Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 124923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Without breaking our connection, he turns around and effortlessly carries me up the spiral staircase. When I realize we’re heading for his room, I break the kiss, pulling back. “We’re doing this now?”
“Were you thinking of scheduling in advance?” He drags his lips down the side of my neck, goosebumps pricking my skin. He pushes the hem of my shirt up and I lift my arms to help him in ridding me of it.
“Now’s good,” I breathe.
“Glad that’s settled.” He lets my shirt fall to the floor before kicking the door open and walking us into the dark room. A surprised squeal flies out of my mouth before I can stop it when he tosses me onto the bed. I bounce off the mattress and then his body comes down onto mine. His weight pins me to the bed, and my heart pounds wildly in my chest. My eyes haven’t adjusted yet, leaving me on edge and blind to his next move. Why he chose to go up here, away from any light and the warmth of the fire, is beyond me. A million possibilities run through my mind. Maybe he wants to avoid the vulnerability of looking someone in the eye while he fucks them. Maybe he simply wanted the comfort of his bed. Either reason is fine with me.
His weight leaves me a second before a bite to my nipple has me sucking in a breath. Not painful, but a warning. “Stop thinking,” Holden demands. “Especially if it’s about anything other than me and what I’m about to do to you.”
Warm fingers curl into the waistband of my leggings before tugging them down. I use my feet to work them off once they’re at my shins, and then I feel his touch between my legs. He must have night vision because he finds his target immediately. My legs fall open, just slightly, as his finger softly circles my clit. “That’s the problem. I can’t think rationally when you’re touching me like this,” I admit in a rare moment of honesty. My voice comes out breathy and needy and completely unlike me and I hate myself for it.
“Good,” he says, before taking his touch away completely.
“What are you doing?”
“Stay here,” he says cryptically. I feel the bed move before I see his shadowy form leave the room, and I’m left here alone. I groan, not feeling particularly patient, and press my thighs together to ease the ache. Seconds later, I hear the floor creak, alerting me to his return.
“Where are you?” I call out into the dark, squinting as if that’s going to help. No answer, but I know he’s here. I can feel him. “I can hear you breathing, asshole,” I tell him. I sit up in the middle of the bed, feeling like a prey animal who’s moments away from being pounced on. My head whips around when I think I hear something behind me and I pause, listening for more clues to his whereabouts. “Okay, I’m bored now. I change my mind—”
My words break off into a yelp when Holden’s hand wraps around my ankle and jerks me toward the edge of the bed. My head is near the middle of the bed, ass on the edge of the right side. Holden slides between my legs, one hand propped on the mattress next to my head. I hear a quiet click before a soft glow fills the room. A lantern dangles from his fingertips, inches above my face.
“What are you doing?” I squint against the light.
“Ensuring I get to see exactly what you look like when I slide inside you for the first time.”
“First and only,” I correct.
“Whatever you say.”
My gaze flits from his eyes down to his lips, and then I lunge for him, my hands on his face as I kiss him hard. When my tongue slips into his mouth, he groans, pressing his hips into me. The feel of his sweatpants against my bare skin reminds me that he’s still fully clothed. I practically claw at his shirt, pulling it up his torso. He takes the subtle hint, sitting back on his heels and setting the lantern on top of the nightstand before reaching into its drawer. He tosses a condom that lands next to my face and I arch a brow.
“Remind me to thank my past self for these,” he says, answering my unspoken question. He stands, quickly ridding himself of his pants, and then he’s back, his body covering mine, my thighs cradling his waist. When his hard length slips through my arousal, his eyes squeeze shut as if he’s in pain. “You’re fucking soaked,” he grinds out, pumping his hips.
“This means nothing,” I clarify.
“Keep telling yourself that,” he says, his hand skimming down my stomach between us before two thick fingers curl inside me. I gasp at the sudden invasion. Oh my God, yes.