chapter 23
RILEY
I WANT TO SLEEP WITH him tonight.
Badly.
But that doesn’t mean I should, right? Is it fucked-up that the fact he said he only wanted to kiss me makes me want to jump his bones even more? What the hell is wrong with me? We finish up our meal and then get ready to get into the Jacuzzi.
I’m going to be naked.
In a close proximity with him.
And I’m meant to act like everything is normal.
How do I get myself into these situations?
There are going to be bubbles to cover my . . . bits, but what about when I have to slide in? I’m just going to ask him to turn around, and I know he will.
“What are you thinking about so hard?” he asks, coming up behind me and wrapping me in his arms. “We can skip the Jacuzzi if you like. Or you can go in alone.”
“No, it’s fine,” I tell him, turning to face him, lifting up on my toes to place a kiss on his lips. “But you’re going to have to let me get in first.”
“Deal,” he says.
Once the Jacuzzi is filled, he leaves the bathroom. I jump in the shower and wash my body off before I slide into the warm water, an audible groan leaving me as I instantly feel my muscles relax.
“Are you in?” he calls out.
Pretty sure that’s meant to be my line, but anyway . . .
“Yes,” I call back to him.
He returns, nothing but a black towel wrapped around his waist. I can’t help but stare. His body.
Holy fucking shit.
He has his tattoo sleeves, then more over his chest and down his stomach. His body is built to perfection, toned, his abs so chiseled I want to lick them. He looks like he could be a fitness model, and I’m speechless.
I just stare at him like I’ve never seen a man before, and I haven’t, not one like this anyway.
“Well, since you’re not objecting.” He grins and lets the towel drop. “Unlike you, I’m not shy.”
I open my mouth.
I close my mouth.
He’s . . . big.
And hard.
And yeah, he’s fucking big.
Thick, and long, and it’s looking right at me.
Also, plot twist, there’s a piercing going through the head, just under the tip.
Someone has a high pain threshold.
I don’t know what to do with this new information.
“Ummm,” I murmur, licking my lips. He has no tattoos below his lower stomach, just strong thighs, calves, and a penis that explains his huge ego and confidence. I heard someone once say that lawyers are overcompensating for lacking in a certain area, that’s why they want all the power their job gives them, but I can now personally attest that this is not the case.
“Well,” I manage to get out. “That explains a few things.”
“Like what?” he asks, chuckling. He covers his penis with his hands—well, as much as he can—as he slides into the water. Is that him trying to be respectful so it doesn’t fly in my face? Bit late for that, buddy.
“Nothing,” I grumble, not wanting to give him an even bigger head. We both sit in the suddenly much warmer water, watching each other. My breasts are covered with bubbles, and I can’t help thinking that this moment, right now, isn’t exactly first-date material in my books, but then again Hunter and I aren’t just meeting each other for the first time. I see his gaze wandering over my face, my neck, my collarbone and shoulders, and then back to my eyes.
“You have such beautiful skin,” he tells me, sliding down into the water farther. “So soft and smooth.”
I want to say, You have such a beautiful penis, but I decide to smile and say “Thanks” instead. It’s been such an amazing day, and I know he’s not going to make the first move tonight. If I want him, I need to do that, and if I don’t, we can spend the rest of the night with this boundary between us. Am I even going to stay here all night? I don’t know if that’s the best idea. I could always catch a cab home, even though I know Hunter will drive me if I ask him. So much for taking things slow—I’m currently naked in a Jacuzzi with him the first time I let him take me out. I can only imagine how things will escalate from here.
Shit.
I decide to stop overthinking and just enjoy the moment. I’m here now, and even though I’m torn, I’m still here because I want to be. I rest my head back and close my eyes.
“I can’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed,” I tell him, sighing in contentment.
“You need to take better care of yourself,” he murmurs. “You’re always on the go, you never take any time off, and you never relax.”
“I know,” I agree, opening my eyes. The truth is that I put my all into the pub because in some ways, it’s all I have. “There’s just so much that has to be done to get me where I want to be. And it’s not about money, I clearly don’t care about money, or I’d have hit Jeremy up for more in the divorce. It’s more about proving to myself that I can do this, something of my own to be proud about.”
“I get it,” he says with a nod.
“You’re successful, Hunter,” I try to explain. “You have an amazing career, and you’re one of the best at what you do. I want to be the best I can be. I want to be proud of my accomplishments and reach the goals I’ve set for myself.”
“And you will,” he says, sounding confident. “Just make sure the goals you’re setting for yourself are realistic. There’s no rush, Riley.”
Feeling a little bold, I move closer to him until our shoulders are touching. “That’s true. Things take time.”
“And they are worth the wait,” he adds, eyes on my profile. “I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful, Riley. I could look at you all day.”
Heat rises to my cheeks as I duck my face. Gathering my confidence, I lift my head to look at him.
And then his lips are on mine, my tongue is in his mouth, his hands in my hair, tangling gently. I move closer, positioning myself in between his legs but not touching anything except his chest where I rest my hands. His skin is warm, smooth, and I find myself wanting to touch every inch of it. It’s me who pulls back, and we look into each other’s eyes, my breath coming out in pants. He cups my face with his hand, wet from the water, droplets dripping down my neck. He watches them fall, before his tongue touches my neck and trails upward, licking them off me. I shiver, warmth spreading to my lower belly, my nipples pebbling in front of his eyes.
“Riley,” he whispers, his gaze lowering to my breasts, his lips soon following. He sucks on them gently, licking and nibbling, cupping them in his hands. It feels so good to have his hands on me, his mouth working magic, my head falling back, my lips parting in a silent gasp.
And then I’m straddling him, his hard cock pressed up against me, my lips on his neck. He runs his hands down my back to land on my ass, squeezing the globes gently, exploring.
“This still counts as just kissing, right?” he asks, voice deep and husky.
“Definitely,” I reply, smiling against his neck. I bite down on his skin, enjoying the growling sound he makes when I do, and then kiss along his jawline. When his lips find mine again, the kiss is deep, hungry, and passionate.
We may have planned to take this slow, but I want him so badly right now.
He’s all I see, all I want.
And after a year, I think I fucking deserve this.
If Hunter wants to take things slow tonight, he’s going to need a lot of willpower, because I’m going to do everything I can to have him.