Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 141810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 709(@200wpm)___ 567(@250wpm)___ 473(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 709(@200wpm)___ 567(@250wpm)___ 473(@300wpm)
Sean fought back a sigh. Smiled up at the guy.
Max’s lips quirked. Sort of. “Welcome back.”
“Thanks.” Sean stepped inside, then followed him down the hall, eyes glued to Max’s ass the whole way.
“Wanna drink?”
“Nah, I’m good.”
Max peered over his shoulder. Roamed his eyes down Sean’s body. “I bet.”
Sean’s eyebrows lifted. Mr. Stoic was feeling brazen.
Max smirked and turned back.
Sean grinned.
He liked Max brazen. Liked Max brazen a lot. Maybe it’d be a new trend.
Max shoved open the door to his office-slash-studio. Butterflies sprang to life in Sean’s belly. It was time to strip down again. His heart rate quickened. Couldn’t wait to feel that green gaze all over him.
He walked inside and glanced around, his eyes ending up on Max’s sculpture. Of him. In their first session, Max had completed Sean’s form, then started the process of adding and removing clay. Today Sean assumed would be more fine tuning of smaller body parts and his face.
Max turned and looked at him. “Okay, so you’re ready? Don’t need anything before we begin?”
Sean shook his head. “Nope. I’m pretty low maintenance.”
“Hmm. What a shame.”
Wait. What a shame? Max liked high maintenance? Sean pulled his shirt up over his head. Toed his shoes off. Unbuttoned his fly. He could totally be high maintenance. If that’s what Max liked. High-maintenance Sean. That was him.
Max strode to his stereo system and kicked on some tunes. Nice and low volume like before. Sean stepped out of his jeans and tugged off his socks. Then he met Max over at the table. Max gestured to climb on, watching quietly as Sean got situated. Sean settled onto his heels, parted his knees, palmed his thighs. Then looked at Max expectantly.
But instead of instructing Sean to turn his head, Max stepped close and lifted his hands.
“Touch you?” he asked.
Sean smiled. “Please.”
Sue him. He was a flirt. He couldn’t help it.
Max’s eyes flashed heatedly, but he didn’t reply. Just touched his fingers to Sean’s jawline and nape. Gently he turned Sean’s head to the left, tilted it just how he wanted it. And then his hands were in Sean’s hair, combing through his locks, tunneling deeper. Sean struggled not to close his eyes. Or moan like an idiot.
But then Max stilled. “You smell like cigarettes again.”
Sean blinked back to cognizance. “Because I smoke.”
Max frowned. Sean could feel it. “You’re smarter than that.”
Sean grinned. “Your approach is improving.”
Max went silent, then pulled his hands free and chuckled.
Chuckled! Total score!
Sean’s insides went nuts. Because not only had he been able to make the guy laugh, but the sound of it was fucking incredible. All low and rumbly, and drenched in gold. Addicted. Sean was utterly addicted. Which was insane. Even to him. He’d only had one tiny hit.
Max took a step back. “Alright, funny guy. Got you just how I want you. Don’t move.”
Just how he wanted him? Sean dove from cloud nine straight into the gutter. Wow. He should probably get a grip.
Drawing in a lungful, he gave a tiny nod. “No problem. Not moving. Go have fun with your clay.”
A low, dry, “Mmhmm,” was Max’s only reply before he disappeared entirely from view. Sean couldn’t even see him in his peripheral vision. Guess he was sculpting in a different spot tonight. Sure enough, a second later, Sean heard Max moving his work table. His new location: behind Sean to his right.
Instinctively, Sean straightened his posture even more. Max liked that shit, and evidently Sean liked pleasing him. Although why, Sean wasn’t exactly sure. All he knew was that when Max was happy, by some crazy default, so was he. Which was really pretty odd. Sean never cared about bending backwards for others. Looked like Max was breaking all his molds.
For the next ten minutes, Max worked in silence while Sean tried to focus on the music. It wasn’t easy, though. Not because of the song or the volume, but because of Max’s studious gaze. Felt so damn good. Just as good as always. All heavy, and hot, and tantalizing. Which wasn’t to say Max was trying to be tantalizing. Because, honestly, he probably wasn’t. At least not at the moment. He just always had that effect on Sean, regardless of the situation.
A little while later, Max finally spoke up. “So, Sean. How come you don’t model full time?”
Sean perked up instantly, pulling out of his thoughts. “Full time?”
“Yeah. You know, instead of working at the coffee house. You’ve clearly got the looks and it probably pays better.”
It was a valid question, Sean just hadn’t seen it coming. He did, however, appreciate Max’s compliment. Or rather, his “observation.”
“Um. I dunno. Well, no, that’s not true. Probably because I like being behind the camera more than being in front of it.”
It took a few seconds for Max to respond. “Fair enough.”
Sean smiled. There’d been clear approval in Max’s tone. It made Sean feel amazing. Maybe if he kept conversation going, he’d get to hear some more.