Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 53238 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 266(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53238 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 266(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
“It’s Darling!” Hallie squeals with happiness and holds up a little stuffed pig.
Charlotte unwraps a gray beanie from her stocking next, grinning and putting it on.
The sadness slides away as the girls start opening all the little gifts Suki bought for their stockings, wrapped in tissue paper. I went shopping with her once, but she did a lot of it herself. She knows the girls’ tastes better than I do.
I don’t realize how much work she’s done until I see the girls opening gift after gift, each item the perfect size and style. They all get a lot of clothes and they seem really happy about it.
“Uggs!” Olivia is giddy as she pulls a gray boot from a box. “I love them!”
I’m surprised when Suki hands me several gifts. She got me three new biographies, a travel reading light so I can read when I’m flying between cities, a nice leather messenger bag, two new ties and some ‘Cereal Killer’ socks.
She knows me. I’ve never had a relationship with a woman that didn’t start with sex, so this is unfamiliar territory for me. All my other relationships were based around sex and sometimes we happened to get to know each other.
“This is amazing!” Suki holds up the T-shirt that Olivia picked out for her, which has a picture of Ruth Bader Ginsberg and says, “You Can’t Handle the Ruth.”
“You told us you love her, so I thought you’d like it.” Olivia was very proud of finding that shirt online.
The girls helped me pick out all of Suki’s gifts other than the necklace. We got her a scarf, an avocado-shaped coffee mug and a spa gift certificate.
Once all the gifts are opened, Suki tells the girls to move their stuff to their rooms so Darling doesn’t destroy anything. They’re all upstairs and I’m picking up wrapping paper and stuffing it into a trash bag when she approaches me, running a fingertip over the vine on her necklace.
“This was so generous and sweet of you,” she says softly. “I’m overwhelmed.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
Her expression turns to longing. I let go of the garbage bag and put a hand on her lower back, pulling her against me in a fluid motion.
Her eyes widen as she looks up at me, her lips slightly parted. I can’t fight it anymore. I kiss her, only the first few seconds soft and slow. A little moan comes from her mouth as she melts into me, wrapping her arms around my neck.
She fits against me perfectly. Once I get a taste, my hunger for her is insatiable. I kiss her deeper, lifting her off her feet so we’re molded together. She slides her fingers into my hair.
“Darling, no!”
Olivia’s yell as she runs across the family room brings me back to reality and I set Suki down, her expression a little dazed.
When we look over at Darling, he has one of my new ties hanging from his mouth.
Of course. He’s ruined three pairs of my shoes and destroyed the carpet in two rooms of the house. Might as well cockblock me, too.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Suki
I’m waiting for my sandwich in a drive-through line when I get a text from Dex about the offer someone made me for the Naughty by Nature inventory.
Dex: It’s low. I’d counter at $30k and then meet him in the middle at $25k.
My heart sinks. I text him back.
Suki: It cost $71k. You don’t think I can get more?
Dex: You can try. I don’t know anything about the market for secondhand sex toys.
Suki: They’re new. Most of it is still in the manufacturer’s packaging.
Dex: Still not considered new to a buyer, babe.
Suki: This really sucks. I think I’ll sell them just so I can stop fielding messages on Craigslist about it. People assume things about a woman selling thousands of vibrators, dildos, and butt plugs.
Dex: I mean...it’s not an enviable position to be in.
Suki: Yeah, I just want to put this behind me.
Dex: Do you mean just the plugs, or the vibes and dildos, too...?
Suki: I hate you.
Dex: You practically mailed me an invitation to that one...Only accept a wire transfer as payment, ok?
I get my sandwich and drink and pull out of the drive-through and park before I text Dex again.
Suki: Yeah, and I’m making the buyer cover shipping. Can’t wait to declare what I’m sending on the Customs forms. The buyer is in Denmark.
Dex: Do not ship the merch until you’ve been paid. I can write up a sales contract for you if you want.
Suki: That would be great. I hate you a little less.
Dex: Have to go babe, ttyl
I open my Italian melt and take a bite, checking my other texts. Mara sent one while I was driving.
Mara: I know I deflect with sarcasm, but this is me being real. I genuinely like Owen and I’m so nervous about this drink thing. If all I can get is sex, I’ll take it, but if I give him sex right away, am I sending the message that it’s all I want?