Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 64885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)
“And then…” I let my voice trail off.
“Then you think on it. See which ones excite you the most and try that first. And so on.”
I nodded, liking the idea.
“Plus, I’m sure Gareth would be more than happy to help with anything on it,” she said. “Especially if the tasks were closer to what I write about in my books.”
We both laughed at that, and it felt unnaturally good to share the companionship of a female who hadn’t been forced into my company.
She liked me for the new me I was becoming and had always been kind to the old me, too. She’d never tried to breach those boundaries I put up in fear of repercussions from my father. But now those walls were lowered, and on the other side I found genuine friendship.
Not just from her, but also the other girls. And in Gareth. It wasn’t until I found those things that I realized how deprived I’d been in my previous life.
While all of that was hopeful and optimistic, I still didn’t have a clue what I genuinely wanted, but I liked her idea of creating a list. I could do that now without the fear of my father finding it and killing any dream I might have.
I just had to figure out something to write down.
It was well after nine when Gareth finally made it home, finding me in our bedroom, finishing up one of Daisy’s books.
“Long day?” I asked after one look at him. His usually hard features were…drained. I had no other way to describe it. It made my stomach drop.
“Long,” he confirmed, sliding off his jacket and loosening his tie.
I pressed my lips together, guilt churning beneath my skin. I had no doubt the heaviest item weighing on him was my father’s lack of response to his more than fair requests.
“I’m going to shower,” he said, sighing as he looked me over. “You okay?”
I nodded, unable to answer for fear my voice would crack.
He gave me a soft smile, then headed toward his bathroom.
I breathed deeply, my heart aching. I didn’t want to put this weight on him, this responsibility, this danger. It was all directly tied to me, and despite him saying this had long since become more than a favor, I was still the catalyst for the added stress in his life.
I wished I could fix it.
Wished I could contact my father and talk some sense into him, but I knew him better than most…he’d never hear me out. He never had before.
I heard the water turn on in the shower, and I realized there was one way I could help alleviate the stress for Gareth. At least, in this way, I could be of some help, not that he’d ever ask for it.
Hurrying toward the bathroom before I lost my courage, I stripped myself bare, and opened the glass shower door.
Gareth’s head was dipped, letting the heavy stream of water rush over his body. I followed the rivulets of water, appreciating every inch of him. He was beautiful, his inked skin stretched over muscles he worked hard as hell on. A carved, incredibly tall protector that I never knew I’d be so lucky to touch.
I stepped into the shower, letting the door shut behind me, my fingers grazing over his muscled back as I settled behind him.
He relaxed under my touch, grabbing my hands and bringing them around his body to rest on his chest.
Gareth remained silent as we stood like that, me holding him from behind, as if he needed me to keep him together.
I kissed his back, a silent show of support as well as an apology.
I wiggled my hands free of his, gliding them over his body, massaging his back, his hips, anywhere I could reach before I finally urged him to turn around. His eyes immediately trailed the length of my body, that gaze turning hungry as he took me in, soaking wet in front of him.
I guided my hand down between us, gripping his cock, which was already hardening under my touch as I stroked him. He captured my mouth, our kiss slow, sensual, and wet from the water pouring over us.
Pulling out of the kiss, I sank to my knees before him, thankful for the stone floor ensuring I didn’t slide all over the place as I traced my lips with the thick head of his cock. He groaned at the tease, and I parted my lips, flicking my tongue over him before taking him in my mouth.
“Serenity,” he said, his fingers sliding into my wet hair.
I bobbed up and down, taking him in as much as I could. I pumped him with one hand to make up the difference, swirling my tongue around him in that way I knew he loved. And while I’d gotten off before on him pumping into my mouth in that dominating way of his, this wasn’t about that. I wanted to give him a release with no conditions. Wanted to show him that I appreciated every single thing he did for me, even when he expected nothing in return.