Page 82 of Late Harvest

She swatted at him playfully. “I mean, do you get your chest waxed? It’s as soft as a baby’s skin.”

“Have you ever delivered a baby?”

“Do you wax?”

“Hey, I asked you a question.” He reached around and booped her on the nose before dropping a kiss on the crown of her head.

“I asked you first.”

“Are we ten?”

“Yep, plus a few decades.” Remy grinned teasingly, though she knew he couldn’t see her expression.

“Ok, that was just cruel, my queen.”

He squeezed his arms around her in a glorious reverse bear hug. Hugs had been rare in her life. Even so, Sebastian’s had to be Guinness World Records worthy.

“Every time I see my age written out,” he continued, “it feels like it has to be an error. I mean, when people mention 1995, I still think it was ten years ago.”

“More like thirty.”

“Why does she keep hurting me? Whyyyy?” he cried out dramatically, raising a fist to the ceiling.

Remy snickered. “So, do you wax?”

Sebastian sighed. “I prefer not to. But my last role required me to build up a lot of muscle⁠—”

“I see that,” she whispered, tracing the outline of his bulging quadricep. Would he freak out if she licked it? Nah. This was Sebastian. He’d love it, and probably lick hers back. She smiled at the visual.

“And they wanted a hairless look,” he continued, unaware of her developing quadricep-licking fetish. “I’ve just kept it up. I don’t like the growing-in stage.”

“Will you ever grow it back?” She nuzzled the back of her head into his chest as he wrapped both arms tighter.

“Do you want me to?” Sebastian pressed another kiss to the top of her head. When he placed a second one on the tender area where he’d bitten her, a tiny thrill shot through her.

“Maybe. I want to see if you have any gray chest hairs.”

“See? Cruel,” he whispered, swatting the side of her ass. “It’s a good thing you’re irresistible as fuck. And smart. And insanely beautiful…oh, hell. You’re the whole package.”

Remy smiled, biting her lower lip. How did he manage to make her feel so desired?

Without warning, a loud yawn escaped from her, surprising both of them.

Sebastian chuckled and nuzzled her, lifting her hand to kiss her wrist, his tongue gently flicking against the tiny freckle on her triquetrum bone. “Love that little freckle,” he murmured, laughing softly when she yawned again. “I’ll let you sleep in a minute. First I need to know if you’ve delivered a baby.”

Remy fought to keep her eyes open, her body sated and her heart content. “A few times. During the first year of my residency, on my ob/gyn rotation. Never again.” She shuddered.

“Wasn’t it magical?”

“I’m sure it was for the parents. But catching babies didn’t rev my engines. I wanted to do surgery.”

“Did you always want to be an orthopedic surgeon?”

Remy blinked against the sudden wetness in her eyes, glad she was facing away. “No. I had…motivation. I don’t want to talk about it right now. But I will. Later. When I tell you…other things.”

Sebastian brought his uncovered leg up and crossed it over her legs, so she was fully cradled in his body. It was…soothing. He said nothing. Just held her for long minutes in peaceful silence, Remy beyond relieved he hadn’t pushed her to say more.

She released a jaw-cracking yawn, and then laughed.