Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 128380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Bailey was a bitch. Owned it. Was proud of it. Nurtured it, even. But she wasn’t cold-hearted. She didn’t want to leave him like this. There was really only one way she could help, though. And as an idea occurred to her, she thought she might just be able to give him that help.
Her self-respect reared up, reminding her that he’d never touch her under other circumstances; he might want her, but he didn’t approve of her. That knowledge wasn’t exactly uplifting, but neither were her failed attempts to quash her attraction to him. She’d tried so hard. Again and again. But it hadn’t worked.
Their little sexual encounter a few days ago had made things worse. For her, kisses had always been a mundane part of the foreplay “dance.” They were always the same, no matter her partner.
She’d never fell into a kiss. Never lost herself in one. Never had one that shot her arousal straight into the stratosphere like goddamn sex magic.
With Deke, it was different. There had not been one thing mundane about the kiss. It hadn’t felt like a mere means to an end. And it had been nothing like any kiss she’d had before.
She often tried telling herself that she was remembering it wrong; that it couldn’t have been that amazing. Not really. Surely.
But while she was talented at bullshitting others, she’d never been good at lying to herself. And now that she knew how hard he could make her come just from a hand job, she couldn’t help but wonder how much more intense it would be if they took things up a notch.
It was hard not to wonder when she was such a curious creature by nature. Her curiosity often got the better of her. “Not knowing” could drive her nuts, and then things would play on her mind until she found answers.
That’s all this is, she decided. All this would stop if I just satisfied my curiosity.
The infamous kiss would cease surging to the front of her mind. She would quit wondering just how hot they’d burn the sheets. She would be able to ignore the weird sexual energy that crackled between them—hell, a night with him might even extinguish it.
And it wasn’t like she hadn’t helped guys work off touch-hunger before. Not that it had been a charitable act on her part—nah, she loved how elemental sex could be when touch-hunger was in play. It wouldn’t be a selfless act now either. At the same time, though, she truly did want to help him.
Leaving him like this would be hard, because it wasn’t just any guy. It was Deke. Even her snake wouldn’t feel good about walking away when he was clearly in agony. His own inner animal, however, could be a real problem.
“Why doesn’t your cat want anyone getting too close these days?”
“He just doesn’t,” Deke evaded, backing away while swiping a hand down his face—pain was etched into every line.
Poor bastard. “But he didn’t interfere when you and me got handsy at my apartment.”
“Only because he was mad at you for dismissing me. He wanted to teach you a lesson.”
Ah. She hummed, thoughtful. “I have an idea.”
“I’m literally afraid to ask what it is,” he said, his voice dry.
“If I made your cat mad again, made him want to repeat that lesson he pushed you to teach me … he might let you fuck me, mightn’t he?”
Deke stiffened from head to toe. “What?”
“It wouldn’t be a pity fuck. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for helping you. But that’s mostly for selfish reasons—guys wound tight with touch-hunger fuck like masters.”
His brow creased. “You don’t even like me.”
“You don’t like me. Didn’t stop you from giving me an orgasm once before.”
The tips of his fingers twitched. “You couldn’t make my cat angry enough to be interested in fucking. Nobody could.”
That wasn’t a no to sex, she noted. “You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Oh, how he underestimated her. “All right, if you say so. Personally, though … I think you’re just worried that you’re not dominant enough to handle me.” She folded her arms and walked further into his apartment. “I guess it’s a fair concern. I mean, I’m not convinced you can either.”
A growl grated the back of his throat.
She pivoted to face him again. “And I’m not easy to please in bed. A guy has to know what he’s doing. It would be fair to say you’re out of practice, wouldn’t it?”
His eyes turned cat once more, and the animal glared at her.
She arched a brow at the feline. “Still intent on having ‘nobody can touch me’ tantrums like a little bitch?”
Again, there was a guttural growl.
“You don’t expect me to be afraid of an itty, bitty cat, do you? Come on.”
A hiss sounded this time.
She looked at her nails. “Well, if you’re really not up for getting down and dirty, I guess I could go see Cash. Or maybe even Shay.”