Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 99623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99623 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 498(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Her hair falls into her face as she nods; I reach out and brush the strands so I can see her eyes. "I mean it, baby; I won't get upset. I won't get mad. You set the pace, you're in charge."
She smiles up at me with so much faith in her gaze that my knees nearly buckle. "I trust you, Sterling. I know you'll take care of me."
Chapter Thirty-Six
Emmy
I went into this date hopeful yet apprehensive. Given our twisted history, it seemed wise to be at least a little guarded. But after all of the thought and effort Sterling put into tonight, I know he’s worthy of me. That he will cherish me, and treat me right.
By the time we made it back to his place, I was confident in my decision. Eager for his touch even. Ready and willing.
As foolish as that sounds, I stand by it, even as my body quakes in terrified anticipation of what's to come.
It's not him I'm scared of, but how he’ll react to me once it’s over.
What if he finds me lacking? What if I'm not good enough? Surely a man like Sterling has plenty of experience. How could someone like me ever satisfy him?
A jolt runs through me as he smooths his index finger along my jaw and over my cheek. "Where did you go, little mouse?"
"Sorry."
He kisses my forehead. "Let me into those thoughts. Remember what I said about not hiding from me? How can I take care of you if I don't know what you're thinking?"
I laugh ruefully. "How did I get so lucky to have you?"
"I don't think luck had anything to do with it. I'm pretty sure you were meant to be mine. The wires of the universe just got crossed along the way. But I'm here now, baby, and I'm gonna make up for everything."
Unable to help myself, I loop my arms around his neck and pull him down for another kiss that quickly turns heated as Sterling walks us back toward his bed.
"I want to touch you here." He whispers the words against my lips as he reaches up to cup my breasts. "To taste you here."
I try to capture his lips again, but he pulls away, making me whimper. I crave his touch; I long for it more than I've ever longed for anything. It honestly feels like I'll die if he doesn’t put his hands on my body.
"Can I take this off?" he asks, pulling at the material of my sweater.
I nod, unable to form words as desire unlike anything I've ever known crashes into me, nearly knocking me sideways.
He removes my shirt, and I quickly follow with my bra, too lust-drunk on him to remember to be nervous.
"God, you're beautiful." He presses a kiss to my collarbone before moving his mouth to the valley between my breasts. His warm lips blaze a trail, sucking and licking and nibbling, until he draws my right nipple into his mouth.
The combined suction and the heat of his mouth is almost too much for me to bear as he lavishes my breast with attention.
A whimper breaks free as he pulls away and moves to the other side. "Let's lay you down," he murmurs, positioning me just so against the mountain of pillows at the headboard before crawling up the bed, coming to rest between my thighs.
"I want to taste all of you," he says, his voice deeper than usual, as he trails his fingers, feather soft, down my abdomen to the waistband of my jeans.
Fear and excitement strum through me like an electric current, but still, I nod.
"Take your pants off," he says as he reaches around to pull his shirt over his head. My eyes are glued to the hard planes of his chest and the dips and valleys of his abs. The man’s a work of art, a god among men, and yet here he is making all of my dreams come true.
Piece by piece, he removes his clothing, until all that's left is a pair of skintight black boxers.
His arousal is evident through the thin material. I fist my hands at my sides as I fight the urge to reach out and touch him, to cup him through the fabric, to explore him as thoroughly as he did me.
I can barely process that he's hard and hot for me, yet the proof is staring me right in the face, quite literally.
He smirks when he sees me staring. "Are you gonna finish taking off those jeans or do you need a little help?"
Wordlessly, I lie back and lift my hips, allowing him to pull them down the rest of the way, taking my underwear with them.
"Fuck, baby," he groans at the sight of me laid bare before him. "You're sure this is okay?”
"I'm positive, Sterling."
He licks his lips as he lowers himself back between my thighs, kissing his way down my stomach. A sudden bout of shyness has my hips shifting as I try to clamp my thighs shut.