Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 124(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 124(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
She nods, obviously trying to hold it in, and I’m not sure why, but that bothers me. I want her to let go with me, and I want to be the one to soothe her. This feeling is new to me, and I’m not sure how I feel about it, but I’m not going to fight the urge to hold Lexi and try to make her feel better.
I hold my arms open, giving her the choice on whether she wants me to hold her or not, and when she sits up and dives into my arms, I hold her tightly against me. She’s sitting on the bed, her legs on each side of my hips, and I try to focus on nothing else but making her feel better. Her face is tucked into my neck. I stroke her hair with one hand, the other against her bare back, rubbing her softness. “It’s okay, Lexi. I’m so sorry about your parents.”
She cries softly and melts into me. I let her cry, softly talking to her. Her hands go to my waist and then trail up my shirt as she pulls back from me. Her eyes are wet, and I release my hold on her so I can wipe my thumbs gently under her eyes. I wipe the wetness off on my shirt, and she laughs softly, embarrassed. “I’m sorry.”
I shake my head, still looking at her worriedly. “Don’t be sorry.”
She blinks at me. “Ben?”
I push a loose curl off her cheek and tuck it behind her ear before resting my hand on her shoulder. “Yeah, honey?”
She takes a deep breath in. “Will you kiss me?”
My breath leaves me like I’ve been punched in the gut. There’s no way I can deny her, but I also don’t want to freak out. I want her too damn much, and I’m barely holding on as it is. To have her mouth under mine is going to be an extreme test of my willpower. “It’s not a good idea,” I mutter, my voice sounding strangled.
She nods. “I know.”
My body is trembling in anticipation, but I hold back, trying to be a better man. “Lexi, honey, you’re emotional right now, and—”
She cuts me off. “Ben, I wanted you to kiss me before I walked in the front door of Heat & Ink. I know it’s not a good idea, but it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t happen.” She tightens her hold on my shirt. “It’s one kiss. Don’t you want to know what it’s like to kiss me?”
I let my head fall back with a groan. Fuck, yeah I want to know what it’s like to kiss her, but I also know that one kiss is not going to be enough.
She puts her hands on the side of my face and forces me to look at her. The chemistry between us is intense. She caresses my jaw, then loops her hands around my neck.
She doesn’t have to say anything else to convince me because she’s offering me the one thing I want more than anything else. Slowly, I lean in and press my lips to hers. She gasps on contact, and I take full advantage, sliding my tongue along hers.
The kiss is everything I thought it would be and more. I pull her to the edge of the bed, and her legs go around my waist. She grinds against me and my hardness presses into her. She moans, and I have to force myself to stop.
“No!” she moans. Her arms hook around me, holding me close. “Please, don’t stop,” she pleads.
“Lexi, honey, I can’t—”
“Please. I need this. I know what this is, and I don’t care. I feel like I’ll die if I don’t have you. I’m not asking for anything from you except for this.”
Begging is not something she should be doing. I should be the one begging her. “I’m no good for you.”
She shrugs. “I don’t care.”
“Nothing can come of this. It will be just sex.”
She nods, her eyes shades darker from desire. “I know.”
Damn it, how can I resist her?
I try to pull away from her, and her legs lock around me. I can’t help but laugh, and she gasps.
My head jerks to her. “What’s wrong?”
She points at me in the chest. “You just laughed.”
I put my hands on each side of her hips on the tattoo bed and lean into her. “Yeah, I do that on occasion.”
She shrugs. “I’ve never witnessed it. You’re pretty damn handsome when you laugh, Ben.”
These feelings erupt inside me, and before I can dissect them, my smile drops, and as if a reminder for myself, I nod my head at her. “Boss.”
She laughs. “Okay, Boss. Are you going to take me or not?”
I put my hands at her hips. “First, I’m going to clean up the tattoo and go over how to care for it.”