Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
“Thanks,” she said softly.
And I hated that she’d gone through it alone. But she was stronger than she let on, and she drew in a breath, exhaling it slowly, as if cleansing the bad thoughts away.
“So, since then, I’ve been more careful.” Her half-smile was empty. “A handjob is safe. A guy wants to go down on me? Safe. Blowjob? Safe. If something goes wrong, it isn’t going to accidentally change the course of my life forever.”
“I get it.” Fuck, did I understand. “I’m sorry if I made you share something you didn’t want to, or—”
“You didn’t.” She softened. “Is it weird to say it felt good to tell you?”
“Not at all.” The tightness in my chest eased slightly. “I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to share it with me.”
She seemed to relax a bit too and leaned both her elbows on the table. “My ‘no sex until love’ rule is really more like ‘no sex until trust.’ And I trust you, Noah, I do. I’m just . . . not ready yet. Is that cool?”
“Of course,” I said instantly. “It’s more than okay with me.”
“Good.” This time, her smile was real. “Because all that ‘safe’ stuff?” Her eyes went wide and serious. “I really fucking like it.”
A smile wanted to break on my lips. “Yeah, I do too.”
She motioned between us. “Friends with benefits, then. Most benefits,” she clarified. “I figure we can do, like, ninety percent of stuff together,” her eyes smoldered, “and you can do the other ten percent with someone else while I watch.” Her voice filled with smoke. “How does that sound?”
How the fuck did she do that? The heaviness of our conversation lifted, and thick desire replaced it in a heartbeat. “That sounds really fucking good.”
She already knew the answer but asked it anyway. “Does that mean we have a deal?”
I straightened in my seat, smoothed a hand down the maroon tie I’d worn for her, and drained half of my Manhattan in a single gulp. “Yeah, we have a fucking deal. Grab your drink. I’m taking you upstairs.”
She happily did as told.
This time, when we climbed the staircase to the second floor, there was a bouncer sitting on a stool on the landing at the top of the stairs. From his perch, he could see most of the lounge and keep an eye on the guests.
And there were guests here now. It looked like most of the crowd who’d watched the show had come upstairs and were scattered about the space. Some sat on the large sectional couch in front of the decorative fireplace, while others stood near the tall counter that served as a place to set drinks.
Conversations and laughter filled the rooms, as did low, seductive music.
Activities had already started for some folks, because people were in various stages of foreplay and undress. A topless woman was sprawled out on the oversized ottoman in front of the sectional, and her partner was bent over, sucking on her tits.
I glanced at Charlotte, curious to see her reaction.
Her gaze was locked on the couple, and she stood still at my side, holding her cosmo like it was prop. Maybe she didn’t realize she still had it.
I’d only been upstairs a few times, but I’d seen enough to know what this main room would descend into as the night went on. It’d become a frenzy of sex, with the most action happening on the sectional, so when Charlotte took a step toward it, I gently grasped her elbow to stop her.
“Do you want to watch,” I said, “or participate? Because sitting on that couch means you’re up for anything, including other people joining in.”
She turned to look up at me, and it took my breath away. Downstairs, she’d been confident about what she wanted. But now it looked like she was realizing how very real this all was.
She was on the cusp of total overload.
I gave her an easy smile and used my hold on her elbow to lead her beyond the couch. “Why don’t we keep exploring? I bet there’s more to see.”
She nodded and followed me through the main lounge, past the bathrooms, and into the room at the back of the house. It was much brighter than the main lounge and it was smaller too. The space was so packed with furniture, it probably felt cramped even if there weren’t people in it.
But it wasn’t empty tonight.
When we stepped inside, we joined at least a dozen other people. Some sat on couches and chairs, while others stood in a group by the door. All the focus was on the foursome in the corner.
Two women and two men, who had already shed some of their clothes, and the rest of it was pulled down or pushed up out of the way. It looked like they’d been in a rush to get to the good stuff and hadn’t bothered getting completely naked.