Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 128380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 642(@200wpm)___ 514(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
“So you kept pushing him,” guessed Aspen, breaking off a small piece of her white-chocolate-chip cookie.
“Of course.” Bailey lifted her bottle of water and unscrewed the cap. “I asked if there’d be bloodshed. He said it depended on whether I was a scratcher when I came. I snorted and told him there was no way he’d touch me like that. Next thing I knew, his hand was down south. He didn’t do anything at first, just kept his hand there.”
Pausing, Bailey sipped her water while her friends gawked at her. “I have to say, I was very impressed that he went that far. I didn’t think he’d dare. I have to salute the guy for being so ballsy.”
Havana waved that away. “Salute him later. I want to hear what happened next.”
“Nosy heifer,” teased Bailey, setting down her bottle. “I guess his pride got in the way, because he wouldn’t back down. It probably didn’t help that he was dealing with touch-hunger. He kissed the breath from my damn lungs, and then somehow his fingers ended up inside me. After I came, I jerked him off.” She shrugged.
“Genuinely?” asked Havana, leaning forward in her seat. “This really happened?”
Bailey dipped her chin. “It really happened.”
The devil eyed her carefully. “You’re not lying?”
“Why would I lie?”
“Because you sometimes make stuff up when you’re bored.”
“I don’t like having nothing to do,” Bailey defended.
“Woman, be real, did you and Deke honestly give each other hand jobs last night?”
“We honestly did.”
Her lips parting, Havana sat back in her chair. “Well, hell and damn.”
“Yes indeed.” Aspen tossed a broken-off piece of cookie into her mouth. “I don’t know what to say except ‘wow.’”
Frowning, Bailey bit into her muffin again. “Then why didn’t you just say ‘wow’ and nothing else?”
Aspen pulled a face. “Do you have to be annoying all the time?”
“It brings me joy,” said Bailey. “Don’t you want me to be happy?”
“No, not really.”
Havana cut in, “We’re wandering off the subject; I’m not ready for that yet.” She shot Bailey a glare. “I can’t believe you’re only telling us now that you and Deke got your hands a good kind of dirty last night.”
Bailey frowned. “Why?”
“Besties don’t wait to share intriguing stuff with each other.” The devil lifted what was left of her éclair. “Why did you both stop at foreplay?”
“He didn’t want it to go any further.” Bailey told herself that it didn’t bother her, but though she was a tip-top liar, she wasn’t very good at bullshitting herself.
Havana’s eyes narrowed. “Did you say something to piss him off?”
“No.” Bailey chucked what was left of her muffin into her mouth. “He just isn’t interested.”
“I highly doubt that. Like, I couldn’t doubt it more.”
“Same here,” said Aspen before taking a sip of her coffee. “Maybe he wants to clear things with Shay first; make sure the guy won’t be upset by it.”
Havana pointed at the bearcat. “Hmm, yes, it could be that. Deke’s loyal to his friends. Whatever the case, it’s obvious now that he does want to be up in her business.”
Bailey snickered. “Uh, wrong. I’m not saying he isn’t attracted to me.” She knew he was, since he’d made it clear last night that he’d wanted her from day one. She wouldn’t have thought it would matter much to her snake either way, but the mamba liked that a whole lot. “I just don’t think he’s happy about it. Probably because he doesn’t like me as a person.”
Her nose wrinkling, Aspen sipped her drink again. “I don’t think he dislikes you, but I do think it’s possible that he begrudges being attracted to you. And I think that’s because he’s all tangled up in a promise he made to another woman.”
“But while dealing with touch-hunger, he can act on what he wants,” Havana added.
“He didn’t, though, did he? He kept his distance from me all these weeks,” Bailey pointed out. “He had no intention of coming to me at any point. He never meant for last night to happen. And, hello, has it not occurred to you that maybe I don’t want to be used as a mere sexual plaything while someone gets rid of their touch-hunger?”
Aspen let out a low snort. “No. You like being a plaything. And you’ve helped guys through touch-hunger before. You enjoyed it.”
Yeah, she did. “They fuck like savages. It’s ace.” She liked her sex rough and raw, and she made no apologies for it. She didn’t see why anyone should have to.
“So then I’m not seeing why you’d have a problem giving Deke a helping hand.” Aspen set down her mug, flicking up a brow. “Unless you’re worried you’ll get attached?”
Bailey felt her brow crease. “To what?”
“To him,” replied Aspen, enunciating each word like Bailey was slow on the uptake. “Emotionally.”
Bailey started to laugh. “Get the fuck out of here.”