Page 107 of This Woman

Page List


Font:  

I pout, shuffling. “No.” This bed isn’t at all comfortable. Regardless... “I’m only comfortable with one thing under me these days.”You. I get up, making my way to her, savoring the vision of her heightening craving the nearer I get. That’s what I can do to her. Some might call it manipulation in a sense. I call it security.

I reach her, and I know she’s expecting me to ravish her. I don’t. I take her shoulders and turn her to face her wardrobe. I get as close as I can to her back, leaning past to browse the dresses. All lovely dresses. Some way too short. I find the perfect one. It’s cream, will look beautiful against her skin tone and dark hair. “Put this on,” I whisper, feeling her body stiffen. “And make sure there’s lace underneath it.” Lots and lots of lace.

Her shaky hand extends and accepts the dress without question, and I make sure when I release it that my touch falls precisely and softly over her naked breast. She shivers. I’m not without a reaction myself, my cock hammering against my jeans.Take her.I roll into her. Work her up.

Then step away, slapping her peachy arse. “Be quick.” Turning, I leave, too fucking happy with myself.

I find Sam and Kate still on the couch all over each other, and I cough to get their attention. Kate shoots back, wiping her mouth, and Sam grins. “Tea?” Kate asks, jumping up.

“One sugar,” Sam calls, chuckling and grabbing the remote control. “You know, vanilla ain’t so bad.” He looks across the room to me. “You heading to The Manor?”

“Yeah. I’m taking Ava.”

“Risky,” he says, flicking through the channels as I roll my eyes.

“There’s hardly anyone around on a Sunday.”

He exhales, tilting his head my way. “When are you going to tell her, mate? You can’t go on dodging bullets. And you definitely don’t want her to figure it out on her own.”

I know he’s right. “I’m working on it.” I need to make a list of all the things I need to share and what order I need to share them in. I’ll start there. In the meantime, I’ll focus on helping Ava reach the same conclusion she reached last night. I need that. “Enjoy the rest of your day,” I say sardonically. “Will I be seeing a request to pause your membership?”

He laughs loudly. “Calm down,” he says. “Unlike you, I’m not planning on stalking a woman until she agrees to be at my beck and call twenty-four/seven.”

“You haven’t got as many demons as me to restrain,” I grumble, leaving Sam to go find Ava. I pass Kate in the hallway and she smirks. I stop and follow her with my eyes. “What’s that look for?” I ask, raging with curiosity.

“No look.”

“Where’s Ava?”

“Looking for her pills in the kitchen.”

My eyes shoot so fast toward the kitchen door, I nearly lose them in the back of my head. Looking for her pills? More pills? How many does she keep? I approach the doorway quietly, finding her scratching through a drawer, muttering and cursing under her breath.

She stops. Frowns at the contents of the drawer. Then slams it shut. “I always keep them in my makeup bag.”

Oh? Good to know. “Problem?”

She startles. “I can’t find my pills.”

Good.I shake my head to myself. I’m deplorable. There’s time for this little fuckup of mine to be rectified; she can’t fall pregnant after missing one pill. Can she?

But... “Find them later,” I say. This is a sign. An omen. The fates are speaking. They don’t want her taking those pills either.

“Come on.” I offer my hand, taking in the lovely cream dress. I have good taste. She should let me dress her every day. It’ll be a win-win. She gets to look out of this world without so much as thinking about it, and I’ll avoid unnecessary heart attacks. Perfect. The dynamics of our relationship are starting to figure themselves out, and I really like where it’s heading. More peace. More Ava. “I like your dress,” I tell her quietly, hoping she appreciates how much. She gives me a doubtful pout as she nears, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.Oh, give me a break.I can see by the look on her face she’s going to try and play the cool card. Pointless. I reach under the cream material, smiling darkly when she gulps.Nice try, baby.She grabs me for support as I breach the edge of her knickers—lace, of course—and delve gently into her saturated pussy. “Wet,” I whisper, circling slowly. So fucking wet. “Later.” I have no idea how I manage it, but I remove my touch. My consolation prize is licking up her condition from my finger.

“You have to stop doing that.” She’s completely exasperated.

“Never,” I promise, leading her out of the kitchen.

It’s like a second nature to me to buckle her up, and it seems it’s like second nature for her to let me. I slip into the driver’s seat and roar off down the road, my hand automatically falling to her knee and remaining there. Constant contact. It’s all I need. Not too much to ask.

I steal glimpses of her often, watching as she gazes out of the window, deep in thought. Is she thinking how amazing this is? Me and her? Natural? Easy together when we’re on the same page? She looks across the car and catches me admiring her. I smile. She smiles. Even our smiles are perfect together.

The road to The Manor is dense with trees, the light wind rustling the leaves above, the sun bursting in the sky. It’s a beautiful day.

“How long have you owned The Manor?” she asks out of the blue, cluing me in on what she’s been thinking.

Now’s the perfect opportunity to start slowly breaking some of my silence. “Since I was twenty–one.”


Tags: Jodi Ellen Malpas Romance