Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 127213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
He looked so beautiful when the layers that turned him into a statuesque prize were stripped away. There was no perfection in hair sticking to a damp forehead, or to the uneven melange of reds and pinks blooming on his face and torso, but those things made him more real. More tangible. Less of a concept and more of a man. When he was like this, the precious golden necklace he must have received from one of his sugar daddies seemed almost out of place under his throat.
Frank swallowed when Ezra’s tempting lips stretched into a smile, but he still couldn’t bring himself to say the words he wanted. No matter how gentle, Ezra’s rejection would have spoiled the rest of this night, and he wasn’t planning to go anytime soon.
“So, how was your week?” Ezra asked, because they’d barely talked once Frank had stepped into his apartment, too busy tearing each other’s clothes off. His beautiful, pampered hands drew patterns over Frank’s skin as they moved up, past his throat, all the way to his face. It was such a strikingly intimate gesture Frank took it as confirmation that he wasn’t the only one sensing the amazing chemistry sparking between them whenever they met. Tonight though, Ezra’s beautiful amber eyes shone with something new, something Frank couldn’t name.
He was under no illusion about the nature of their relationship. He hoped Ezra enjoyed himself during sex, and they had some fun times watching movies or talking, but Frank was well aware that he wasn’t the kind of guy Ezra would choose in real life. He’d want a guy who drove a Ferrari, not a beat-up truck. A classy guy who could take him to upscale restaurants and give him an unlimited spending allowance so he could get all the Prada he wanted. Definitely not someone who knew how to make a dead body disappear in a hundred different ways.
“Mixed bag really. On one hand, we had a new shipment I needed to look through, and I’m pretty sure there’s good stuff in there, but then I was so busy I didn’t even have the time to use my workshop.” Though he did find enough time to make sure the Rolex he wanted to gift Ezra was functional.
Ezra’s hands were so smooth and soft Frank found himself leaning into them as his lover stroked his face and neck, but while he’d normally make a little comment on Frank’s words, or offer a fun anecdote, tonight he remained quiet for so long Frank sensed a tension in the air.
There was a darkness to Ezra’s gaze tonight, hidden behind the usual layer of charm and smiles, and it took him way too much time to notice. Unease settled in Frank’s chest as he tuned in to Ezra, noticing that his breath seemed heavier than usual, that his touch lingered longer, that his smile was a fraction wider than normal.
Was it an act? Why? Had something bad happened, yet like the professional he was, Ezra kept up a facade for Frank’s benefit?
But he said nothing, unsure if Ezra would appreciate being questioned about his private life when at the core their whole relationship was nothing more than a transaction.
But before he could have made up his mind, Ezra rubbed his mouth with his thumb and grinned. “What are you working on now, big guy?”
Frank ran his hands up Ezra’s side, indulging in the touch. As expensive as these meetings were, they were worth every penny. “I’ve been working on my own rig to train for the frame carry. I’m ready to try a heavier one now.” He’d also made a ring for Ezra out of scrap copper and silver, but then realized how that might be perceived and put it in a drawer for it to never see the light of day.
“You sure you won’t break your back or something? A friend of mine ended up with issues from carrying heavy weights. And you are definitely way up there. Then again, maybe you’re superhuman,” Ezra added, rubbing Frank’s cheekbone with his thumb. This time, he did move from under him.
Frank picked him up without trouble. “What do you think? Am I?” Was it needy? Maybe, but he didn’t feel bad about that when he was paying for Ezra’s time.
After all, this was his fun.
Wide eyes looked back at him as Ezra grinned, holding on to Frank’s neck. “My very own superman,” he said and pressed their lips together, drowning Frank in a wave of tenderness. He would ask Ezra to accompany him to the competition.
He’d make his proposition casually at dinner. If it got rejected, then so be it. Ezra was allowed to choose what events he was willing to attend. After all, he had other male friends to entertain, most notably Paul, about whose presence in their life Frank would rather forget.