Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90642 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“Elena,” he says, cutting in when I’m finally forced to take a breath. “I love your place.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Really? You do?”
“I do,” he says, taking the blanket from me and putting it back where it was. “It’s very… feminine. But it’s very you.”
“And you like that?”
He nods slowly. “I like that.”
I take a deep breath and put my hands on my hips. “Well then. We don’t have anything to worry about, right?”
He laughs and makes me take him up to the bedroom. It’s weird watching Brody move through my space, looking at my books, glancing into my overstuffed closet, putting his things in the bathroom. This house has been mine since I turned eighteen, and ever since then it’s been my private little world tucked inside the comfort of the oasis. Even though I’ve had people over here, I’ve never had someone live with me before.
“I got you something,” he says and unzips one of the smaller pockets on his luggage. “Just a little housewarming gift.”
“Housewarming?”
“Since we both live here now.” He smirks at me and pulls out a little ceramic duck. It’s the same one from his kitchen, the little trinket I made fun of. I put it right on my nightstand.
“I’ll name him Earl.”
“That’s a good name for a duck.”
“Right? I don’t know why, but it just feels good.” When I try to walk past him, he grabs my wrist and pulls me down into his lap. I let out a surprised yelp, but he holds me there and stares into my eyes, and I get that sudden and intense yearning in my guts as his mouth is close to mine and his sweet-smelling breath makes my tongue rub against my lower lip.
“You don’t have to worry about making me feel comfortable,” he says and one of his hands moves around to cup my ass.
My eyebrows raise. “Seems like you’re doing a good job of that yourself.”
“Exactly. I’ll manage without you fussing.”
“You know me though, I like to fuss.” And I smile a little because that’s true, he does know me now. We were strangers for a while but after the last few days, I feel like I’m finally starting to get comfortable with him.
It helps that kissing him is like heaven, and he’s really good at going down on me.
“This isn’t some test you have to pass. I know you want to live in the oasis, and you understand that there are pressures keeping me away. We’ll figure out some compromise if that’s what you want, or we’ll do something else. Either way, it’ll be fine.”
His palm brushes across my cheek. I lean into it, my heart pattering quickly in my chest. “Why are you so reasonable?” I ask. “That’s just about the most level-headed thing I’ve ever heard.”
“My father taught me to keep my emotions in check.”
I shift my weight and feel him stiffening beneath me. My god, this guy is always freaking horny, though I can’t really complain or judge since I’m pretty sure I’m dripping right about now.
“It sounds like your family was close with him.”
“Very close. He was a good man.” His lips brush my neck. “I’ve always wanted to be like my father, and now that I’m sitting in his chair and filling in his shoes, I wonder if I had enough time to learn all of his lessons.”
“I’m sure you did.” I let out an involuntary whimper when his mouth kisses the corner of my jaw. “I mean, you seem like you have it together.”
“Because I have to. My father always taught me to never let my emotions make decisions for me. That’s how a person gets in trouble, when their emotions do all the work.”
“You can be a little emotional,” I whisper, running my hands through his thick, dark hair. “Sometimes, right? With some things?”
“I don’t know.” He pulls back, staring at me with the most conflicted gaze I’ve ever seen. “He always said that the leader of our family gives all of himself to the organization. I saw that in him every day. He woke early and stayed up late, and the welfare of his people was always on his mind. He cared, and he showed it by not caring too much.”
I’m breathing fast now. His hands move up my back, sending tingles along my spine.
“Sometimes you’re just a man,” I say and kiss his neck. He lets out a soft groan. “And that’s okay. You don’t have to be a leader every second of your life. Sometimes, you can let someone else take charge.”
I kiss him up and up, toward his chin, up to his mouth, and I bury his lips with mine. I grind against him and feel his cock stiffen even more until it’s like he might rip through his pants and slide deep inside of me. I moan into his mouth, letting his taste flood me, letting the feeling of his hands all over my body drive me wild.