Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 104288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
My brain eagerly latches onto the idea. My feet come to a stop on the top step of the stairs leading to the kitchen. This might actually work out. Could help the tension between us. She needs stress relief. So do I. We’re both adults. We know the rules. My buzz is fading—that bottle of water helped—so I know I’m in my right mind.
One night.
One time.
And when it’s over, I’ll make sure we both leave satisfied.
Tossing my jacket onto a nearby chair, I turn around and sprint down the stairs.
Tiny has no idea what’s coming.
eight
. . .
Maren
Animals
I should be exhausted.
But stepping into my apartment, I’m wired. Shaky, even. Tuck was this close to kissing me for the third time.
The scariest part? I wanted him to, more than ever. Despite all the very good reasons why we need to keep things professional, I’m dying for him to make a move.
He called me Tiny, for crying out loud. How cute is that?
My stomach bottoms out at the memory of him catching me when I fell, pulling my body roughly against his. His grip on me was firm, almost crushing, and I loved every minute of it.
I loved how he let his guard down and danced with me. He’s hot as hell when he’s having a good time.
And he let himself have a good time with me.
I don’t know Tuck that well. But I know it’s a big deal that he felt safe enough to be vulnerable just now. He’s being silly. Letting loose.
I’d like to think he’s being his true self with me in a way he isn’t with many other people.
I did that. I don’t know how, but it happened, and the idea that I’m capable of making a man like Tuck feel that way is just . . .
Yeah, it’s everything.
Go get him.
I glance at the door. That’s stupid, right? If he wanted me, he’d be here right now.
But staying put—doing the smart thing and grabbing another shower and going to bed—somehow feels like a betrayal of myself. What was it Tuck said? He knows what he wants, and he goes after it.
I want him. According to his logic, I should go after him. Who knows when we’ll get this chance again? It’s Saturday night. Katie isn’t here, so we don’t run the risk of her seeing us.
I know deep down that he wants me. I saw it in his eyes. How they burned.
Maybe he’s waiting for me to make a move.
Maybe he just needs a little nudge so we can get this weird tension out of our systems.
I put my phone on the counter and spin back around. Grabbing the door, I hustle down the stairs before I change my mind. My legs feel like Jell-O as I move. Partly from my long-ass day, partly because I can’t fucking believe I’m doing this right now.
Seems too easy, just asking for what I want.
Seems greedy, asking for more.
But I’m asking anyway.
I jump at the bang that sounds below. It’s the door that leads to the deck outside.
My heart sputters when Tuck appears at the bottom of the stairs. His eyes are on fire when they collide with mine. “Tonight. It’s all I can give you, Maren.”
I start down the steps again, disbelief and desire tearing through me in equal measure. “Tonight is all I need.”
“I’m your boss. I don’t want that to get in the way. If we do this, Maren, you gotta promise you’ll be honest with me—there won’t be any blowback from my end. We’re equals here.”
“Promise.” Although to be honest, I’d tell this man anything he wanted to hear if it meant getting to touch him.
He climbs the stairs two at a time. My pulse is inside my skin, pounding so hard and so loud it makes me feel unsteady, but that only emboldens me. Have I ever wanted a man this badly?
I’ll never get this chance again. Might as well go all in.
So I do. I leap into his arms at the same moment he reaches for me. The movement is effortless, immediate, a fevered meeting of bodies. His hands curling around the backs of my thighs. My arms locking around his neck, legs locking around his waist.
He is a huge, solid wall of muscle and heat that still, by some miracle, fits perfectly between my legs. I roll my hips, seeking friction, and he growls, mouth an inch from mine.
I can smell the cinnamon on his breath.
Instinct takes over. He tilts his head and I tilt mine, closing my eyes when he crushes his mouth against mine in a bruising, breathy kiss that has my heart spasming inside my chest. One second in, and I can already tell he’s an A-plus kisser. He’s hungry, unafraid, his lips soft and warm as they move knowledgeably over mine. He doesn’t rush. He takes long, deep pulls, his tongue licking into my mouth, opening me to his kiss.