Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 93713 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93713 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 469(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
“Little looser,” I panted. “Let me fuck your fist.”
“Yes.” He bucked against me. “Fuck me. Fuck me.”
His back arched, practically levitating as he came in thick, creamy ropes all over my hands. Fuck. It was warmer than I’d expected. Slippery. Sexy. So sexy. My hips snapped, fucking into his tight grasp even faster as I came too, shooting onto my T-shirt.
Coming always felt good, but this time it felt tender, almost painful like I’d uncovered some soft spot in my heart prone to bruising. But leaning into the experience also felt strangely good, everything more electric than usual, tinged with a new layer of sensation. Scary-good, Avery had called it. That’s exactly what this was. Terrifying but amazing.
My shirt was already toast, so I used it to clean both of us up, dabbing at his hands and thighs. I kissed him gently on the side of his head as he snuggled against me.
“Sleepy now?” I asked, only to be greeted by a soft snore.
“Well, okay then. Stay awhile?” Chuckling quietly, I kissed his forehead and held him closer, adjusting us both into more comfortable sleeping positions. My sleeping meds were fast kicking in with a vengeance, but I managed to mumble, “Remember, you promised no regrets.”
Chapter Eleven
Avery
I was such a mess that not even morning caffeine could cure me. It was rare that I allowed myself a soda before food, but dire circumstances had me chugging a cola while waiting in line for bagels and pastries at the old diner, which had a breakfast buffet set up on the counter. Malik, who took his coffee black and sweet, was in his usual good mood, which, if anything, made mine worse. Also, why the heck did I already know how Malik took his coffee? Just one of a thousand little details about the guy I hadn’t even realized I was collecting.
Exactly like how I hadn’t realized I was…what precisely? Not straight, that was for damn sure. And I wasn’t sure why I was hung up on labels. Malik wasn’t. But I couldn’t shake this feeling that some essential truth was hovering, waiting for me to be brave enough to look at it head-on.
“Do you know everything about yourself?” I asked Malik as we collected our food. We were supposed to meet Keely, but I hadn’t spotted her yet.
“Of course not.” Frowning, Malik placed a yogurt cup next to my collection of pastries. “Here. Protein. We don’t need you sugar-crashing when we’re not even sure what the day’s assignment is.”
“Thanks.” I liked when he looked out for me like that, so I swapped one of the wrapped pastries for a bagel, simply to earn his approving nod. “So it doesn’t bug you when you learn something new about yourself?”
“Like how I suddenly started liking green tea in my twenties? Or how I discovered my body hates it when I overload it with simple carbs? Or are we talking deeper facts?” Finished collecting his food, he stopped at a vacant booth and motioned for me to sit. “You think there’s some magic age when you should have your shit figured out?”
“That.” I sighed because he was so much better than me at saying precisely what I was thinking. “Feels like if there was something…big to know, I should know it already. Not that it matters if—”
“Morning, boys!” Keely chirped as she slid in next to me, coffee in hand. “We’ve got our work cut out for us today.”
“Good. We’re ready to work.” Malik shot me a side look like we’d talk later, but I was already regretting my verbal spew. Talking more was probably a bad idea.
“We’ll quickly go over the security plan this morning, and then I have a fun job for you.” Keely leaned forward, all bright-eyed over her steaming mug.
“Oh?” I didn’t have to work to sound interested. Anything to distract me from thinking about how amazing last night had been. All the danishes in the world couldn’t erase the taste of Malik from my memories.
“I need you to pick up one of the stars from the Denver airport after you both meet with the temp agency supplying the local security people.”
“Back to Denver?” Oops. I’d resolved to have a better attitude today, and three minutes in, I was already failing.
“Yeah, I know you just got here yesterday.” Keely made an exaggeratedly apologetic face. “But that’s why I’m sending both of you. You can split the driving if you want, and this way, you both meet the temp workers.”
“Makes sense.” I nodded, trying my hardest to look more cooperative. Nothing else in my life made sense, but here I could at least see Keely’s logic.
Of course, that didn’t make me feel any better when I found myself alone in the car with Malik a couple of hours later. And predictably, we weren’t even clear of the town before he returned to the subject I’d been hoping he’d forgotten.