AMBY AWARDS TOP PICK 2023 ❤️
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"You think I can't act like I'm into you?" He asks in a whisper. He reaches out, and strokes a finger down my cheek, and I feel myself shiver at the touch.
"You think I can't convince everyone that I have f...
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It's time once again, I reckon, to circle back to expectation versus reality.
But this time, with a twist.
Because sometimes, your expectations are low, and reality turns out to be actually far better than you could have ever imagined.
When I first met Ricardo Parker, I thought he was a selfish, self-serving prick with an attitude problem. A food-stealing, womanising arsehole. (And those were his good points.)
Instead, I've discovered he's . . . kind. Sensitive. Funny. Intelligent. Protective. A great friend. An amazing artist. A slow burner who is worth getting to know, just like Beth once told me.
He's also very good in bed. Tender, thoughtful. And eager to please me. A lot.
It's The Morning After, and I'm woken by Ric trailing kisses along my neck. "Hey," I say drowsily. I'm still pretty worn out from the previous night. I think we eventually fell asleep about three in the morning.
I had a brief moment of panic a few hours later when I jolted awake, encircled in Ric's arms, and worried everything would seem awkward in daylight. But actually, now we're here, everything just seems . . . Right.
"Morning Abigail," Ric whispers as I struggle to open my eyes. As they slowly start to focus, the smile on his face melts my heart again. It's that "kid at Christmas" smile I've only witnessed once before. This time, though, it's absolutely because of me, and not because a quiz round has practically been tailor-made for us. "Did you sleep okay?"
I stretch my legs out, experimentally. "Pretty well, Ricardo," I reply, noting nothing seems to hurt yet. Between dancing and shagging, the last 24 hours have involved a lot more exercise than I'm used to. "You?"
"Best kip I've had in months," he confirms, pressing his lips against mine. His grin grows wicked as he uses this as a jumping-off point to start peppering kisses down my body, and I moan in anticipation as I realise exactly where he's headed. I close my eyes and grasp my pillow tight as his tongue teases its way to my molten centre. It doesn't take him long to make me erupt.
While I'm still recovering, he gently slides inside me. This time, it's lazy, Sunday morning sex and it's pretty much perfect.
(Yes. You have permission to hate me now. But don't, like, punch me in the face or anything. I bruise easily, and I have an important presentation in work tomorrow.)
"Do you have plans today?" He asks me later, as we lie curled up around each other. "There's something I'd like to show you, if you're free."
He could take me anywhere, to be honest.
After getting ready, we wander hand-in-hand through the sunny west end, grabbing a sandwich and some juice en route. It feels so "coupley", and I realise how quickly I could get used to this life with Ric. It seems so easy, like something missing before in my life has finally appeared and clicked itself neatly into place.
