Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88057 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88057 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“You too.” Experimentally, I returned the favor, undoing his shirt, taking a moment to enjoy how crisp and soft the expensive fabric felt against my callused fingers. He felt too fine for a blue-collar dude like me. He deserved wine and music and sweet lovemaking. But then my thumbs swept over his bare ribs, and he made a needy noise, pulling me in for a blistering kiss. Maybe he deserved something different, but for tonight, at least, I was what he wanted. What he needed. And I was going to enjoy the hell out of that.
We traded kisses until we were both naked.
“Bed. Now.” He gave me a teasing shove, and I played up my fall onto the soft mattress, making the dog let out a yip.
“Oops. He either thinks I meant he should get on the bed or that I’m hurting you.” Chuckling, he pointed back at the footstool. “Go lie down, Hercules.”
The dog obeyed but gave us both a mournful look in the process.
“Now, where were we?” He launched himself next to me, making the mattress bounce and shake.
“You’re cute in bed.” I ran a hand down his side, gentle over his fading bruises, then firmer over his hip and thigh. “You’re not at all what I might have guessed.”
“Thanks, I think?” He raised an eyebrow.
“It was a compliment.” I squeezed the meat of his ass. “I just meant I like you all relaxed and playful.”
He nodded. “It’s nice to have a reason to let go and have fun. I’m too serious a lot of the time.”
“That’s understandable.” I tickled his ribs lightly, simply to watch him grin and squirm. “You have an empire to run, boss. And you’re fun to watch on set when you’re all in charge and opinionated. But I like you like this.”
“I like you like this too.” He kissed me again, slow, almost lazy. One kiss bled softly into the next. He kissed like he wanted to uncover even my smallest secrets. He made a pleased noise whenever I groaned, like learning I liked my beard touched or that my earlobes were sensitive were important discoveries. And he touched too, stroking my biceps and chest. “Tell me about your tattoos.”
I had to blink my way out of a lust haze. Wasn’t sure I’d ever had to pause sex for story time before, but he sure looked serious, eyes intent, like my answer was important.
“I like ink.” I licked my lips because I was strangely nervous and the sensitized flesh felt almost electric when I worried it. “Some of my tats are simply designs I liked or something I found when bored and out with buddies. But this one is for my dad.” I pointed to the wrench over my left pec and then to an anchor on my right arm. “And this one was when I made chief.”
“I love it.” He smiled like my words were another pleasure, right up there with more kissing. “I’m not big on needles, so I only managed one drunken twenty-something mistake.”
“You have ink?” I swept my gaze over him, but he squirmed away, laughing.
“Maybe you should do better recognizance, chief.”
“That sounds like a dare.”
“Maybe.” Flopping next to me, Ambrose stretched his arms over his head. “Feel free to search my…perimeter.”
“Oh, now it’s on.” I knew perfectly well he didn’t have a neck tattoo, but I started there, snuffling up his scent, the spicy-warm aroma amping me up further. He shuddered from nothing more than my breath, but I wasn’t deterred from my mission.
“No arm tats.” I trailed my fingers down his biceps, following them with the tip of my tongue and earning me another happy noise from Ambrose.
“Keep going,” he urged.
“Oh, I will.” I chuckled darkly, tweaking one of his nipples. He didn’t moan like I might have, but his gasp was plenty gratifying and encouraged me to lick the other one. That got a hiss. “No tats here. Better keep looking.” I ran my fingers through the light strip of hair lining his belly. “Nope. No bellybutton suns or stars And none on your legs either.”
Remembering what he’d said the night before, I took the time to stroke his thighs, tickling the fuzzy hair and pale flesh and biting at his hipbones until he gasped and writhed on the bed.
“Hmm. Your tat must be hiding.” I peered down at him, trying to sound stern but ruining it with a smile.
“Must be.” His impish grin turned to a startled noise as I flipped him over easy as a pancake. He gave a token protest, kicking lightly and wriggling until he settled down under me, but his breathless moan said he liked the manhandling plenty. “Remind me not to challenge you to a wrestling match.”
“You never know. Might be fun.” I made a show of pinning him under me until he groaned.