Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 91507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“I know.”
She squeezed his hand. “The world is going to judge you no matter what you do, so you might as well be happy.”
He smiled at the reminder of the motto they’d lived by from the moment he’d come out to her in tears, ridiculously worried that she’d reject him even though he’d known deep down it would never happen.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“Me too, honey.”
Ten minutes later, damp from the shower and exhausted, he tumbled into bed.
The ding of an incoming text made him grumble but as addicted to his phone as he was, he reached out blindly and peered at the screen.
See you tomorrow.
A threat. And a promise.
Hop spent the rest of the night counting down the hours until he’d see Rafe again.
Chapter Twenty
New York was hit with a blizzard that night. By the time Hop left for work, there were six inches of snow on the sidewalk. He huddled under the green awning glaring at the fluffy flakes of misery. It was coming down so thick he’d be a snowman before he reached the shop. A horn drew his attention to the silver car parked along the road.
The passenger window rolled down. Rafe sat behind the wheel, all pressed cotton and shine, not a hair out of place and looking like he’d gotten the best night’s sleep of his life. Hop bit down on a surge of resentment.
“Get in.”
Hop fought the urge to comply. “I’m going to work.”
“I know. I’ll give you a lift.”
“That’s okay.”
“Get in the car, Hop. I’ve got coffee.” He held up a large cardboard to-go cup.
Damn it. He told himself it was the bribe that won him over, but he knew it’d mostly been the need to give in to Rafe. He slid into the warm car. Okay, maybe it had been the promise of not freezing to death on his way to work. The excuse made him feel better, less like a needy freak.
“Mocha with an extra shot or vanilla caffe latte?” Rafe asked, holding up both offerings.
“Vanilla.”
Rafe pressed the cup into his gloved hands. “Hmm, interesting.”
“What is?” Hop sipped.
Rafe shook his head, started the car, and pulled out into the slow-moving traffic. “How’d you sleep?” There was a hint of wicked amusement in his voice.
Hop glanced out the window. “Fine.”
This, of course, was a total lie. He hadn’t slept at all. How could he? As exhausted as he’d been, his stupid traitorous cock hadn’t let him relax. He’d gotten hard in the shower remembering the taste of Rafe, so damn tempted to jerk off but simply unable to do so because he’d been told not to.
How fucked up was that?
He’d left the office in a huff and still he’d been helpless to disobey Rafe. It didn’t matter what his mind said, his body didn’t speak in logical terms. To it, he belonged to Rafe now.
Then he’d gotten that text. Three simple words, yet they’d held so much power over him.
“I dreamed about fucking you.”
Hop had been taking another sip of his coffee and nearly choked.
“Sorry, you okay?” Rafe flicked his gaze to Hop.
He was still coughing so he just glared.
“They were really great dreams though.” Those dark eyes heated as Rafe’s tongue swept along his bottom lip.
Suddenly, it was too hot in the damn car. Hop placed his coffee in the cup holder and tugged off his gloves. It didn’t help so he continued with his hat and scarf. He would not think about Rafe’s dreams. He would not wonder about them. He would not.
Yeah right.
All he could see now were their naked bodies coming together again and again, sweaty and sticky and glowing, which was exactly what Rafe had intended, no doubt. He needed to get the upper hand or else he might spontaneously combust.
“Couldn’t have been that great if you were still able to walk this morning.”
Rafe’s smile was greedy. “You saying you’d be better than my fantasies?”
“Look at me, there’s no way your teeny imagination could live up to all this fabulousness.” Hop gestured to himself then flicked his hair over his shoulder.
Rafe laughed. Once again, it rolled through Hop like thunder and lightning, sparking every nerve and making him quake. Fucking hell. He darted his gaze out the window before Rafe realized how turned on he’d gotten just because he’d fucking laughed.
“I can’t wait to find out.”
“Don’t go holding your breath.”
“Hop.” So much admonishment in a single syllable.
Hop tucked his hands under his legs and stayed silent.
“Are you still denying our chemistry?”
He couldn’t bring himself to answer so he squeezed his eyes closed and willed the car to move faster.
“You can’t convince me you didn’t enjoy it. You are not that good an actor.” Despite his words, Rafe sounded insecure.
Hop bit his cheek, then whispered, “It’s not that.”
“Then what? And don’t lie to me.”
Don’t lie to him. Even without the command, Hop didn’t want to lie. Lies had never brought him anything but pain and he was through with them, but the full truth left him too vulnerable. It gave Rafe power to hurt him.