Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 133138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
She tilts her head, eyeing me warmly. “Some things are meant to be perfect, like that car of yours. A scratch on it would be enough to make most men cry. But people? I think they’re meant to be imperfect. It gives us character, keeps us from being robots.”
“Keeps us interesting,” I interject, smiling at her positive take on my deepest secret.
“Something like that.” She takes another sip of her wine and then sets it down on the coffee table. “Look, Simon . . .” Though she starts the sentence, she doesn’t seem sure of what she wants to say because she stops abruptly.
“Uh-oh. Is this the part where you tell me it’s been fun?” I tease, reasonably sure that’s not at all what’s on her mind.
“It has been, but it’s also . . . dangerous, in a way. With the competition, I was already worried, but with you on the judging panel now, the risks are exponentially higher. I want to do my best work and don’t want any whispers about insider secrets, feedback, or favoritism.”
She looks at me expectantly, and I mime locking my mouth and throwing away the key. But then I speak out of the side of my mouth. “I wouldn’t tell you what the judges said, anyway. You’d want to win fair and square.”
She suddenly sits up with her legs beneath her, her ass on her heels. “You think I have a shot at winning?”
I can’t help but laugh, especially when she throws her hands over my shoulders and shakes me wildly. Her smile is wide and full of hope. “Oh, my God, I might win this thing!”
“I didn’t say that. You did,” I warn lightly. When her eyes meet mine, I cup her jaw in my hands and press my lips to hers, wanting to taste her joy. It’s been so long since I’ve felt something that bright, and I want to experience it, if only secondhand.
Her lips are warm and soft, yielding beneath me. But as the kiss deepens, her hands go to my chest and she pushes me back onto the couch, following to lie over me. My hands trace down her sides to her ass, grabbing twin handfuls of the lushness beneath her shorts. She bucks her hips, her mound rubbing along the ridge of my cock.
“Merde,” I murmur against her mouth. I guide her hips so she does it again, delighting in her answering moan.
Instead of continuing, she stops, her hands on my chest becoming a push to add space between us and not a pull to get closer. “Simon . . . wait.”
I freeze, looking into her eyes and seeing worry. “Autumn?”
She licks her lips, “This can’t . . . it can’t be casual. I want you, but the competition . . .”
Her words trail off, but I understand. “This hasn’t been casual for me since the beginning. I’ve made that clear, Princesse. Even busting into my meeting in a crazy costume, I was intrigued by you. And ever since, I’ve only been more captivated.” I take a slow breath, willing my cock to hear me. “If you want to wait until after the competition, we can do that. I’m not going anywhere. We have forever. It doesn’t have to be tonight.”
Autumn blinks slowly, searching my face, but I’d bet she’s searching her heart as well. I want this, want her, but I won’t push her. I need her to choose me and choose when we go further. She’s in control, for now.
Slowly, she kisses me in answer. And we ignite.
Carefully, I get to my feet, helping Autumn up before picking her up in my arms. Her legs wrap tightly around my waist as I carry her to my bedroom. Laying her down on the edge of the bed, I take a moment to memorize the vision of her red hair and fair skin spread out luxuriously.
“Beautiful,” I whisper, and she smiles in response.
Standing between her spread legs, I lean over her, one hand by her head, and take her hand, guiding it down between us until she can feel my hard shaft behind my zipper. My eyes fall closed as she strokes me up and down.
“More,” she demands.
Reaching over my head, I pull my T-shirt off and drop it to the floor, and Autumn undoes my jeans. I drop them down my thighs, letting her look her fill as she grips me once more.
She giggles lightly.
I glare at her. “Pardon?”
Autumn’s eyes dance as she sits up from the bed, putting my cock close to her belly as she continues to stroke me. “I didn’t forget how big you are, but it just occurred to me that you’re walking around Paris with an Eiffel Tower attached to you.”
I want to stay offended, but being compared to one of the largest structures in the world does strange things to my male ego. “You want to take a trip to the top?” I tease.