Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 134(@200wpm)___ 107(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
"That's what I thought." She gathered several blankets and pillows, arranging them as close to the fireplace as safely possible before lying down with her back to me, clearly done with our conversation.
I'd gotten exactly what I'd aimed for, even though the victory felt hollow.
Even though I hated it.
I needed this distance. For the sake of my sanity.
And to keep my hands to myself.
Chapter 7
Nix
It was hot. Too hot. I removed one of the four blankets that covered my body and kicked off my thick wool socks, thinking maybe I overdid it with the layers. It was still too damn hot and I pushed back a little to put some distance between me and the fire, but my path backwards was halted by a hard, hot wall. Of man. This time I remembered exactly who it was and why he was here.
Lee Lancaster.
I opened my eyes and peeked over my shoulder, which was a mistake. The man really was too gorgeous to be believable. Even in sleep he was magnificent with a sharp jawline, prominent cheekbones and a sharp, straight nose that stood above two full lips. Shirtless, he was a breathtaking.
And cold. His teeth chattered which, annoyingly, made him seem less like the coldhearted billionaire I knew he was and more of the human I suspected he buried beneath many layers. Still, I couldn’t let the man freeze to death so I got up and added another log to the fire and when I returned to the makeshift bed on the floor, I shared my blankets with him.
Because I was a kind person who actually cared about other people, even when they didn’t deserve it. I wasn’t anything like him and I fell back to sleep confident in that much, at least.
When I woke up again the first thing I noticed was that I was still hot, burning up in fact. The next thing I noticed was the reason why. Lee was like a furnace and unlike when I went to sleep, his body was glued to mine and his arms were tight around me.
I should have pushed him away.
I should have made a noise to wake him up.
I did none of that. Instead I kept my breathing steady and enjoyed the feel of his strong arms around me, his short puffs of breath on the back of my neck. That one big hand spread across my belly. God, he smelled so good. His scent was earthy and expensive, intoxicating. There in the early morning—at least I thought it was early morning—hours I admitted to myself that I wanted Lee Lancaster. In the outside world we were enemies, on opposite sides of a battle, but here locked in from the storm that still raged, we were sort of friends. Reluctant roommates.
Still, his warmth, his hard muscles and his scent were too much and I slowly tried to extricate myself from his delicious hold. But those muscles weren’t just for show and his grip tightened around me, which made his thumb brush against the underside of my breasts.
I bit back a moan as pleasure pulsed through my veins and went stock still, determined to stop whatever it was that was happening. Nothing is happening. He’s asleep. I tried to move away again but he held me firmly in place which gave me a perfect feel of his morning—was it morning?—wood.
“You smell good,” he moaned in my ear and pushed his hips forward. He was long and hard, tempting beyond all reason.
“Yes.” The word came out on a low moan and Lee froze.
“Nix?”
My shoulders sagged. “Yeah, it’s me. Not whoever you were dreaming about.” Embarrassment rushed over me and all I wanted was to get away but Lee’s body was pressed so close that no air could pass between us.
“Wrong,” he whispered, lips so close they brushed against my ear. “The woman in my dreams looked just like you. Only she had on far less clothes and she didn’t hate me.”
I sucked in a breath at his surprising words. “I don’t hate you, just what you’re doing.”
“As long as it’s not personal,” he growled as his hands traveled in opposite directions from my belly, one slid up and cupped my breast while the other slid beneath my pajama bottoms where he found me hot and wet. “Fuck, you’re already so wet.” His fingers played me like a guitar, teasing me everywhere but where I needed him. “Tell me to stop, Nix.”
As if I could. “Don’t. Stop. Lee.”
He moaned again and slipped one finger inside me. “I like the sound of my name on your lips.” He groaned even louder when he added a second finger, we both moaned together. It was loud and erotic, especially with the fire the only thing illuminating the room.
I arched into his touch and speared my fingers through his thick hair, silently begging for a taste of his mouth. His kiss was hot and demanding. His tongue darted between my lips and he laid claim to every hot inch, kissing me with an intensity I’ve never experienced before. My nipples hardened painfully and he pinched them both, which surprisingly enhanced my arousal.