Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 67614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
“I didn’t even notice the time,” she admits and takes a deep breath, pressing her hands into the small of her back and stretching. “The only break I took today was to make some bread.”
“You baked fresh bread?” I sniff the air and smile. “You did.”
“Do you know how many preservatives are in the bread you buy at the store? I’m not eating that. But a girl needs carbs.”
“A guy does, too.”
She grins. “Exactly.”
“You know what else you need?”
She bites her lip the way she does when she’s nervous, and my stomach clenches. “What?”
“A massage. Come on, that back of yours is in knots. I can see it from here. I have some arnica salve I got from Lucy’s shop—”
“Oh, I forgot to get some of that.”
“—and you’re going to lie down and let me rub it into those overworked muscles.”
“Does that mean I have to get naked?”
I stop and watch her, trying to gauge the correct answer.
“The arnica works better directly on the skin.”
“Right.” She worries that lip again and then nods before walking out of the room ahead of me. “Where are we doing this?”
“My bedroom is fine. The arnica is in there.”
“Right.”
She stands at the end of the bed like a woman going to the guillotine.
“Sweetheart, if you don’t want me to touch you like that, we can skip it. Instead, take a nice, hot bath to loosen up. That’ll work.”
“No.” She swallows hard and looks at the bed. “No, a massage sounds really nice. Arnica is just what I need.”
Rather than reach for the salve, I sit on the edge of the bed and wait for her to look me in the eye. When she does, I offer her a smile.
“Hi.”
“Hello,” she replies and licks her lips.
“Why are you so nervous about a back rub?”
She shrugs sharply. “I’m not.”
“Lie.”
Her eyes find mine again, and then she blows out a gusty sigh. “I don’t know why I’m nervous. Maybe because I haven’t taken my shirt off in front of a man in a really, really—” She scrunches up her nose, and I want to kiss it. “Wait. I’ve never done that.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I’ve never taken my shirt off in front of a man.”
Everything in me stills. She can’t be serious. She can’t be almost thirty and still a virgin.
“I’m not a virgin,” she hurries on as if she can read my mind. “But it wasn’t…you know. Fun.”
“That’s almost worse.” I drag my hand down my face in agitation. Not at her. No, she’s done nothing wrong. But the asshole—or assholes—who got to have sex with this woman and didn’t make it fun for her? They need a hexing spell, STAT. “Okay, so here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to leave the room so you can remove as much clothing as you feel comfortable taking off. I mean that. Then, you’re going to get under the covers of that bed, on your belly.”
She nods, glancing at the bed again.
“When I come back in, I’ll peel the covers down only as far as your lower back. I’ll rub your shoulders, neck, and back. Probably your arms. I won’t be able to see anything you don’t want me to.”
“I think that sounds like a good idea.”
I nod but reach for her and gently kiss her sweet lips when I stand. “You’re safe here, Breena.”
She offers me a small smile, then I leave the room and close the door behind me. While she undresses, I walk to the kitchen, warm up a rice bag in the microwave, wash my hands, and set a pot of water on to boil.
Finally, armed with a tray, I make my way back to the bedroom. I set the hot teapot and cups on the table by the bed and rest the rice bag over the covers, down Breena’s spine.
She lets out a long, happy sigh.
In the bathroom, I find the salve. When I return to the bedroom, I turn the lights low and move the rice bag to Breena’s low back so I can move the covers.
“This is nice,” she murmurs softly. “Don’t let me fall asleep. I don’t want to miss anything.”
“Okay.” I pull back the blankets and find that she has stripped down to her skin. She didn’t even leave her bra on.
My dick decides to sit up and take notice.
She has a lean back with two dimples down low, tempting me to find out what’s hiding farther down.
But a promise is a promise, so I rub some salve between my hands and get to work, starting with her shoulders and then moving my way down and across her shoulder blades, her rib cage, and to her low back before gliding my hands up either side of her spine back to her neck.
She moans softly, sending another zing of electricity through me.