Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
“Fraternitas is less a criminal organization and more an essential cog in the city’s wheel that happens to step outside the bounds of the law from time to time.”
“Like a corporation.” She shoves a forkful of pasta into her mouth and chews, glaring at me balefully.
“Exactly.”
She speaks with her mouth full, still glaring. “Like you.”
“I’m more than just a cog.”
“You’re a pain in my ass,” she mutters.
I tilt my head. “I can be. But I think you like pain in your ass.”
“My gods,” she mutters. I chuckle, and she grabs a dinner roll and throws it at my head. I catch it and take a bite so it doesn’t go to waste.
She must be feeling better if she’s goofing off like this. I love being silly with her. She seemed to have accepted her change in marital status. “This is nice, isn’t it? Having dinner after work.”
She grunts, unwilling to admit how much fun she’s having. Challenge accepted. I reach for a final plate on the nearby rolling cart and present her with the last part of our meal—a large slice of tiramisu.
This turns out to be a mistake. Inara licking into a thick layer of mascarpone is more erotic than anything I’ve seen. I grip the edge of the table as she practically licks the plate clean. I display admirable restraint, but it takes all my control not to pounce on her.
Finally, she pushes her plate back with a sigh.
“Better?”
“Much. Thank you.” One last swipe of her tongue over her plump lips. I have to turn away for a moment to get a hold of myself. My cock is painful in my pants.
I never knew a simple dinner with someone could feel like a rollercoaster, but this is as good as a scene. The high of connection. The lows of denial. The razor edge of need and the lightness when I hold the space for my partner to truly be herself.
I’m smiling when I face her again.
“What?” she asks, looking confused at my grin.
“Thank you for dining with me.”
She looks uncertain. “I should be thanking you for feeding me.”
My heart softens. She’s trying to let me in. “My pleasure.”
Her forehead wrinkles further like she’s at war with herself. I stay silent, letting her wrestle with her feelings.
“Will you. . . will you stay with me? Spend the night, I mean.”
Triumph. My patience and restraint paid off. “Always.”
Inara
* * *
He sleeps naked. Because, of course, he does.
After a shower to wash off the day, I come out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, and he’s already stretched out on the bed, lounging under the covers. He looks like the king of the castle, a warrior resting after winning the war.
He did win, I guess. And I’m okay with it because I’m aligning myself with him. Working with him instead of against him. It’ll be nice to be on the winning team.
I return to the bathroom to dress in a short, navy blue nightgown trimmed with nude lace. I take the time to blow dry and brush my hair. I’m suddenly nervous about this. Like a virgin bride on her wedding night. I drop the brush and laugh at my reflection in the mirror.
It’s just Rex. He’s behaving. And it’s more convenient to let him hang around than go out and seek a stranger.
I’m used to grueling nights like these. Working a case and handling the murder book and files always sends me to a dark place. That’s why I would visit a sex club to break up the feelings. The impact play would give me the release I needed. Pain followed by an endorphin rush. It would be temporary, but it would help.
But whenever I’m in the thick of it, I can’t escape the case. It would follow me home and haunt my dreams. It wasn’t all bad. My subconscious would process the details and the answers could come to me in my dreams. More often than not, I’ve broken cases by waking up with the puzzle worked out.
Tonight will be no different, except this time, I won’t be alone. It’s a novel thought, one that makes me eager to climb into bed. I hesitate before sliding into the covers.
“I don’t know if I’m up for anything tonight,” I tell Rex.
“You should sleep,” he murmurs. “You need rest.”
He’s right.
I curl up on my side, facing away from him. My back prickles. I’m acutely aware that there’s a giant dom in my bed. My body is desperate for his warmth.
“Thank you for getting me Lacy’s murder book,” I say into the dark.
“You’re welcome.”
“I actually found it years ago when I was staying with Lacy. She was in the kitchen, and I snooped in her bookcases.” I remember pulling the book onto my lap, and a loose piece of paper fluttered to the floor. It was a picture of my family. Teenage me had stopped breathing.