oh, my God.
Pike: “Jordan, I’m serious. I’ve been looking forward to this all week.” Jordan: “How long have you and Dutch been married?”
She sighs.
Teresa: “Fourteen years.”
She looks over at me.
Teresa: “And three kids later, I still want to kill him every day, but he makes good spaghetti, so…” Pike: “Root beer float? What are you…five?”
Jerk.
Jordan: “Noooooo, but that’s how you like to treat me sometimes.” Pike: “How you getting home?”
Pike interjects, still avoiding my eyes.
Carter: “I’ll bring her.”
I look over to see Carter stepping up next to us, and Pike turns his head just a hair to see him before turning away again. I lift the corner of my mouth in a little smirk and bend down, speaking a few inches from his ear.
Jordan: “Do I have a curfew?”
Dutch snorts, and I see a little snarl flare on Pike’s mouth before it disappears.
Pike: “Have fun,” He pounds up the stairs, and I feel like I’m going to fall the higher we get.
Jordan: “Pike, stop it!”
Pike: “Then stop pushing me!”
he bellows, and a slap lands on my ass. I yelp, the burn spreading across my left cheek. Son of a…. I reach back and try to cover my behind in case he spanks me again. It sounds like he kicks open my bedroom door, and the next thing I know, I’m flying off his shoulder and crashing back onto my bed. My elbows dig into the mattress, and my head jerks forward, my hair flying into my face.
Pike: “Now go to bed!”
he barks. I blow the hair out of my eyes and see him walking out.
Jordan: “Tuck me in?”
I see him drop his head, and he’s breathing so hard, like he’s almost out of fuel. He turns, calming his voice just a hair.
Pike: “What the hell has gotten into you tonight?”
Is he kidding? I shoot off the bed and stand in front of him.
Jordan: “You brought her here, that’s what.”
Pike: “It’s my house!”
I shake my head.
Jordan: “She won’t satisfy you. She’s not what you want.”
Pike: “So, you’re jealous?”
I lower my voice, approaching him.
Jordan: “You have everything you need in this house. There’s no reason to look elsewhere for…”
I drop my head, suddenly a little embarrassed,
Jordan: “for anything you need,”
I tell him. I’m all he needs. His chest rises and falls in front of my eyes, and I inhale his scent that’s unique to only him. Sun, wood, and the faint fragrances of his body wash, shampoo, and the Tide his clothes have been washed in. He smells like a hot summer night and how I wish my first time had gone, and I soak it up while I can, because any minute, he’s going to storm off.
Pike: “So, you had a little tantrum on purpose then?”
he says, not really asking.
Pike: “Because you wanted to be the one in my bed tonight?”
I dart my eyes up, narrowing them.
Jordan: “Because you invited her over to hurt me, but I know your game, and you’ll be the one who loses,”
I retort. I close the inch between us, my shirt brushing his. His chin drops as he looks down at me, and my heart pounds against my chest.
Jordan: “Because even if she stayed and she rode you to kingdom-come all night long, you’ll still wake up thinking about me before you even remember she’s in bed next to you.” Jordan: “You don’t have a clue what to do with me, do you?”
I scoff and push away from him, but then suddenly, he grabs my arms hauling me back to him. I gasp as he puts his hands under my arms and lifts me off my feet, bringing me face to face with him like I’m five years old.
Pike: “Oh, I may be out of practice, little girl,”
he bites out in a threatening tone,
Pike: “but I think I’ll figure it out.” Jordan: “You have no idea, do you?”
She cups my face, kissing me.
Jordan: “When we first met and we watched that movie together at the theater, I felt so guilty,”
she kisses me again,
Jordan: “because when you mentioned the Poltergeist showing, I…I was tempted, because I wanted to see you again. There was something there even then.” Pike: “And that little shit from the block party? Nothing happened, right?”
Her faint dimples grow deeper.
Pike: “Jordan,”
I warn, furrowing my brow. She laughs.
Jordan: “No. He doesn’t have your body,”
she gives my cheek a peck,
Jordan: “or your tattoos,”
she kisses my jaw,
Jordan: “or your mouth,”
she kisses my lips,
Jordan: “and every word that comes out of it that gets under my skin and drives me crazy in all the best ways.” Jordan: “One thing, though,”
she says, pulling her mouth off mine to leave a trail of kisses across my cheek.
Jordan: “I know you have work tomorrow, and probably want to get to sleep, but I’m kind of hungry. Can we get some ice cream downstairs and then do it again before bed?”
I drop my head into her shoulder, shaking with laughter. Anything you want, baby. We’ve known each other less than a month, but I feel like she’s always been there. Like I was saving that side of the bed just for her. I don’t know if I love her, but I’ve never wanted anything or anyone this bad. Pike: “I knew you were out there somewhere,”
I tell her, quirking a sad smile.
Pike: “The girlfriends, women I dated, Cole’s mother…. I never wanted to marry anyone, because they weren’t what I was looking for. I had started to think I had my sights set too high, and you didn’t exist.”
I clasp the back of her neck and run my thumbs down her throat.
Pike: “Turns out my dream girl belongs to the one person it would kill me to hurt.” Jordan: “Speaking of suits…”
she says, sliding a hand inside my jacket and caressing my chest.
Jordan: “I could get used to this look on you.”
Pike: “Don’t. It’s only for special occasions.”
Jordan: “And I’m a special occasion?”
Pike: “I think you know you are. I don’t widen my comfort zone for just anyone.” Dutch: “Do you know what’s wrong with Pike today?”
Jordan: “What do you mean?”
Dutch: “Well, he’s been in the worst moo,. Everyone’s afraid to go near him. He’s barking at everyone, he punched about eighty nails into every single piece of sheet rock he hung, and then he accidentally accepted the wrong shipment of lumber, which prompted a really interesting tantrum reminiscent of my twelve-year-old daughter. It’s been weird.”
I snort, but then clamp my hand over my mouth to stifle it.
Jordan: “Um...”
I search for words, my throat thick with laughter.
Jordan: “No idea, actually.”
Actually, I have a very good idea. Pike: “I’m not laughing. Now get inside and take off your clothes. I’ve had a whole day to dream up the theme park I’m going to make of your body tonight, girl.” Pike and I stand there a moment, and I’m trying to gauge how, if they’re not talking about us yet, they will be after that.
Jordan: “Mr. Lawson…”
I chide, shaking my head. Jordan: “Thank you,”
I tell them and then look to Dutch.
Jordan: “What can I do for you? Sandwich? Beer? Free babysitting?”
He just chuckles.
Dutch: “Aw, that’s okay. I saw how nice the house looks, so Pike must be working you pretty hard already.”
Jordan: “Oh, you have no idea. I’m working up a sweat way past my bedtime lately.”
The wrench in Pike’s hand falters, and he loses his grip on the bolt, shooting me a look. Pike: “You uncomfortable?”
he asks, his voice low and husky.
Jordan: “No.”
My breath shakes.
Jordan: “But maybe you miss having the place to yourself? Maybe she thought I was in your hair.”
His heated eyes bore into mine, and he shakes his head slowly.
Pike: “If you leave, I won’t have everything I need in this house.” Jordan: "I’m always second-guessing myself. Like maybe I’d just be happier if I stayed quiet and kept my damn mouth shut and my head down.”
His arm tightens around me.
Pike: “Happier or safer?”
Aren’t they the same? But no, I know what he’s saying. A ship at harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are for.
Pike: “I think you’re scared, because people have worked hard to make you think you’re not worthy of their attention, Jordan. Your parents, that ex of yours from high school…even Cole. You gave people a chance, and they abused it. That’s their fault, not yours.”
He tips my chin up so my eyes meet his.
Pike: “Don’t think it has anything to do with who you are. And don’t let anyone make you afraid of yourself. You’re incredible.” Pike: “When I first saw you, I felt like I’d been punched. You have a body that makes me feel like I’m on a rollercoaster when I touch it.”
I smile and slide off my panties before swinging a leg over him, straddling him and sitting up. He exhales, gripping my hips.
Pike: “But really, it wasn’t until the build-up of every little thing you do—bringing me lunch, serving me my own ass in that supply room at the bar both times, and even telling me to get that backsplash and making me laugh with your innuendo about how I’m like a cave.”
He laughs.
Pike: “You make my heart pound so hard it hurts, Jordan. You, your mouth, and who you are, it all makes me want to touch you. It makes me not want to stop this.”
He meets my eyes and tucks my hair behind my left ear.
Pike: “Do you regret me?”
he asks. I shake my head.
Pike: “It’s okay. You can be honest, even if it’s just a small part of you. I’ll understand.”
I lean down, planting a hand next to his head.
Jordan: “I regret the way I couldn’t stop staring at you the day I moved in when you carried some of my boxes into the house. How I love the way you don’t say much and how you like to watch movies with me. I regret the way my stomach flips when I hear you moving around in your room in the morning, and I know I’m going to see you soon.”
I rub my hand up his chest and over his neck.
Jordan: “And I regret that I look for you when I come into a room and how, after you leave for work in the morning, I have to get myself off in the shower again, because I can’t stop fantasizing about you and it gets me too turned on to wait for you to come home.”
His abs flex as he arches up a little, pressing his cock against me.
Jordan: “And I regret that I would do nothing different. I couldn’t not feel this.” The numbness I’ve been feeling since last night wavers, and I hear him in my head. I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going anywhere… I have no doubt that’s true. And will always be true. Pike doesn’t walk away from his responsibilities. He’ll always look out for me. And I can’t think of anything I’d rather be less to him than an obligation. I can’t be like Cole or his job, his house or his bills. I’m not a duty. I’m everything else. Shel: “What are you going to do?”
she asks, resting her hand on her hip and peering at me.
Jordan: “I don’t know.”
Shel: “Where are you going?”
Jordan: “I don’t know.”
She sighs, and I pull my bag up, swinging it over my shoulder.
Jordan: “Normally that would scare me, but…”
I trail off, thinking.
Jordan: “I don’t want to keep doing anything I’ve been doing. I just want to wake up tomorrow and not recognize anything about my life.”
I raise my eyes, looking at her.
Jordan: “And please don’t give me some lecture on how I’m running away, floundering, letting others control what I feel…”
She takes my shoulders, speaking firmly.
Shel: “Run. Run far away. Just go. Call if you need anything, okay?” Shel: “What you feel for him or anyone else isn’t what you need. This—”
she taps my chest over my heart,
Shel: “what you’re feeling right now—is the best thing that can happen to you. Because when all the pieces of your heart start to come back together, and they will, they’ll be stronger. And much tougher for someone to pierce.”
She pushes my hair behind my ear in the way she always does.
Shel: “So you can be sure that when someone finally does, he’ll have worked for it. We don’t need food to survive this life as much as we need our hearts broken at least once. But the best part is, the first break is always the worst. It’ll never feel this bad again.”
And for that, I’m glad. But it also makes me wonder…. If my heart will never break this badly again, then will I love anyone like I loved Pike Lawson? Pike: "Teenage women belong with teenage guys, and don’t you fucking forget it next time you run into one. She deserves someone her own age.”
He nods, thinking. And then he pins me with a look.
Kyle: “So, your son was her age, right? Did he treat her better than you did?” Cole: “Doing what you could to make me happy, no matter the sacrifice, never seemed like a tough decision for you.”
He peers over at me, his voice thick with emotion.
Cole: “So, I think, doing something you knew could hurt me, was definitely not an easy choice. I know you love me.”
I grind my teeth together to keep my breathing even, and relief washes over me.
Cole: “I don’t know how okay I am with all this, but…”
He nods.
Cole: “I know you love me.”
I’m speechless. It’s a little heartbreaking to look at your son and wonder if you had anything to do with how good he turned out. I can’t believe he’s sitting here right now when I wasn’t sure he’d ever look at me again.
Cole: “Do you still love her?”
I hesitate a moment, searching for the words. Yes, I still love her, but…
Pike: “She’s better off,”
I tell him. He leaves it there, not pressing further.
Cole: “I have to be back tomorrow night. Is it okay if I stay the night?”
Pike: “Of course.”
He rises, carrying his beer toward the living room with him.
Cole: “The Twins are playing the Cubs tonight. You want to watch?”
I inhale a deep breath and release it, feeling like my body is relaxing for the first time in months.
Pike: “Sounds good. I’ll order some pizza.”
Cole: “Cheese,”
he specifies. I laugh quietly.
Pike: “Yeah, I remember.”
I take my phone out of my pocket and start to dial Joe’s, but then I hear his voice.
Cole: “And Dad?”
I look up.
Cole: “I love you. But no one’s better off without you.” Pike: “The day you left,”
he blurts out, and I stop. I wait, listening as a look of fear crosses his eyes.
Pike: “The house was so empty. Like a quiet that was never there before. I couldn’t hear your footsteps upstairs or your hairdryer or anticipate you walking into a room. You were gone. Everything was…”
he drops his eyes,
Pike: “gone.”
A ball lodges in my throat, and I feel tears threaten, but I tense my jaw, refusing to let it out.
Pike: “But I could still feel you. You were still everywhere. The container of cookies in the fridge, the backsplash you picked out, the way you put all my pictures back in the wrong spot after you dusted my bookshelves.”
He smiles to himself.
Pike: “But I couldn’t rearrange them, because you were the last to touch them, and I wanted everything the way you had it.”
My chin trembles, and I fold my arms over my chest, hiding my balled fists under my arms. He pauses and then goes on.
Pike: “Nothing would ever go back to the way it was before you came into my house. I didn’t want it to.”
He shakes his head.
Pike: “I went to work, and I came home, and I stayed there every night and all weekend, every weekend, because that’s where we were together. That’s where I could still feel you.”
He steps closer, dropping his voice.
Pike: “That’s where I could wrap myself up in you and hang on to every last thread in that house that proved you were mine for just a little while.”
His tone grows thick, and I see his eyes water.
Pike: “I really thought I was doing what was best,”
he says, knitting his brow.
Pike: “I thought I was taking advantage of you, because you’re young and beautiful and so happy and hopeful despite everything you’d been through. You made me feel like the world was a big place again.”
My breathing shakes, and I don’t know what to do. I hate that he’s here. I hate that I love that he’s here. I hate him.
Pike: “I couldn’t steal your life from you and keep you to myself, you know? But then I realized that you’re not happy or hopeful or making me feel good because you’re young. You are those things and you’re capable of those things, because you’re a good person. It’s who you are.”
A tear spills over, gliding down my cheek.
Pike: “Baby,”
he whispers, his hands shaking.
Pike: “I hope you love me, because I love you like crazy, and I’m going to want you the rest of my life. I tried to stay away, because I thought it was the right thing, but I fucking can’t. I need you, and I love you. This doesn’t happen twice, and I’m not going to be stupid again. I promise.” All of a sudden, though, a very loud and fast pounding hits the wall behind our bed, and shrill moans and whimpers pierce the walls. We both stop and listen as Peter and his princess go at it in the next room, banging their headboard against ours and sending it bobbing back and forth. His eyes go wide.
Pike: “Oh, they are loud.”
Yup. Then he looks down at me, an air of mischief in his eyes.
Pike: “We can take ’em.”
And then he grabs the back of my knees, yanking me down to the end of the bed, and I squeal as he comes down on top of me. “Jordan: You know… I’m a little nervous.”
Pike: “Oh?”
I shake my head, tsking.
Jordan: “Marrying an older man with so much more experience…”
He comes up to me, grabbing my hips and pulling me to the edge of the seat and into him. I run my hand up his naked chest.
Pike: “I don’t need my wife to know what other men like. Just what I like.”
My eyebrows shoot up, getting an idea. Slowly, I unbutton the flannel shirt I’m wearing and watch his eyes go round when he sees I have nothing on underneath it. I open it slightly, inviting his eyes to rest on my bare breasts.
Jordan: “And what do you like?”
I taunt like that night in the kitchen when I put a Band-Aid on his finger. His gaze is locked on my chest, and I let the shirt fall down my arms, my nipples hard from the chill of the rain in the air. I drop my voice to a whisper.
Jordan: “I think I need more practice.”
His eyes grow dark and full of desire as he looks up at me. Pulling himself up on the step, he dives into the truck and out of the rain, his body coming down on top of mine. I fall back on the seat, opening my legs for him as I work to open his belt. Our lips hover over each other.
Pike: “Whatever the birthday girl wants,” Pike: “You ever going to tell me what you wish for?”
She kisses me, whispering against my lips,
Jordan: “It’s bad luck to tell.”
She moves down my neck, and I arch my head back and close my eyes, letting her in.
Jordan: “But I will say,”
she goes on, nibbling my jaw,
Jordan: “I always wish for the same thing, and every day it comes true.”