Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 93840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
I felt a familiar panic well up in my gut. Was this the moment I confessed who I truly was? He deserved to know.
But the minute he knew my identity, things would change between us. It was inevitable.
“Grimaldi,” I said quietly, wondering if it was enough for him to put two and two together. “My last name is Grimaldi.”
Chapter 14
Felix
Something about the name was familiar, but I was too distracted by the man in front of me to figure it out. Worry lines etched between his eyes, and the eyes themselves were deep blue pools of… something.
Longing.
But he’d been right. It could only be physical. Once I left Gadleigh, I’d be heading thousands of miles away, back to my regular old life. And he’d be winging back to fancy Monte Carlo—to whatever life he had there.
“My last name is Wilde,” I offered in return. “Felix Wilde.” I stood still, wondering if by any chance he’d mention the famous actress with the same last name.
He didn’t.
Instead, Lio’s face melted into a relieved grin, and he held out a hand as if to shake.
“Nice to meet you, Felix Wilde.”
I rolled my eyes but took his hand, only to have it yanked forward so Lio could pull me into a tight hug. The clean scent of the skin on his neck drew my nose to it like a flower.
“Mm, you smell good,” I murmured against him. “I’m getting you all dirty.”
“I like you all dirty,” he admitted in a low voice.
The sound of a throat clearing came from the direction of the doorway, and I jumped back from Lio as if we’d been caught necking in the high school corridor.
It was Lio’s friend Jon.
“Call for you,” he said to Lio, holding out a mobile phone. I noticed Lio’s nostrils flare in irritation and wondered why Jon was carrying Lio’s phone.
“Tell them I’m busy,” Lio said.
“No sir…ree bob, it’s your sister,” he stammered. The man was clearly a little slow in the head.
Lio looked at me with an apology in his expression. “I need to take this. Sorry.”
“That’s okay, there isn’t much left to take care of anyway. Thanks for sticking around to help me put everything away.”
Lio approached Jon for the phone as I gathered my coat and hat and made my way out the front door. Jon shot me an apologetic glance, and I wondered for the millionth time who the man was to Lio. Were they friends from home? From college? From work? Had they ever slept together?
After finishing cleaning up the shop, I returned to my guest apartment and took a long, hot shower. Scrubbing off the sweat and dust felt amazing, and I enjoyed the feeling of sore muscles after several hours’ making glass. When I stepped out of the shower, I heard banging on the door.
“Coming. Hold on,” I called, wrapping a thick towel around my waist and grabbing a second one to rub the water out of my hair. “Who is it?” I asked as I approached the door.
“It’s me,” Lio said. I felt the grin pull at my cheeks.
As I opened the door, I saw Lio’s face change from pleased to full-on hungry. His eyes raked over my exposed chest, and his fingers twitched where they hung by his sides.
“Well, now. That’s the way you should always greet someone at your door,” he drawled.
“I’ll remember that the next time Mari comes to offer me a meal,” I replied with a cheeky grin.
“Dammit, I missed the sweat,” Lio growled as he stalked me, closing the door behind me with a kick. “The dripping water will have to suffice. Tell me I can touch you, Felix.”
His eyes were so feral, the words stuck in my throat. I nodded instead.
I expected him to attack—to maul me to within an inch of my life. But he didn’t. He ran one index finger along my collarbone. His eyes remained riveted on mine.
“You drive me crazy, you know?” His voice was low and rumbly, sending shivers through me straight to my toes. I felt my cock push against the terry cloth of the towel around my hips.
“Nngh,” I managed around the lump in my throat.
Lio’s eyes brightened and his lips curved into a grin. “Cat got your tongue, Felix?” His finger lowered and circled around one of my nipples.
“Eungh.” It came out high-pitched and needy, but when it seemed to only egg Lio on, I decided to not let my desperation embarrass me.
“Fuck, those noises make me crazy,” he murmured before leaning in to drop kisses along my jaw. His mouth nibbled its way over to my ear and clamped down gently on the lobe. The feelings he was bringing out in me were so hot, I was surprised there was still water on my skin that hadn’t evaporated yet.
I finally managed to find my tongue. “I want… oh god… I want you to… jesusfuckingchrist right there,” I stammered. “Want you to fuck me so badly, Lio.”