Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 60768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
I lean back against the door, eyes closed, and let the images flood in. Orchid in the kitchen, that oversized shirt barely covering her ass. The way her nipples had tightened under the fabric when I looked at her. Her long legs wrapped around me. That perfect ass in downward dog. The soft sound she might make if I slid my hand between her thighs right now.
I stroke myself slow at first, then faster, thumb sweeping over the head on every upstroke. My breathing turns ragged. I picture her on her knees in front of me, dark eyes looking up while she takes me in her mouth. I picture bending her over the kitchen counter, fucking her deep while she tries and fails to stay quiet. I picture her riding me, hair loose, tits bouncing, moaning my name like she can’t help it.
“Fuck,” I whisper, hips jerking into my fist. The tension coils tighter, hotter, until it snaps. I come hard, spilling over my hand with a low groan, her name caught behind my teeth.
My legs shake as I ride it out, chest heaving. When it finally fades I slump against the door, heart still pounding.
The relief is temporary. The ache is already creeping back in because the real thing is right across the hall, pretending she doesn’t want the same thing I do.
I clean up quickly, crawl into bed, and stare at the ceiling again.
This thing between us is dangerous. It’s fucking stupid and likely to get one or both of us killed if we let it go anywhere.
But lying here in the dark, body still buzzing from the memory of her scent and the heat in her eyes, I can’t bring myself to regret a single second of it.
TEN
ORCHID
The sun is already slicing through the blinds when my eyes finally crack open. I blink at the ceiling, disoriented. My body feels heavy, like I barely slept at all. Which is exactly what happened.
All night my brain kept feeding me the same vivid, relentless dreams. Poe’s hands sliding up my thighs in the kitchen. His mouth on my neck while that low, rough voice whispered filthy promises against my skin. The way his bare chest looked under the soft lights, tattoos dark against tan skin, muscles shifting as he crowded me against the counter. I woke up more than once flushed and aching, sheets twisted around my legs, heart hammering like I had run a mile.
I press the heels of my hands against my eyes and force a slow breath. This cannot keep happening. Poe is a job. A dangerous, complicated job with my own secrets tangled up in the middle. I need my wits sharp, not foggy with thoughts of his hands all over me.
I drag myself out of bed, throw on leggings and a loose tank, and pull my hair into a quick ponytail. The house is too quiet for comfort. I head downstairs, already mentally listing everything we need to accomplish today. The hack. The timeline. Keeping Poe focused. Keeping myself focused.
The second I step into the living room, my plans shatter.
Tammy and Mark are sprawled on the couch like they own the place. Tammy is mid-laugh, waving her hands around while she tells some story. Mark is nodding along, holding two coffee cups from the local shop. And Poe (shirtless, sweatpants riding low on his hips) is leaning against the arm of the couch, grinning like this is the most normal morning in the world.
Annoyance flares hot and immediate in my chest. We do not have time for this. Serafina could call any minute. Poe is supposed to be starting the hack today, not playing friendly neighbor with the suburban welcome wagon.
Tammy spots me first. “Orchid! Good morning, sleepyhead! We brought coffee. Your hubby said you might need it after last night.” She winks like she knows exactly what kind of night we had.
I force a smile that feels more like baring teeth. “How thoughtful.”
Poe’s eyes meet mine across the room. There’s a spark of amusement in them, mixed with something darker that makes my stomach flip. He knows exactly why I look like I didn’t sleep.
I tilt my head toward the kitchen. “Poe. A word?”
He pushes off the couch with that easy, lazy grace that shouldn’t be so attractive. But it so is. “Be right back, guys.”
The second we’re in the kitchen I spin on him, keeping my voice low. “What the hell is this? We have work to do. Serafina’s calling any minute and you’re out here entertaining guests like we’re on vacation.”
He holds up both hands, but the smirk doesn’t leave his face. “They just showed up. Knocked on the door and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Tammy said something about bringing coffee and checking if we survived the party. I couldn’t exactly slam the door in their faces without looking suspicious.”