Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
And yet no control in what shivering height Brand would push him to next when the man held him so firmly, cradled his head in long fingers, dwarfed him against his bulk…and guided him where Brand would lead, leaving Ash gasping and trailing helplessly in his wake.
Brand had teased him for hours, until Ash was a melted, whimpering mess, boneless and desperate for anything—any touch, any kiss, anything Brand would give him to ease the molten feeling flowing through him and pooling down in that slow-burn, needy place that pulsed just below and behind his cock.
And Brand had given him nothing.
He had only kissed Ash’s forehead, drawn the thin hospital blanket up over both of them, and quietly ordered Ash to go to sleep.
Then closed his eyes himself, a quiet statue where Ash couldn’t tell if he was awake or asleep, only that he had every intention of leaving Ash writhing if he didn’t do as he was told.
So that was his first taste of exactly what Brand wanted from him. This…control, this dependency that made fear twist up hot and delicious in the pit of his stomach, and only made that deep, sluggishly warm arousal even worse; this thing that he now realized Brand had been holding back from him, giving only just enough their first time together to let him glimpse, but never truly know.
His second taste came that morning; he’d finally managed to sleep, only to wake not long after dawn to Brand stirring and slipping out of bed. Ash had curled against the pillows, reaching across the bed to the wrinkled warm spot where Brand had been, yawning and looking up at him shyly, sleepily.
“Where are you going?” he’d mumbled, rubbing his cheek against the pillow.
“To the manor to fetch you proper clean clothing. Yours was ruined in the accident. I will return within the hour.” Brand fixed him with a stern look. “Stay in bed.”
Ash pouted, pushing himself up on one hand and rubbing at his eyes sleepily. “But I feel fine—”
His breaths knocked from him in surprise as Brand’s hand firmly pressed to his chest, a skin-shivering, enticing flex of strength pushing Ash easily back to the bed and holding him there. Brand leaned over him, blocking out the light, taking up his world, making his heart beat faster with the way those dark green eyes cut into him.
“You will stay in bed until I return,” Brand commanded softly, an edge of menace to his voice; his splayed fingers stroked slowly down Ash’s chest. “If I have even an inkling that you have been out of this bed, I will tie you to it until the doctor arrives to take you for your MRI, or release you. Do I make myself understood?”
Breathing shallowly, heart rabbiting, Ash nodded, mouth too dry to even speak, thoughts circling too sharply to form words.
“Good.”
Then Brand had dipped to kiss him, just the quickest moment of domineering, needy pressure, a taunting caress of a heated tongue…
Before he was gone with one last look of warning, leaving Ash curled up in bed and breathing in short, panting gasps and so fucking hot he thought he was going to spontaneously combust.
And so very tempted to find out if Brand would make good on that promise, if he got out of bed.
But he was good; this was still too new, too confusing for him to test it, and he was still sorting out his feelings about it. About Brand, when he felt like…he felt like…
Like he was seeing Brand as a whole person for the first time, without the careful barrier Brand kept between his feelings and those who might find them unacceptable. Brand had been intriguing from the start, but this new side to him was fascinating. Compelling. Real.
And Ash couldn’t help flushing, as he curled against the pillows and lingered over the taste of his valet’s lips, the firm and commanding touch of steady hands.
He was such a cliché, wasn’t he?
Falling for the hired help.
He was still blushing, when Brand returned with a clean, freshly-pressed suit. And was rewarded for his obedience with another of those kisses that left him melted, making it even harder to endure Brand’s hands on his body, the slow deliberation of every touch, the skimming caress of Brand’s fingertips tracing over every inch of him as the man dressed him.
When the doctor came for one last look at him and signed off on discharge, Ash managed to pull himself together enough to act like he was actually the one in charge here, while Brand retreated dutifully to his shoulder, silent and watchful.
Yet there was a charged portent around him, a wordless reminder.
Ash might be his employer, and perhaps they might keep up appearances…
But Ash was in no way the one in control.
He couldn’t take his gaze away from Brand’s profile, on the drive home. Now and then a warm, lingering glance caught him in the rear view mirror and he flushed again, glancing away with a faint smile.