Summer Break (Love Nibbles Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

before Eric finally rolled off. He lay on his side, stroking a hand over her belly, his head turned toward her on the pillow.
    Brianne’s hair was a tangled mass across the other pillow. She reached out to touch his chest with her hand. Eric grabbed it and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.
    “Thank you.” His voice was hoarse.
    She frowned at him. “Are you choked up?”
    “No.”
    Her eyes opened wide. “You are!”
    He cleared his throat. “No, I’m not. It’s just been a long time and it felt really good.”
    Brianne laughed, the full-bodied chuckle he adored. “You’re emotional jelly, a secret tender-hearted romantic. If that’s what a sexual drought does for a guy, men should try it more often. The sex was amazing. In fact, I think—”
    He covered her mouth with his hand, stifling her chatter, then rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom to clean up
    He brought her a damp washcloth and a glass of water she gulped down. Her hair was plastered to her red face. The air conditioner wasn’t keeping up with the heat they’d generated in the apartment. But despite the heat, he spooned her on the saggy sofa-bed, drawing the sheet over both of them.
    In the quiet time after sex, guilt escaped from the closet where he’d locked it, and settled over him. He was desperate not to think about how he’d just screwed over his best friend. “How are things going with your dad and step-mom?”
    Her shoulder lifted and fell. “My stepmom moved out. Dad took off for a ‘business trip’ to Europe, so I’m on my own for the last month before I leave for college. The usual bullshit.” She kept her tone light, but he could feel her sadness. Brianne wasn’t as tough as she pretended to be.
    Eric thought about his mom moving to Arizona with that asshole Derrick and leaving him with Carl. “Happy families are a myth.”
    “For fucking sure.” Her voice was choked and her swallow audible.
    He stroked her bare arm and kissed the back of her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
    “Doesn’t matter. I’ll be gone soon anyhow, and I’ve got my dad’s credit card to keep me company for the rest of the summer. I think it’s time for a new wardrobe and about twenty pairs of new shoes.”
    Eric looked around the crappy apartment, which always smelled of old pizza and mildew and thought about what a struggle it was for him and Carl to simply pay the rent on this roach trap. A shit ton of money would go a long way toward easing the pain of losing your parents.
    She rolled over to face him. “It’s not like I care or anything.” Her tone was bright, but her bottom lip trembled. “But wouldn’t you think... I mean, I was ready to help my dad through this, to be his shoulder to cry on or whatever. But I came home from a spa day with my girlfriends and his bags were packed. The taxi was already on its way. That’s all the heads up he gave me. ‘Here’s a credit card, honey, and goodbye.’” She blinked. “If I hadn’t come home right then, he would’ve just left, maybe remembered to text me from the airport if I was lucky. God, that’s so wrong! It’s like my mom all over again.”
    Eric nodded and rubbed gentle circles on her stomach. Brianne’s mom had left when she was twelve and only rarely called. Maybe money didn’t help take the edge off the pain after all. “I’m sorry,” he repeated.
    “And then fucking Josh is gone too. It’s just too much.” She rubbed her hand over her eyes and rolled over, presenting her back to him.
    “I know.” He wrapped his arm around her and held her tight.
    Brianne shuddered in his arms. “God, I didn’t mean to cry like a little bitch. I hate that.”
    He nuzzled his mouth into her hair. “It’s okay. I cried when my mom left.”
    She laughed through her tears. “Hah! I knew you were a crybaby.”
    Eric nipped her shoulder. “Bitch.”
    “Wuss.”
    He couldn’t think of another name for her besides “amazing goddess” so he fell silent. The room was quiet, the girl