Total pages in book: 21
Estimated words: 19017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 95(@200wpm)___ 76(@250wpm)___ 63(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 95(@200wpm)___ 76(@250wpm)___ 63(@300wpm)
His round cheeks blushed under my inspection, and I finally found the words to tell him, “You are stunning.”
His pretty eyes widened. “Me? Look at you! Your body is…wow.” His blush deepened and he cleared his throat. “I, uh…I love your tattoos,” he added, dropping his gaze to my shoulder.
“Thank you,” I replied, also admiring the swirled black ink. “Each one represents a fight I’ve won.”
“There are so many!”
“Ninety nine,” I told him proudly. “I’ll have number one hundred drawn soon, to represent my victory tonight.”
“One hundred wins,” Lyric repeated with a shake of his head.
Unashamedly wanting to impress my mate, I added, “That only includes my professional matches; not any of the training or amateur fights I've won. And of course, I only counted my matches from my time here on Earth.” Oops. I didn't mean to let that slip. But thankfully, Lyric appeared too enthralled with my ink to catch what I'd said.
“It’s not hard to believe after watching you in the ring. I bet you’ll be completely covered in them one day.” His gaze traced across my chest, resting on the circular stone pendant there. “I saw him put this on you. Is it a prize?”
“No, but it is very special. It’s a family heirloom of sorts. I always wear it, unless I’m in the ring.”
Lyric smiled and his eyes roamed down my other arm, wincing when they landed on several deep scars across my wrist and palm. “Did you get those in a fight?”
“No, I gave those to myself.”
Lyric gasped as his gaze snapped to mine. “Did you try to…?”
“No, nothing like that,” I assured, and he sighed with relief. “Those marks are from my effort to live.”
“I…I don’t understand.”
“You will,” I promised as I cupped my palm over his cheek, stroking my thumb across the stubble there. Now that he was so close, I couldn’t keep my hands off of him. I inhaled deeply, breathing in his scent, which was an intoxicating blend of fruit and spice.
The feel of his skin against mine and his aroma in my nostrils were driving me crazy, sending my heart racing and my soul yearning for its match. This man was hand picked for me out of the billions of people on Earth and beyond, and he was finally standing right in front of me. I wasn't going to waste a moment.
I leaned in and took his lips with mine. Lyric gasped slightly and I took the opportunity to slide my tongue into his delicious mouth. This wasn't a peck like we'd shared in the ring. This was a deep kiss of exploration and passion.
Sweetness danced on my tongue as it searched his mouth. Affection swelled in my chest as lust coursed through my veins. Heated blood surged south, thickening my cock. My thin, silky shorts concealed nothing, and my flesh pressed into Lyric's stomach.
He moaned and kissed me deeper before abruptly pulling away. “What's happening? What am I doing? I don't even know you, but I feel…” his words trailed off, but I didn’t need to hear them to understand them.
I slowly reached out to take his hand. Lyric didn't pull back or flinch; he squeezed my fingers gently and looked questioningly into my eyes. I gathered, “You feel like you've known me all your life. You're drawn to me, and when you're by my side, the world makes sense. You finally found the piece you've been missing.”
Lyric blinked his wide eyes. “How did you know?”
“Because that is how I feel for you.”
“How is this possible?”
“I promise to explain everything to you, but first, I must apologize for moving so quickly. I gave in to my emotions, forgetting that human hearts may take more time.” He squinted at my words, but didn't question them. “Allow me to take you somewhere more romantic.” The locker room wasn't the best place to profess my undying love. Plus, I wanted to take care of his needs, so I asked, “Are you hungry?”
“I'm starving.” Lyric winced and looked down at his soft body. “Well, obviously I'm not starving. I could stand to miss a few meals and-”
I stopped him with a finger to his lips. “Please do not say such things; it hurts my heart. You are perfect in every way, and anyone who has ever made you feel otherwise is an asshole who doesn't deserve your thoughts.” His lips turned up into a shy, beautiful smile. “I'll get changed and take you to my favorite restaurant. I want to treat you and learn everything about you. How does that sound?”
“That sounds amazing.”
Chapter Three
Lyric
I waited anxiously as Sloan stepped into a shower stall to change his clothing. It took all of my will power not to tell him that I’d undress him; especially after that kiss.
It wasn’t like me to be so forward. I had experience with men, but I didn't typically throw myself at them. For one, my confidence wasn't the best. I'd had more than one man treat me as Brice did, trying to make me feel guilty about my size. I always tried to shake off their words, but they burrowed beneath my skin like splinters.