Sweet Expressions

Sugar Lips (Epilogue)

North's arm was hot and heavy, mashing me up against the sprawled, topless form of Luke. I was squished between the two, legs tangled in sheets I couldn't manage to kick off with the way they were pinned underneath the two boys. I'd given up getting free long ago, the will to have leg and arm room losing to the need to have the boys close. The past few weeks had been hard, but good things had been achieved in the end, including getting to know Gabriel better. We'd worked out problems we'd had and gotten closer. I let my head rest against Luke's bare back, shivered when North blew a sleeping sigh, heavy with the scent of roses, into the back of my neck.

It tingled afterward, shivery delight that I didn't understand spreading in a glowing wave over my skin.

I sighed and cast my eyes upward again, searching a ceiling I couldn't see. I couldn't shake off the mistakes I'd made with Gabriel. I'd let the boys get to me too much, especially Mr.Blackbourne. He had an advantage somehow, knowing how I would react and playing me like his well tuned violin.

I smiled to myself. Not for long. I would learn.

The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea of using the bet I'd won to get to know all the boys, including Mr.Blackbourne, better. I didn't have to know things they couldn't tell me. I just needed to know more about their quirks, their way of dealing with people by watching while they interacted during simple daily tasks. It could be as simple as mailing letters or helping them with their laundry if that's all they could give me. l'd take it.

For all that the image of helping Mr. Blackbourne iron his starched shirts and matching his perfect socks gave me the giggles.

North shifted, tightening his arm around my waist and nuzzling further into my hair. I froze, afraid I'd wakened him, especially since he'd come to bed with dark circles under his eyes. It had been a long evening with the monopoly game and all. I repressed a sigh for fear of stirring him up again, and thought forward to the meeting Mr. Blackbourne and I had agreed to so I could propose my terms.

Those boys and their clever, stupid monopoly money bet. At least I might get something out of the whole fiasco this time. We would see. Luke shifted, rising up partly on an elbow so he could spin, tangling up the sheets tighter and settling down facing me. He cuddled up, brushing his face against mine so closely that I could feel his sleepy smile against my own mouth for a moment before he curled up against my neck.

I stilled, hyper aware that he'd practically kissed me in his sleep. I reached up, brushing my fingertips against my lips, tasting vanilla and roses, and a little of something else.

Sweet.

The End

Author's Note:

Thank you so much for reading Sweet Expressions! It's been a fun journey with this fan fiction that I hoped you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. If you want more, I've continued writing this story in Floral Expressions, also found on Wattpad. Thank you again for reading, voting and commenting, you all are super stars!

Hugs!

Choosy Pixs