Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
A delightful little flush rushed over her cheeks. “Who said that I was the one restrained?”
My lips parted, shock barreling through me at her sassy little remark. The idea of her being the one to tie me up completely unraveled me, almost so much that I damn near missed the next question.
“Never have I ever had sex in the office,” Asher said, immediately raising his drink to his lips. Weston, Ethan, Brynn, and Daisy followed suit, leaving Alex, Aspen, myself, Gareth, and Serenity to not drink.
“Never have I ever come within five minutes,” Weston said.
Not one of my male friends drank, and where I expected all the women in the room to drink, only Alex, Brynn, and Daisy did.
Serenity didn't.
Aspen didn't.
“Oops,” Weston said, his eyes widening as he noted Aspen’s lack of drinking before he gave me a squeamish look.
The same look that Asher, Gareth, and Ethan were now giving me.
And I understood why they were looking at me with such confused disappointment. Aspen and I had been together for a month now, which meant I was doing something horribly wrong in the bedroom if I'd never made her come in less than five minutes.
I quickly set down my drink and stood up, turning toward Aspen with a hand outstretched. “If you'll excuse us,” I said the second she took my hand, a look of confusion on her face as I tugged her out of the living room, up the stairs, and down the hallway to our shared room.
I quickly shut the door behind us and had barely turned around to face Aspen before she was apologizing.
“I'm so sorry, Crossland,” she said urgently. “This is my second drink. I’m a little buzzed, and I wasn't thinking.” She cringed a little, shaking her head. “I didn't think about how my answer would make you look—”
“Aspen,” I said her name softly, cutting her off as I crossed the distance between us to look down at her. “I didn’t bring you up here to reprimand you.”
Her shoulders dropped slightly, and it killed me to see how tense she was.
“Did you really think that’s why I brought you up here?” I asked, baffled at her reaction. Fuck, had I been treating her so badly that she thought one assumed misstep would send me into lecture mode?
“I…” She blew out a breath. “I don’t know. I just figured I’d embarrassed you and in my world that usually means trouble.”
I tipped her chin up, so she’d meet my eyes. “Not in my world.”
Her bottom lip trembled slightly, and I grazed my thumb over it.
“Then why did you bring me up here?” she asked, her voice a whisper between us.
Why had I?
Fuck, the truth wouldn’t be an answer she’d want to hear.
“Crossland,” she urged, leaning closer to me like she just couldn’t help it.
“Partly because I wanted to make sure you weren’t about to get grilled about that answer by everyone, in case you were uncomfortable—”
“I wasn’t,” she assured me. “I love your friends. And I’d never be embarrassed about my answers. They’re my experiences. I own them.” She shrugged.
I tilted my head. “You’ve really never…”
“Gotten off in five minutes?” She filled in when I couldn’t. “No, I really haven’t.”
“Fucking hell, Aspen,” I said, my muscles clenching with need. “You’re missing out. An experienced partner would’ve—”
“That’s not fair,” she said. “I’ve been with plenty of—”
“Inexperienced partners,” I cut her off, no room for argument in my tone. “Any partner who doesn’t take care of you first is nothing less.”
Fire churned in her eyes. “Maybe it’s me,” she said. “Maybe I take longer than other people. That’s not a bad thing.”
“Of course it’s not a bad thing,” I said. “But I feel like it’s more a lack of knowledge from previous partners, and less to do with you.”
She tipped her chin, defiant as ever, and I dropped my hand, no longer needing to gently hold her attention. She was all fire now, no hint of hesitance or insecurity about her. “What was the other part?”
I furrowed my brow.
“You said you brought me up here partly because you wanted to make sure I was comfortable. What was the other part?”
Oh. Well, I guess there was no getting around it.
“Instinct,” I answered. Maybe she’d be satisfied with that.
“What instinct?”
Or maybe not.
“You don’t want to know.”
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.”
I raked a hand through my hair.
“I’m not some delicate princess, Crossland,” she said. “Tell me—”
“To get you off in less than five minutes.” The words rolled off my tongue quick and solid. I rarely tried to hold myself back from saying anything, but with Aspen, the last thing I wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable with our arrangement and bolt as a result. “But don’t worry,” I hurried to add. “I’m a big boy. I can control my instincts—”