Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 74730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74730 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
“Sounds stupid when I say it aloud.” Denver made a pained face.
“Very stupid.” I dried off with fast, jerky motions. “You think I’m only keeping you around for your dick and the prospect of getting fucked?”
Denver shrugged as he wrapped a towel around his waist.
My eyes were so wide they hurt, and I was torn between laughing, snorting, or sighing. In the end, I settled for grabbing his arm.
“We’re going to fuck. Right the hell now.” I steered him out of the bathroom. “And then I’m going to prove to you that I want you for so much more. I’m not sure what part of ‘I want to date’ you’re not understanding.”
“The part where it inevitably crumbles.” Breaking away from me, Denver yanked lube and condoms from the drawer in his bedside table. My jaw tightened. He sounded so damn resigned that fucking no longer seemed like the right course of action.
“It doesn’t have to fall apart.” I touched his upper arm. “And we don’t have to fuck right now.”
“But you said—”
“I don’t want to fuck as a result of you caving to some high-pressure ultimatum. I want you to want it too.” He opened his mouth to reply, but I held up a hand. “And contrary to whatever you’ve been thinking, I don’t want to get fucked simply to be able to say I tried it. I want it with you.”
“Oh.” Denver exhaled so hard his stomach muscles all drew in and his towel slipped. “That’s a lot of—”
“Responsibility,” I finished for him on a groan. “I know. Try not to break my heart.”
“I can’t promise that.” He squished his eyes shut. I marveled at how he could doubt himself so much when I had a mountain of evidence along with my gut that said he was among the most trustworthy people I’d ever known. And the fact that he worried so much about hurting me was more evidence that he cared despite his best efforts not to.
“No one can.” I opted for a pragmatic tone rather than continuing to argue. I stretched out on the far side of his bed, patting the mattress next to me. “How about you lie here and try not to think?”
“I thought we were fucking.” His eyes narrowed like I was trying to sneak a cuddly nap past him. Which I totally was, so I simply smiled.
“Later.” I smoothed the wrinkles from his gray sheet. “You worked last night and went straight to the pancake breakfast. You’re exhausted, and this conversation isn’t helping.”
“But you want—”
“To lie here with you.” It was my turn for a stern voice. “Obligatory fucking hardly sounds sexy. And we undoubtedly need more talking, but my brain hurts. You’re tired. Let’s take a breather.”
“I suppose a little sleep won’t hurt.” He joined me on the bed, arranging both of us until he was curled around my back and my head rested on his lower arm as the upper one held me tightly against him. I wasn’t planning on falling asleep with him, but I stayed quiet, listening to his breathing soften and deepen. My own breathing started to mimic his, an involuntary synchronization. I yawned.
No way was I tired enough to doze, except the next thing I knew, the afternoon sun was peeking through the blinds and Denver was dropping kisses all along my spine.
“How are you more awake than me?”
He chuckled and rubbed his erection meaningfully against my side. “I woke up hard with a warm you attached to me like a barnacle. Yeah, I’m awake.”
He danced his fingers along the crease of my ass. I moaned and pushed more toward him even as I groaned.
“You can’t fuck your way out of needing to talk.”
“I can try.” His laugh was so warm that I could practically see his grin without being able to glimpse his face. No way did I want to waste his good mood.
“I’m gonna let you, but I’m gonna keep you around after.” I chuckled, but my threat was real. I wasn’t letting Denver go.
He squeezed my ass cheek. “You don’t have to prove a point.”
“Neither do you.” I rolled so I could stare him down.
“How about a ceasefire?” He dropped a kiss on the side of my neck as he gentled his groping of my ass, making me groan low. “I’d rather make you yell in a good way.”
I dropped my head back to the pillow. “Consider me waving the white flag.”
Yeah, we did need more talking, but his touch simply felt too good. Each kiss and caress had me caring less about conversation and more about coming. Later. Later, I would make him see that I wanted everything, but at the moment, I simply wanted him. His kisses turned more purposeful as he licked his way from the small of my back to my ass. I knew exactly where he was headed, and I was shamelessly moaning even before he reached my rim.