Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
She stripped out of her clothes and stepped into the luxurious shower. It took her more than a few tries to understand which knobs turned on the overhead spray, but once she managed, the water cascaded down her back, warming her up—at least from the outside. Inside, she was cold from Mike’s rejection. No matter how much she got it, she’d made this trip to help him. Once he’d accepted her offer, she hadn’t expected him to turn her away.
As she lathered up with the soap provided by the hotel, which smelled fruity and delicious, she thought about the short meeting with Rex Bransom. The man was more self-contained than Mike. Other than his initial surprise at seeing Mike, he hadn’t slipped or given anything away. And when he didn’t want to answer, he used Mike’s weak spot—the word son—poking at the open wound. No question, the man was a bastard. Her heart broke for Mike, who she was sure was as hurt as he was confused.
She tilted her head toward the hot water, rinsing the shampoo out of her hair, the spray washing over her like rain. It felt so good, she wondered if she could install this kind of shower in her condo. She laughed at the silly thought.
She heard the creak, and then Mike’s hands gripped her forearms as he pressed his body against hers, his erection solid at her back.
“Forgive me?” he asked, nuzzling his face into her neck.
She sighed, her body softening along with her heart. “There’s nothing to forgive. You needed space.”
“And you always give me what I need. Even if I don’t know what that is myself.” His gruff voice rumbled in her ear.
He hadn’t wanted to talk, but he was obviously happy to forget his troubles inside her body. And she didn’t mind. Sex was what they did best together, was what she could count on from him.
He slid his finger through her slick heat, easing the way for an easy glide. Desire rippled through her, and she arched into his hand.
“You’re so wet for me, baby.”
She moaned only to have him stiffen behind her. “Fuck. I can’t believe I call you that. I’ve been calling you that. Hell, I tried to convince you it was okay. Then he said it, and it sounded so damn demeaning.” His arms were still wrapped tight around her.
Cara sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. “From Rex to her? It was demeaning. God, Mike, she was all of twenty-one—and that’s if she was even legal! He didn’t care about her. He liked the attention, the idea of a young woman who idolized him and hung on his every word. We both know that’s not how I see you.”
That got a laugh. “No, you don’t automatically do anything I say.”
She grinned. “Independent. That’s me,” she said before her thoughts sobered. It was a positive quality but the reasons she’d become so, those weren’t good at all.
* * *
Mike didn’t know another woman who could make him laugh—during sex or about this whole screwed-up situation with his father.
“Besides, didn’t we already undergo desensitization therapy?” Cara asked, wriggling her backside against his erection.
She turned to press a kiss against his solid chest. Her soft lips teased his skin, arousing him even more as she continued to explore. She ran her tongue over the flat peaks of his nipples until he let out a harsh groan, and then she nipped harder and he thought he’d come right then.
“Uh-uh.” Her pleasure mattered, not his. He dropped to his knees. He breathed out, teasing her with a rush of air. Her thighs trembled. He placed his lips on her sex, drawing the tight bud into his mouth and suckling hard.
She cried out and thrust her hips forward. Grasping her waist to steady her, he kept up the pressure, knowing exactly what she liked and needed most. He brought her up quickly but didn’t let her climax. Instead, he released her as soon as she was near, causing her to moan in frustration, to buck her hips and beg for more.
Mike merely chuckled and ran his tongue along her outer lips, teasing her some until she wrapped her fingers in his hair and pulled. “Please,” she begged.
He soothed her with a lick along her slit. Her knees buckled and he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed, where he laid her down on the thick bedding and eased his body down on top of her.
“Did you really think I’d let you come without me inside you?” He brushed his lips over hers.
She met his gaze, her eyes dilated with pleasure, hazy with desire. “I wasn’t thinking at all.”
He laughed and kissed her hard, thrusting his tongue inside her mouth while savoring the feel of her soft, satiny skin beneath him.