Always Only You by Chloe Liese (z-lib.org).epub

Playlist: “Close To You,” Rihanna
“LOVE NUGGET?”
Ren’s voice reverberates through the house, echoing in his bathroom, where
I’m soaking in a tub that was clearly made for a giant. A gentle, ginger giant
who I’ve missed unreasonably much all evening.
His parents got back to their house first but said Ren was on his way to have
a quick visit with Ziggy, so I bolted, picked up Pazza from my place, and drew
myself a bubble bath.
“In here, stud muffin,” I call.
His laugh is low and quiet, but it still carries through the house. Long, solid
strides grow louder, until the bathroom door creaks open and dress shoes clack
on the room’s polished tiles.
“Stud muffin,” he says, a hand over his eyes. “I can get down with that.”
Shifting in the water, I make sure the essential bits are covered in bubbles.
I’m suddenly, bizarrely self-conscious. Maybe it’s because I feel shaky, a little
unsure. Maybe Ren will be glad about what I did with Ziggy and his parents.
And maybe not.
“My virtue is preserved,” I tell him. “You may uncover your eyes.”
Dropping his hand, Ren smiles at me, sending air rushing from my lungs.
I haven’t seen this smile before. It’s deeper. More complex. That’s the only
way I can think to describe it. He drops gently onto the edge of the tub and plays
with a strand of my hair that came loose from the messy bun piled on my head.
“Hi.” I glance up at him, fighting the nervous urge to hold my breath and
vanish underwater.
He’s just so beautiful to me. And yes, in part, that’s because Ren is
objectively handsome, but there’s much more to it. There’s the kindness in his
eyes, the readiness of his smile, yet the feeling that some smiles of his are