Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88212 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
This is one of those dark clouds looming over him, what he uses his bright personality to distract from, and it breaks my heart because I can’t imagine anyone looking at Dax and not seeing him as I see him, especially his father.
He strokes my neck gently. His lip twists, and he lies down again, turning away from me.
I fear I pushed things too far, but he says, “Cuddle me.”
It’s not a question; it’s a command.
I pull him close, hook my arm around him, my hips against his ass. He rests a hand on my arm as I nestle my face into his neck. We’ve cuddled plenty of times before, but this time feels different as I cling to him, keeping his body tight against me, as though it’s more than just our bodies clinging together tonight.
Instinctively, I kiss his temple. A sweet gesture, so different from the wild fucking we can get into, but I like it. And fuck, if I’d known it’d feel this good to be sweet with him, I would’ve done it a lot sooner.
22
Dax
I wake up before Miles, his body still wrapped around mine, morning wood nestled nicely against my ass, his warm breath on my neck.
Last night was…different for us…for me, and I’m trying to work out what that means, what I want it to mean, and how scared I should be. Normal scared, or freaking-the-fuck-out scared?
Does Miles feel it too? He must be. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have shared the truth about the fire.
Thinking about the repercussions he faced pisses me the fuck off. Even though he copped to it, I can’t get over how bad everyone treated him afterward, how bad they still treat him. He’s prickly and keeps to himself, doesn’t open up easily, and sometimes rubs people the wrong way. These things made it easy for people to see him as a villain, and though I couldn’t have known any better, I hate that I didn’t push back more, even if only to remind everyone it was an accident.
Sure, I always tried to be decent to Miles, but I didn’t try to get to know him until recently. Last night he seemed so grateful, so awed simply because I believed him. I can’t imagine how that would feel—just needing someone to believe in you—and I vow to make sure I always believe in him. We all need someone in our corner, and I want to be that person for Miles, just like he was that person for me last night. We might show it in different ways—Miles with anger and aloofness, me with jokes and sexual innuendo—but we both need someone to be there for us, someone to make us feel less alone.
He moans behind me, a sleepy sound that tells me he’s waking up, his hold on me tightening for a moment, before loosening again.
I shift to face him, Miles’s eyes fluttering open, mysterious and unsure. “You’re a very good cuddler,” I tease.
His brows pinch together. “Take it back,” he jokes.
“Nope. It’s true. You’re cuddly as shit. I can’t remember the last time I slept so well. You could charge for these if you wanted.”
He rolls on top of me, my back pressed to the mattress. “You want me to cuddle with other people? But then, I guess we did only promise exclusive dick and ass.”
Something twinges in my chest, though he’s right. That’s all we promised, and I’m the one participating in the stupid auction tonight. Yes, it’s for a good cause, but I’ll be going on a date with someone…and Miles told me I should do it. He acted like it didn’t matter at all, so I shouldn’t be lying here feeling some kind of way over a joke I made about him charging for cuddling.
“I guess so,” I say, not liking the sound of my own voice. If Miles notices, he doesn’t show it. Clearly, I’m the only one being a fucking weirdo right now, and I need to get my shit together. “Didn’t you promise me some dick in ass, though?” I quirk a brow, and he grins.
“I did indeed. But I’ll make you wait for it until after breakfast.”
“What?” I complain as he climbs off me. My dick is hard and throbbing already, and seeing Miles’s sexy ass walk confidently away doesn’t help. “That’s not fair,” I whine, following him.
“What about me makes you think I’m fair?” he teases.
“Good point. You do like to torture me.”
“You like it when I torture you.”
He’s not wrong. “You’ve made a masochist out of me.”
“You made it easy,” he says with a smile.
We go into the bathroom together. I take a piss while Miles digs out a new toothbrush from under the sink and sets it down for me. We swap places, him going to the bathroom while I wash my hands and brush my teeth, and then he does the same afterward.