Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 105161 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105161 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
After I’d returned to the bed and slid my arm back underneath his body, one of his hands had found its way onto my skin and moved south to rest on my inner thigh. I’d almost swallowed my tongue. I shifted a little to press my hard-on against his hand instead. Fuck I wanted him to touch me.
We’d both slept in underwear and T-shirts which, for me, meant an undershirt and boxer briefs, but for him meant a tight designer tee and a tiny pair of black briefs that made me want to strip them off with my teeth.
It had been too dark to see much of them the night before, but when I’d returned from the morning bathroom visit, I’d made sure to take a very good look under the sheets.
The man was just as gorgeous as I’d remembered. Creamy skin and slim, shapely muscles. Tiny spatters of freckles in places that begged attention from my tongue. Dark auburn eyelashes, thick and shiny just like his hair. Every single thing about him made me insane with desire.
I turned and wrapped my other arm around him, pulling us closer together face-to-face. He arched his own morning wood into my belly.
“Wake up and play with me,” I whispered into his ear.
Charlie’s eyes opened in surprise. He looked noticeably awake for having been dead asleep a moment before, the little faker.
“But,” he said in a hoarse morning voice, “you didn’t want…”
“I was an idiot, and I owe you an apology,” I admitted. “I shouldn’t have acted like a possessive boyfriend when I have no claim on you.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” he agreed. His neck began to turn pink. “But I have to admit I kind of loved it. I only wish it had been real. And you were right to get me out of there when I was too drunk to make good decisions. That was my own stupidity. You did what any good friend would have done.”
There were sleep creases on his cheek and little lines of worry across his forehead. I reached a thumb out to smooth them over.
“I’d like it to be real…” I pulled back enough to look him in the eyes. “At least… as real as it can be considering our temporary circumstances.”
“What exactly are you saying here?” he asked. “Because I’ve got to point out you’re a bit up and down about this.”
“I know. And that’s not fair to you. But I really want you, Charlie. I want to… be with you. Like this. I mean, in bed.”
Could I sound more idiotic?
I groaned and rolled onto my back. Charlie grinned and rested his chin on his hands over my chest. “That was clear as mud. Try again.”
I let out a soft growl of frustration. “You’re going to make me spell this out?”
He nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah. That. What you said. Go on.”
“Fuck. I want to touch you. To kiss you… I want to sleep naked with you and suck you off and explore your body and make you smile and hear your laugh and—”
“And not fight?” he interjected.
“And not fight.”
“And what about your family? Are you going to be out to them about this?”
I froze. It was a fair question.
“There will be so many questions. So much teasing.” I groaned. “Is it a deal breaker?”
Charlie seemed to consider it. “No. Not really. I mean, I’m not staying in Texas forever, so it’s not like we’re going to be dating.”
Something about the way he said that rubbed me the wrong way. I pressed the center of my chest with my thumb where the tightness was.
He continued. “But I think if your family found out you were questioning things or trying stuff on, they’d support you. You have an amazing family, Hudson.”
I nodded. “I know. I’m lucky.”
“Damned right you’re lucky. You’re the only person I know who’s actually come to Ireland and found a four-leaf clover,” he said with a smirk.
I snorted. “Shut up. I was tongue-tied around you that night. I couldn’t help it.”
“I liked it,” he said. “It was cute as hell.”
I thought of something. “If we… if we spend personal time together, we can’t let Bruce Ames find out about us.”
Charlie’s smile faded. “Yeah, okay.”
I could tell I’d hurt his feelings and soured the mood. “No, it’s not… fuck. It’s my job, Charlie. I’m getting a big promotion, and if he finds out I’m sleeping with a coworker, he’ll lose respect for me. It’s one of the reasons I tried to stay away from you. It’s inappropriate and unprofessional. And… and there’s more going on there than you know. I just… need to keep things on the up-and-up.”
His eyes narrowed and he pulled away from me to sit up. Before he could build up a solid head of steam, I reached out and cupped his cheek. “Stop. Please don’t get mad at me. I’ve worked a long time for this promotion, and I don’t want to do anything to fuck it up. I swear this has nothing to do with me not wanting people to know about you. It’s one thing for my family to find out. It’s another for my boss to find out. Plus, what if he yanked me off the project? Then I’d have to go back to Dallas sooner rather than later.”