Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 81518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81518 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
I promised myself to reinforce the distance and do what I was supposed to do as soon as I recovered. At this rate, it would be tomorrow. Until then…
I wanted to indulge. I wanted to pretend I was someone else.
After setting the bag of chips on the table, I unceremoniously lifted River’s arm and leaned back against his chest. It was a great pillow.
In response, he carefully rested his arm over my front.
With my eyes glued to the action movie I had zero interest in, I said, “I want to point out that Reese has kissed me. You haven’t. Is that part of your dynamic? I don’t know your boundaries.”
There was a beat of silence before he replied. “My brother dives in and drags out whatever he wants. I prefer to chill outside and wait for the prey to come to me.”
That about summed up what I’d learned about the twins so far.
I tilted up my face to look him in the eye. “Am I the prey?”
He hiked his brow a fraction, a pinch of amusement dancing in his eyes. “Do you wanna be the prey?”
Dammit. Definitely a Sadist. And he wasn’t a Predator if he didn’t chase! Was he? Technically, the prey was hunted down. Not forced to admit his desire to be eaten.
“Maybe.” I narrowed my eyes at him.
He narrowed his own in return, mocking me.
“Don’t be an asshole,” I told him. “I’m sick, remember? Be nice to me.”
“I’m always nice.” He said it with a smile on his face, and it was such bullshit.
I huffed. “Do you want me to want to be the prey?”
He chuckled quietly and raked his teeth across his lip. “Let me make one thing clear, pup. I won’t give you an inch until you latch on to me, at which point I might decide to give you eight.”
His words spread some weird liquid heat through me, and I dropped my gaze to his mouth.
“Masochists tend to interpret warnings as invitations,” I noted with a dose of forced confidence. I was in the deep end of the pool already, it felt like.
“Brats too,” he murmured.
“I’m not a brat.” I smiled as a rush of nerves tightened my stomach. The good kind. The kind that made life exciting. And I sort of squirmed in his arms, discreetly trying to press myself closer to him, as if he wouldn’t notice.
He definitely noticed, but he made no mention of it.
“How long have you been involved in kink?” he asked.
I hummed and planted my head on his shoulder instead. Just a few more inches… “A few years? Maybe four. I had a boyfriend who introduced me to rough sex.” Unfortunately, that guy had limits that prevented him from going further than spanking, light choke holds, and using his belt. “I attended my first munch shortly after.”
It was frustrating that River didn’t do anything. Well, he stroked my chest absently and seemed to observe me a lot, but wasn’t it customary to move closer when the other person did the same?
I frowned at him. “You should kiss me, dammit.”
He grinned a little at that. “Should I?”
I nodded and pushed myself a little bit higher. “If this isn’t the definition of latching on to you, I don’t know what is.”
He hummed and removed his feet from the table. “You could get on my lap.”
Fuck yes, I could do that.
Bringing the covers with me, I wrestled myself into position and straddled River, and he straightened in his seat. Playing coy had failed miserably, so there was only one thing left to do. I had to throw myself at the smug bastard.
As I leaned forward and rested my forehead to his, he snaked his strong arms around my back and pulled me even closer. A sluggish stream of lust slithered through me, at war with the remnants of the hellish night I’d had. At war with the exhaustion and skin sensitivity.
The second I pressed my lips to his, it was as if something went off inside me. Like a spark ignited and immediately lit up the rest of me. I hoped he felt something similar, because it became so clear there would be no easing into things with River Tenley. We deepened the kiss simultaneously, and I shivered violently as our tongues met. My hands went to his neck and jaw; his hands went to my ass.
He tasted of coffee, chips, and dark promises.
Fuck me hard. I had to kiss Reese again soon too. Yesterday didn’t fucking count. While he’d turned me on quicker than I’d thought was possible given the circumstances, my head had been a mess. But if he kissed half as passionately and hungrily as River, I was in serious shit.
Need blazed forward too fast for my body to be able to handle. I locked my arms around his neck and kissed him harder, deeper, but I was already losing my breath. My sore muscles protested.