Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 125213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 501(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
When she opened her eyes and smiled at me, her cheeks pink and flushed, I decided two could play that game.
Without breaking, I held her gaze and lifted my cone to my mouth, licking up the side of it nice and slow with a low groan rumbling out of my chest. When I got to the top, I swirled my tongue in a tight circle before flicking it back and forth just like I’d do if the gods ever granted me access to the sweet fruit between Mia’s thighs.
“Mmm, you’re right,” I said, wiping the corner of my mouth with my thumb before I licked the chocolate ice cream off my skin. “Tasty.”
Mia’s next breath shuddered out of her parted lips, her tipsy eyes stuck to my mouth for the longest time before she shook it off, grunted, and shoved at my arm.
“You’re disgusting.”
“Keep telling yourself that’s what you were thinking just now.”
Before she could argue, I reached over and bopped her on the nose with my ice cream cone.
Her mouth popped open incredulously, “You did not just do that.”
“Did, too, and I’ll do it again.” I ran a finger through my ice cream and then tapped each of her cheeks.
“You brat!” She narrowed her gaze, bopping me with her own cone right on the chin. “Ha! How’s it feel?”
I got her a few more times, dodging her attempts to counterattack. When she tried to get some in my hair, I swooped out of the way and licked the creamy treat off her cheek.
“Ew!” But she laughed, and then she ducked in and licked my chin.
That lash of her tongue sent a jolt right between my thighs.
I couldn’t strike back, couldn’t laugh or get in another jab with my cone. My brain had gone haywire. It didn’t matter that it was a matter of seconds. That drag of her tongue against my flesh had occurred in slow motion in my mind, and now it was on repeat as I snagged her by the wrist and held her close to me.
I stared down my nose at her, Mia peering up at me with a mischievous smile. The longer I held her, the more that smile slipped, the energy between us warping into something electric to the touch.
I wanted to kiss her.
My nostrils flared with the restraint not to just do it. What would she do if I did? Would she let me? Would she kiss me back when there weren’t any cameras around to pretend for?
Before I could act on my impulsiveness, Mia pulled free from my grip and playfully shoved me again, her cheeks red enough I could see the blush even with us shrouded mostly in darkness.
She cleaned herself up with a napkin, handing me one to do the same, and then we both fell quiet as we ate the rest of our cones.
“Tonight was so fun,” she finally said, pausing before she glanced up at me. “I’ve never gone out like this before. Is this what you do all the time?”
I was still reeling from the feel of her tongue on me, but I tried to shake it off, zeroing my focus in on her question. “Not quite like this, not anymore at least. I’m more used to the VIP life now, I admit. But when I was a rookie in Seattle?” I nodded, eating the last of my cone. “All the time.”
“I bet you drank more when you went out back then. You barely drank at all tonight. Which is just rude. I’m way more drunk than you are right now.”
“Well, that’s because you’ve had approximately seven tequila shots and who knows how many cocktails.”
“And you nursed that whiskey for almost the entire night. It’s not nice, you know, to let a lady drink alone.”
She said that last part in a terrible British accent that made the corner of my mouth tilt.
“What can I say? I keep my promises.”
Mia cocked a brow.
“You said I’m not allowed to get drunk and make an ass of myself,” I reminded her.
“Right, because I was so sure you’d actually follow through.”
She scoffed a little, finishing off the last of her cone and wiping her hands together to dust off the crumbs. When she looked at me again, her smile slipped at the absence of mine.
“You don’t think I’m a man of my word?”
“I… I didn’t say that.”
“You implied it.”
She swallowed. “I just mean I didn’t really expect you to stop your lifestyle for this little stunt. I just thought maybe if I laid out some rules, you’d be discreet about it.”
Now, I wished I had something to drink, something to do other than lean back on my palms and look out at the dark water wondering if I’d ever be able to change her mind about me.
Wondering if she’d ever see me as anything more than a fucking brute.