Total pages in book: 166
Estimated words: 156145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 781(@200wpm)___ 625(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156145 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 781(@200wpm)___ 625(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
She answered, looking unsure. “I guess I can hang up now.”
“Yeah.” He set down the phone and shifted to get comfortable. She looked good. She sat on her couch in the middle of several stacks of files, one housing her cat, and wore a fitted tank top and sleep shorts. Her shirt was thin enough that he could see the faintest outline of her nipples through the white fabric, and her sleep shorts gapped around her upper thighs in a way that made his mouth water. “Hey.”
“Hey.” She spoke just as softly. “Nice shirt.”
“Thanks.” He pulled his tie loose and tossed it onto the bed. “Have to look the part, though this guy isn’t formal at all. He’s a big fan of flannel, hair gel and skinny jeans.”
She laughed softly. “Poor Gideon. You’d look downright fetching in flannel, but I like you without a beard. I’ll hold out judgment on the skinny jeans, though they present some interesting possibilities.”
His cock went rock-hard at the desire warming her expression, but he kept his tone light. “I’ll be sure to pick up something while I’m here.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.” But he wanted to show her that he valued her opinions. Gideon had never owned a piece of flannel clothing in his life, but if Lucy thought she’d like the look, he’d give it a shot. He noted the hesitance in her body language and refocused. “You always lounge in that sort of thing?” He waved to her clothing.
“This? Yes, I guess so.” She shrugged. “It’s comfortable.”
“It’s sexy as hell.” He set his computer on the desk and leaned forward. “Let those thin little straps slide off your shoulders. I want to see you.”
“Right now?” She looked around as if expecting him to jump out of a closet and tell her it was a joke. Lucy tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”
She might very well not be, but if she didn’t want to talk to him, then he’d keep them in the roles she’d set out for them. “Close your eyes.” He waited for her to obey. “How do you feel when you take everything you think you should be feeling out of the equation?”
“Warm. Turned on.” She hesitated. “A little intimidated. It’s different when you’re here with me, touching me. There’s no room for being self-conscious.”
“I’ve been thinking about you for five long-ass days and thinking about all the things I want to do to you when we’re alone again.”
“Things...” She licked her lips, one of her tells. Oh, yeah, she liked this when she stopped remembering the reasons she shouldn’t.
He kept going, pitching his voice low and intimate. “That lingerie shopping date we have? I’ve been thinking about sitting there and watching you come out of that room wearing one of those getups. Maybe you’ll tease me, make me wait for it.”
“Like this.” She used a single finger to inch first one strap off her shoulder and then the other. The upper curve of her breasts caught the fitted fabric and he had to bite back a curse.
“Exactly like that. You know how bad I want it—want you—but I think you’ve got a little sadist in you because you like pushing my buttons. Making me crazy.”
“I do.” Her lips quirked up in a smile. “You’re so controlled all the time. I like seeing what happens when the leash snaps.”
He liked that she liked it. Gideon spent most of his days aware of how he presented himself and how everything from his tone to his appearance to his walk could be interpreted by clients and prospectives alike. He never let himself relax, because even in a social setting, there was no telling who was around.
There wasn’t anyone around now—no one but him and Lucy.
“If I was there, I’d tug that top of yours a little lower. Yeah, like that.” He watched, mouth dry, as she inched it down, stopping just below her nipples and then baring her breasts completely. “Exactly like that.”
“This feels so dirty.” She opened her eyes and pressed her lips together. “Would you...?”
“Tell me what you want and it’s yours.” He craved her words as much as he craved her touch. One was out of the question for the next few days—the other she gave him after the briefest hesitation.
“Unbutton your shirt.” She leaned forward, the move making her breasts bounce a little. “I love your shoulders. Your suits have this way of masking how muscled they are, and seeing you shirtless makes me feel like it’s my birthday.”
He straightened so he could slip his shirt off and drop it on the floor. They stared at each other for a few seconds, Gideon drinking in the sight of her while she appeared to give him the same treatment. He spoke the second he saw doubt start creeping into her blue eyes. “Your breasts look like they ache. Palm them for me.”