her head, pinning them against the mattress.
Poised just above her, his breath ragged, he gazed into her eyes. His expression was fierce, his eyes dark and questioning. In response, Kristine arched her back, brushing her body against him. Then, with a sharp thrust, he buried himself inside of her.
She held perfectly still, giving herself time to absorb him, to remember how this was. Then, with a sudden rush of feeling, the pain melted into pleasure. He made love to her with an intensity she hadn’t felt in years, and Kristine gripped his shoulders tighter and tighter, until she shattered against him.
Kevin let out a roar as he came, collapsing on top of her in a heap of sweat and emotion. They lay there together working to catch their breath, the duvet kicked aside and slipping to the floor. Kevin leaned forward and held her tight, wrapping his arms tightly around her.
“I love you, Kristine,” he whispered. Then he kissed her as though he would drown.
Thirty-nine
While her mother was in Rome, Chloe had one responsibility: to keep an eye on June.
“Take care of her,” Kristine said before she left, squeezing Chloe just a little too tight. “I know you’re busy but June’s just not used to being on her own.”
Chloe’s intentions were good but she got so caught up with school, midterms and Geoff that before she knew it, three days had passed without hearing from her grandmother. The moment she realized this, Chloe called her six times and even stopped by her house, but June didn’t answer the door. Troubled, Chloe headed to her shift at Tiny Tumblers but checked her phone every hour, on the hour.
June never called back.
The moment her shift was over, she rushed outside and called Ben. Her mouth tasted like metal, but she knew just hearing his voice would help. He’d say, “Clo, everything’s okay. I’ll be right there,” but his phone rang and rang before finally going to voicemail.
Chloe fought back a wave of panic. There was a very real possibility that something bad had happened. It just wasn’t like June to not call for three days. And to not return a phone call? Never.
Even though Chloe hated to drag Geoff into all this so early in their relationship, she made the call. “I’m so sorry to bother you at work,” she said, her voice breaking. “But I’m too scared to go over there alone.”
“I’ll call Rue on the way,” he said. “See if she’s heard from her.” After getting directions to June’s house, he said, “Don’t worry, Chloe. I’m sure she’s just fine.”
Traffic was jammed, so instead of jumping into a cab and begging the driver to go ninety, Chloe ran the five blocks to June’s apartment. Her book bag banged against her shoulder with every step, her heart pounding frantically. What if June was lying there with a broken hip, abandoned for days? Those stairs up to her bedroom were much too steep. She easily could have taken a tumble. Or what if . . . Chloe shook her head, refusing to think of the alternative.
She blinked hard, hating herself for being so irresponsible. It wasn’t like her mother had asked her to check on a hamster or a goldfish. June was her family. Why, oh why, had she gotten so caught up in her boyfriend? What kind of person was she?
Rounding the corner, she ran smack into a man. It was already dark, and she almost screamed. She realized it was Geoff and collapsed against him.
“Thank you so much for coming,” she said. “I’m sorry. I’m so scared.”
Geoff put a finger under her chin and lifted it gently. “Chloe, look at me,” he said, his voice calm. “It’s going to be fine. And if it’s not, we’ll deal with it, okay? We’ll handle it together.”
She nodded, letting out a shaky breath. Leading the way, he walked up the steps to June’s house and pounded on the door.
Chloe’s heart was in her throat. She prayed that, at any moment, June would throw open the door and say, “What on earth is all this racket about?” But the house remained dark, the door tightly closed. With trembling hands, Chloe handed him the spare key.
As they walked in, he turned on the lights in the hallway. She cringed, expecting to see June crumpled in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, but the path was as clear as always. Chloe tried to push past him, but Geoff’s arm blocked her way. “Please. Let