Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 87629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
“Would you like to go back to the club, Mandy?”
She blushes. Oh my God, the tops of her breasts, very visible in the corset, are the same beautiful pink as her cheeks.
I never got to play with those breasts, never got to suck on those beautiful little nipples.
My groin tightens unbearably.
“I would, actually.”
Fuck. Not the answer I wanted but the one I expected. I have to go all in now.
“Fine. Let’s eat our sushi. Then we’ll go back.” We sure will, and I’ll make sure, this time, that she never wants to return.
And we’ll work whatever this is between us out of our systems once and for all. Surely that’s possible. I don’t question if it’s really what I want. It is.
“You’re not exactly dressed for it,” she says.
“No, but you are. There’s no required dress code at the club. Surely you figured that out after your time there.”
“I did, and I felt very free. You can walk in wearing normal clothes, or you can walk around naked. Or you can wear a corset. Or leather. Or pasties and a thong.”
Her blush is driving me senseless.
Mandy in pasties and a thong.
I’ve got to get a grip.
The waiter brings the miso soup I ordered. Mandy gets nothing, so apparently she didn’t order soup. At least I know that now.
I inhale the savory broth, dip my ceramic spoon in, and bring it to my lips. I blow on it, all the while watching Mandy.
She’s still blushing.
I bring the spoon to my mouth and—
Crap. Hot. Now I burned my tongue.
“You okay?” she asks.
“No, I’m not okay, Mandy. The soup is hot.”
“I saw you blow on it.”
“Apparently I didn’t blow on it long enough.”
Of course I didn’t. I was too busy watching Mandy. Looking at that beautiful blush on her cheeks, her boobs pushing up from the stays in the corset.
“Get an ice cube from Haru.”
“It’s fine.” I stir the soup, dropping my gaze.
“So now you’re going to get all pissy,” she says. “Pretty soon, you’re going to think of some excuse not to take me back to the club.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Amanda
He doesn’t respond.
Yep. I called it.
Until—
“No, Mandy. I’ll take you. I’m nothing if not a man of my word.”
When Haru brings our sushi, Jackson stares at mine.
“What is that thing?” He points to one of my pieces.
“Sea urchin.”
He wrinkles his forehead. “Sea urchin? Seriously?”
“Yeah. I’ve never had it before.”
“I haven’t, either.”
“Do you want to try it?”
He smiles. “Not even a little bit. But you try it. Tell me how it is.”
Damn him. But hey, I’m trying new things, right? I’m done taking the safe route. I’m stepping out of my comfort zone. I’m drinking a vodka martini that doesn’t taste much better than those Sapphire martinis Frankie loves. I’m wearing a corset, thinking about taking a BDSM class.
Scratch that. I am taking a BDSM class.
Tonight? Jackson is going to take me back to the club. He said so himself, and I’m not going to let him weasel out of it.
I bring the piece of sea urchin to my mouth and take a bite. The rest of it falls into a heap of seafood and rice on my plate.
Okay, not too awkward…
It tastes…like the ocean. Kind of briny, a little salty. Maybe even a touch of sweetness. Maybe a little metallic?”
“You like it, then?”
Do I? It’s different, for sure. Creamy on my tongue. Creamier even than raw salmon, which is my favorite after unagi.
I look down at the mess on my plate. “I’m not sure how to eat the rest of this. My chopsticks certainly won’t work.”
Jackson laughs.
“What’s so funny? You’ve never dropped a piece of sushi before?”
“Oh, it’s not that.”
“What is it, then?”
“You just ate gonads, Mandy. Sea urchin sex organs.”
I drop my jaw but then shut my mouth quickly, trying to ignore the gag reflex at the back of my throat. So I just ate sea urchin ovaries. Or testicles. Or both. “Oh?”
“That’s right. The only edible part of the sea urchin is its gonads.”
I refuse to let him get to me. “Well, it was good. I might even order another.”
He guffaws. “Be my guest.”
“If I’m still hungry after I finish everything else, I’m absolutely going to order another.”
“Please.”
“Have you ever even tried it?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
He laughs. “Because I found out it’s gonads.”
“How can you be so close-minded, Jackson? I’ve seen you eat sweetbreads. I’ve seen you eat chicken livers.”
“But you haven’t seen me eat Rocky Mountain oysters.”
“Can you even get them here in New York?”
“If you look hard enough. I don’t have any desire for bull testicles.”
He’s being an ass again. What is wrong with him? Just for this, I’m going to finish the sea urchin. Yes, I’m going to eat sex organs. I gesture to Haru, who’s walking back from another table.
“Yes?” he says.
“I’ve had a little faux pas with my sea urchin. Could I please have a fork so I can finish it?”