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)
I grab the corset and pull it around me, holding it in place by squeezing my arms, and then I inch my way to the kitchen and grab a chef’s knife.
The door opens and—
“Jack!”
I should have known it was Jack, of course. Anyone else and Roger would be shrieking.
“I’m sorry.” His gaze drops to my chest, barely covered by the corset I’m holding. “I smell chamomile.”
“Yeah. I’m having some tea.”
“Drop the corset, Mandy.”
“Jack, we’re not at the club. We’re—”
“I said, drop the corset.”
Without thinking, I obey, and the lacy garment lands on my rug with a soft plop. I’m standing topless, a chef’s knife in one hand, a cup of chamomile tea in the other.
“Put down the knife, Mandy.”
I obey again, setting it on the countertop. “I thought you were—”
“I know. I’m sorry I scared you.”
“Why didn’t you knock?”
“I thought you’d be in the shower or in bed.”
“Oh.”
It’s a reasonable explanation. He has a key for a reason. Same reason I have a key to his place.
And all the times I’ve been to his place, all the times I’ve gone over uninvited whether he was home or not, I never saw one piece of evidence of this lifestyle he enjoys.
He must only do it at the club.
I guess he doesn’t have one of those at-home dungeons like Christian Grey or Jonah Steel—two fictional Dominants.
He moves forward, cups my breasts as a soft groan vibrates from his throat.
“God…these tits.” He bends down then, takes a nipple between his teeth.
And I let out a shriek.
His lips are soft, soft but firm as he tugs on my nipple, and he slides his fingers over the other one.
Is this why he’s here? More sex?
He certainly didn’t come back for chamomile tea. Jack hates herbal tea.
He came back for me.
Maybe not specifically to suck my nipples—though I’m not complaining—but he came back for me.
“Jack, I—”
My phone buzzes.
“Ignore it,” he mumbles against my flesh.
“I can’t. It’s after midnight. If someone is calling, it must be important.”
He nods. Lets go of my breasts.
I grab the phone. It’s my future brother-in-law, Penn. “Penn, what’s up?”
“Mandy, thank God you picked up. I can’t get ahold of your parents. It’s Frankie. We were in an accident.”
My heart drops as my nerves make me nauseated. “Is she okay?”
“Yeah, we’re at the ER at Mount Sinai. She cut her forehead pretty bad. She’s lucid, but they’re doing a CT to make sure everything’s okay.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“You don’t have to come. I’ve got it.”
“Are you kidding? She’s my only sister. I’ll be there.” I end the call.
“What is it, Mandy?” Jackson asks.
“Frankie’s been in an accident. She’s okay, or at least Penn thinks so. But they’re doing a CT on her head.”
He grabs my purse and shoves my phone into it. “Go put on something other than a corset. I’ll come with you.”
And in that moment? I fall in love with him even more.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Jackson
Mandy and I leave the hospital at six a.m. Frankie’s CT didn’t show anything of concern, so they stitched up her head and they’re keeping her a few hours for observation.
“Feel like some breakfast?” I ask Mandy.
“God, no. I just want sleep. Just take me home, please, Jack.”
“Of course.”
We don’t talk during the drive, as we’re both exhausted. When I drop her off, I do her the favor of taking Roger down for a quick walk around the block to do his thing. When I return, Mandy is already in her pajamas. I give her a quick kiss on the cheek and leave.
We don’t make any plans to see each other again at the club or anywhere else. In fact, she seems…distant.
This is what I was afraid of.
Things are going to be weird between us now. I don’t want to lose my best friend.
It’s Sunday, so I head back to my own place, forgo the coffee, make some scrambled eggs, gobble them down, and then head to my bedroom.
I shower, put on a pair of boxer briefs, and flop on my bed.
Mandy had the right idea. We’ve been up all night and we need sleep.
…
I wake with a jerk.
My alarm is going off. It’s four thirty…on Monday morning.
Oh my God. I did not just sleep for almost twenty-four hours.
Except that I did. What the hell is wrong with me? Sure, I was up for twenty-four hours. And I didn’t get shit for sleep the night before because I was at Mandy’s and left in the middle of the night.
Still…this is not like me.
What the hell is this woman doing to me?
I’m not myself.
Which means…this thing with Mandy is affecting me in ways it shouldn’t. I’ve been slightly off my game at work and then what happened with Blossom.
But if I end it with Mandy, she’ll say she’s going to find someone else to teach her. And that will kill me. A slow, painful death by a thousand paper cuts.