Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 93957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
“Bi,” I replied automatically. “Does it matter?”
He shook his head. “Not to me. But I don’t categorize anyone based on who they want to fuck. Not my business.”
“Very eloquently put,” I snarked, chuckling when he chomped a big bite of pizza. “I agree with you, but it’s not that simple when you’re co-parenting.”
“I understand,” he said around a mouthful. “In theory anyway. I don’t know anything about kids.”
“Don’t undersell yourself. You knew that it was important to get Parker to loosen up before you tried to teach him something new.”
“Anyone could figure that out.”
“No, that’s not true,” I assured him. “Thank you for your patience.”
Johnny shrugged. “No problem. I didn’t mean to get overzealous about future lessons. I think I was freaking out a little about the kiss and…whatever. Offer stands. If a neutral zone works best, he can come by the studio whenever.”
I smiled. “Thanks. That’s nice of you. I’ll ask him.”
“Cool.” He brushed his hands and nudged his plate away. “So are you gonna tell me why you’re really here?”
I studied his red-stained lips and the smudge of eyeliner under his left eye. I set my fork down and hooked my finger, beckoning him close.
“Hold still,” I instructed, rubbing my thumb gently under his lashes. “You missed a spot.”
He froze with his gaze fixed on mine. “Did you get it?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
I lowered my hand slightly and cupped his face, loving the feel of his freshly shaved jaw. I had a passing thought that he’d showered and shaved for me. And I liked it. I rested my thumb on his lips and inched forward till I was close enough to feel his breath. I brushed my nose against his…once, twice—like I was giving him a chance to push me away. That wasn’t the case.
The truth was…I wanted him too much. My skin tingled with a yearning I hadn’t felt for anyone in a long time. Maybe ever. It wasn’t a matter of desire or conquest. I was no stranger to going after what I wanted. But this was need. Hungry, raw, and insistent. I had no defense.
That was what I told myself when I wrapped my hand around his nape and crashed my mouth over his.
Johnny groaned into the connection. He licked me greedily, pushing his tongue inside as he stood and planted himself firmly between my open thighs. I ran my hands along his sides, resting them on his hips for a moment before squeezing his ass. When he hummed in approval, I shot to my feet and pulled him against me, making sure he felt my erection through my suit pants.
“Oh, fuck.” He nipped my bottom lip as he humped and grinded in a manic quest for friction.
And I was right there with him. I tilted my hips seductively, riding the steel rod in his sweats. Then I slipped my fingers under the elastic and splayed my hands on his bare ass, kneading his flesh as I trailed a single digit along his crack.
I broke the kiss with a gasp, purring in his ear. “No boxers?”
He bit my chin and recaptured my mouth with a hungry growl, lowering his hands to my belt. “Mmm, no. I kinda hoped we’d end up here.”
I caught his wrist and stepped backward. “Wait.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, blinking as if coming out of a trance.
I shoved my hand through my hair and sucked in a gulp of air. “I didn’t come here for this.”
Johnny squinted. “Okay. So…you really wanted to talk about guitar lessons?”
“No.” I winced with a sigh before continuing, “I’m…I need to be honest. One hundred percent honest.”
“Go on,” he prodded, inclining his head.
“It’s business.”
He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. “I’m listening.”
“I have an interest in the meeting I arranged with Charlie.”
“The bubbly water?”
“Yes. Charlie met with a rep from McMillan, a giant food-and-beverage conglomerate with exceedingly deep pockets. I arranged the meeting because I want McMillan to invest in a real estate deal.”
“Okay. I can’t tell if I’m bored or confused. What does either of those things have to do with us getting naked?” he asked point-blank.
“Good question.” I furrowed my brow and tried to come up with an answer. My dick was pretty sure neither consideration was important. It pulsed against my zipper, begging me to shut the fuck up. “McMillan is big on LGBTQ rights. They want diversity and equality representation. But they’ve also got a conservative contingent on their board who want to control how an old, stodgy company moves into a more progressive direction.”
“And?”
“Your collaboration with Clay Kanzler could in a roundabout way damage my deal. Not the professional part,” I conceded, pacing to the bank of windows. “Just the personal aspect.”
“I’m not following.”
I admired his reflection in the glass. The inky sky provided a jolting contrast to the empty great room with its white walls and sparkling surfaces. Everything here was black and white. No grays. No in-betweens. Nowhere to hide.