Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96454 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96454 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
I don’t even let myself think that other word. That other word is dangerous, and I’m not expecting anything out of this beyond adding a physical aspect to our friendship.
His hips move and he starts to thrust in and drag out, and it’s so perfect it can’t last. He works over me until I can’t hold back, and that wave hits me for the second time tonight. I cling to him as he grinds against me, giving me everything he has.
When he falls on top of me, a sense of peace flows over me.
We lay there, wrapped in each other, and it’s such a sweet moment.
“That is what we call a release of sexual tension,” I hear Darnell say. “You want to avoid that in a book for as long as you can.”
“But in real life, it’s what you’re looking for,” an unfamiliar feminine-sounding voice says.
Embarrassment flashes through my system. “Oh, shit.”
“And there’s the regret.” Darnell definitely knows we can hear him. “See, I told you putting some sex in your book can lead to a plethora of emotional conflict. Not all of your conflict has to come from aliens plundering our planet. They can plunder our women, too. Or men. I’m all for equal-opportunity plundering. And I think they’re done. Hey, Heath, your pizza’s here.”
Heath chuckles and kisses my cheek as he rolls off me. “Do you want to ignore him and wait until the group leaves for the night?”
There’s only one problem with that. “I’m a little hungry.”
“And she’s back.” He reaches for his clothes. “Get under the covers, baby. I won’t be long.”
I ignore the applause that comes when Heath walks out. I am all about the pizza.
It feels good to be hungry again.
Chapter Fifteen
I’m feeling infinitely better now that Heath’s properly fed me and we’re cuddled up on his bed. I’m in another of his overly large shirts as we’d hopped back in the shower, this time together. The sounds of Darnell’s writer group have faded, and I think he went with them to get a drink at the bar downstairs and probably talk about us. I’m cool with that. I would do the same, so it’s fair.
“Do you need to call anyone to let them know where you are?” Heath asks, brushing back my hair.
I’ve got my head on his chest as we lie in bed. “I should probably go home.”
“Do you want to go home?”
It’s not home anymore. “Not really, but it’s getting late.”
“And your clothes aren’t dry yet,” he points out. “Stay with me. I promise I will get you donuts in the morning, and Darnell will make fun of us. Doesn’t that sound like a great way to start your day?”
The idea of spending a lazy weekend with him is too much temptation. There’s only one problem with it. “I’ve got to work. If I don’t, I won’t have things in place for the new hires.”
“We’ll get your laptop in the morning. You can work here, and I’ll help you so we can find time to do something that is not work. See there’s this thing called leisure.”
My insecurity is starting up again as I realize the ramifications of what happened tonight. I sit up. We need to talk. “You don’t have to entertain me, Heath.”
He frowns up at me. “You’re going to be difficult, aren’t you?”
I don’t think I’m difficult at all. I need to let him know this doesn’t have to change anything between us. “Not at all. I don’t want this to change our working relationship.”
“So when you’re all stressed I should tell you to meditate instead of sneaking you into a room for a quickie?”
Actually, that didn’t sound bad at all. I do get stressed, and an orgasm is way better than meditation. I can’t get my head empty enough to meditate, but all thought tends to flee when this man touches me. “I mean, if it’s affecting work…”
He laughs and sits up, his chest on glorious display. “Okay. Let me get this straight. So you accept that we’re sleeping together now?”
“I’m not going to deny it.” Though there hasn’t been any sleeping yet, and that feels like a whole other thing.
“But you’re also not going to pretend like this won’t happen again,” he prompts.
I should, but I know me. I won’t be able to stay away from him. “I think it probably will.”
“Yes,” he agrees. “And likely very soon. So are we going to define this relationship or pretend that it’s all the same except every now and then we have sex?”
I don’t like the way he’s phrased it. He means something to me, but definitions are hard. “I think we’re friends who now have a physical aspect to our relationship.”
He nods like I’ve said something smart and true. “And that is called?”
“I don’t like the term friends with benefits.” I think it cheapens the relationship, and besides, I have some parameters. “Because that feels like we’re open to sleeping with other people, and I don’t think we should do that.”