Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 134654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134654 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Now he sat alone.
Unpaired with a woman, he was one of the few single men, sitting in a fumigation of smoke, sucking on a cigar and nursing a beer. His long legs were spread in front of him, the heels of his black boots indenting the dry dirt below. Despite his aloneness, he seemed happy. His gaze was warm and slightly glazed as he took in his Club.
“What’s his story?” I asked, sighing deeper into Arthur’s embrace.
“Hopper?”
I nodded. “Despite being related to the man who sprung you from jail.”
Chuckling, Arthur shuffled me higher on his lap. The warmth of licking flames slowly turned the liquor in my blood into a sedative. The strawberry daiquiris Melanie had concocted subdued noise and light—making everything dreamlike.
“Jared is loyal, loyal, and hardworking.” Arthur finished his beer, placing the empty on the ground. “He’s been with women, but no one ever sticks.”
“Why not? He’s good-looking, well spoken, got a good position.” Not to mention a rich family. Being Wallstreet’s son meant he would inherit a lot. If Wallstreet had hidden away his assets before going to jail, of course.
Arthur shrugged. “At the time, I thought he might have the same issue as me: heartbroken in the past and unwilling to move on.”
“You don’t think that anymore?” I jumped as Arthur’s fingers spread over my belly possessively.
“No, I don’t think that anymore.”
I bit my lip as his fingers inched downward, teasing the delicate skin above my waistband. Without a word, he popped the button and pushed his large hand past the restriction of my jeans and into my panties.
Oh, God.
“Art, what are you doing?” My eyes grew heavy with need, but the awareness of being on display itched my skin. I tried to halt his hand. “Stop it. They can see.”
Arthur didn’t seem to care, unaffected by my scrambling fingers. “I’m touching you, Buttercup. And I have no intention of stopping.” His cock thickened behind me, his hand hot on my core.
“But—”
“No buts.” His touch dominated my nerves, making me obey.
My head fell back, resting on his shoulder. My hands fell away reluctantly. Every part of me tensed, unwilling to be on show, but unable to fight him.
“Good girl.” He sucked in a breath. “I love it when you give in to me.”
“I’d prefer it if we didn’t have an audience.” I had no choice but to permit his control. However, I couldn’t deny that his possessive hold clenched my tummy.
It’s … intoxicating.
In a weird, naughty way, I liked it—enjoyed showing a secret part of ourselves.
“They’re not watching. Besides, there’s something fucking hot about touching you in public.”
My core rippled, liquefying with desire. I struggled to stay coherent and not drift away with his magic touch. What were we talking about before?
It was an impossible task to carry on conversation, but I tried. “Grasshopper. We were talking about Grasshopper.”
He chuckled, his touch dipping farther. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I really don’t want to talk about Hopper anymore.”
My mouth parted as he rocked his hips into my spine.
“I want to talk about how damn delicious you are.” He licked my throat gently. “In fact, I’d much rather it was my tongue between your legs and not just my hand.”
I gulped. “You’re not playing fair.”
“Who said anything about playing, Buttercup?”
My eyes fluttered closed. The bonfire faded; the gathering disappeared. It was just me and him and tantalizing sensation.
My legs fell open, inviting him to take more. My heartbeat accelerated as I opened my eyes. People might see.
A flush at doing something forbidden made me blurt, “But you said you didn’t think it was heartbreak keeping him alone. I want to know what you think it was.”
I didn’t care—not really. I just couldn’t get too carried away; otherwise we’d end up having sex right there by the fire.
Arthur groaned, “God, you’re determined to distract me.” His thighs bunched beneath me. “Fine, I think he just hasn’t found his best friend yet, that’s all.”
I sucked in a breath as his fingers stretched lower, gracing ever so teasingly over my clit. “A man needs a woman. A man needs to fuck, love, and protect, but he also needs an equal. And you don’t get an equal unless you have respect. And you only get respect if you have friendship.”
My breathing stuttered as Arthur stroked me. “That’s why I was fucked when I thought I’d lost you. You died. You took more than just love away—you took away belonging, home … trust. I’d seen how good a partnership with the right person could be. No fucking way could I settle after you.”
My heartbeat clanged like a church bell, dispelling cobwebs and ghosts, and filling up the hole inside me forever. “You really know how to melt a girl.”
His teeth nipped at my ear. “I’d say you’re melting pretty quickly, Buttercup.” His fingers worked faster. “You’re wet and it’s turning me the fuck on.”