The Curve Ball - Samantha Lind Page 0,72

little vixen; sometimes she does it on purpose, and sometimes she has no idea. I’m confident tonight is on purpose. A way for her to make sure I’m ready to pounce when I get home.

Eighteen

Riley

I slip beneath the hot water, the bath bomb I tossed in filling the room with a relaxing mixture of lavender and vanilla. I relax back against the tub, the angle is perfect for soaking. I can feel the water relaxing my muscles. I close my eyes and let the rest of the stress from today just melt away. I didn’t realize just how much the events from this morning wore me out emotionally. I still can’t believe that I jumped to the worst-case scenario. I should have never done that. I know it hurt Justin's feelings that I did, and I can understand why. I either trust him or I don’t, and I didn’t show the trust I do have very well. I let the lies lead me astray, which was the point of the stupid article.

I push all thoughts of it out of my mind. It is in the past. It wasn’t true, and there's no reason to continue to dwell on it. I made a mistake, but it’s time to move on and not let it continue to fester in my mind. We both learned something from it today, and I’m focusing now on not allowing it to repeat itself and learning from it as we move forward. To hear Justin tell me he loves me after all of that about blew me away. I didn’t even care that he told it to me over the video call. Hearing those three sweet words leave his lips was like a calming balm to my fractured soul.

A smile tugs at my lips as I think about our text exchange from earlier. My sex starts to pulse, just thinking about what he plans to do to me when he returns. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since we started dating it’s the man has an incredible amount of stamina, and he’s incredible at making my body come alive. I hate to think of anyone that came before me, but I can only thank all that experience he’s got for the fantastic orgasms that he plies me with night after night.

I slip my hand down my torso, circling around my clit once my fingertips are low enough. I’m already strung tight, ready to come undone at the slightest touch. I imagine my fingers are his as I tease myself. I slip two fingers inside my pussy until I find that sensitive patch inside. I slide my fingertips along it until I feel myself start to spasm around my fingers.

I suck my bottom lip between my teeth, biting down to keep from yelling out with my orgasm. My fingers slip out as my body goes limp, all those lovely orgasmic hormones flooding my bloodstream.

I stay in the bath until the water starts to go tepid. I pull the plug and stay in the water until it's almost all drained out. I stand up and turn the shower on, rinsing off from the bath bomb. The hot water keeps my muscles nice and relaxed.

I lazily get out, drying off and slathering some lotion on before brushing my teeth. I’d pulled my hair up into a bun to keep it out of the water, so I let it back down, the light waves cascading down around my shoulders.

I slip between the sheets naked, just as I know Justin is hoping I’ll be when he gets home soon. I pull my Kindle out from the nightstand, pulling up my newest book. I get lost in the pages over the next twenty or so minutes before the alarm system being turned off catches my attention. I hear it beep again, knowing that he’s set it now that we’re all inside.

I listen carefully to his movement through the house. I imagine him setting his bag down just inside the garage door where he’d stop to punch in his code. I hear his feet coming down the hall, then the light sound of a door opening as he pokes his head in to check on Evie. It melts my heart just how much he loves his daughter and how well he’s adjusted to having her in his life. A minute later, he’s pushing open the door to his room. I only have a bedside lamp on, set at its lowest setting.

JJ’s gaze finds mine,