Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 116597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
And I just couldn’t help myself.
I whistled low as I leaned against the doorframe, letting my gaze rake down and back up again.
“Well butter my biscuits,” I said, shaking my head with a grin. “I didn’t realize it was country night, but you can ride me any time, cowgirl.”
Livia hit me with the slowest blink of all time.
Undeterred, I doubled down. “If I had a nickel for every time you’ve taken my breath away, I’d be able to buy the whole damn rodeo for you, sweetheart.”
I was pretty proud of the country accent I managed with that one, but Livia just pressed her lips together in a tight line, hand finding her hip as she cocked one eyebrow up.
Fine. Time to bring out the big guns.
“I’m pretty sure it’s outlaw behavior, looking that good in cowboy boots,” I said, lifting my hands like I was just the messenger. “And I’m afraid I’ll have to make a citizen’s arrest.”
That did it.
She fought it, her lips tightening as she tried to keep her poker face, but a laugh snuck through before she could stop it, her head dipping for a beat. When she looked back up at me, there was a smile pulling at her lips.
“You done?”
I pushed off the doorframe and gave a little shrug. “Honestly, I could go all night. But I think the plans you have in mind for us would be a lot more fun for all involved.”
Then I stepped aside, gesturing her in with all the cowboy charm I could muster.
“Come on in, cowgirl.”
It was impossible not to ogle that woman’s ass as she passed me, but I kept the yee-haw I wanted to holler out loud at the sight of it tucked securely between my teeth.
She set her oversized leather purse on the table just inside, taking a quick glance around my place with a look I couldn’t decipher before she turned to face me just as I closed the door behind us.
“In the spirit of our agreement, since you are a paying customer, I feel like I should take this opportunity to teach you that every single one of those lines made you seem eager and inexperienced.”
“Should I bend over for this lashing or?”
“Is that really how you act around other women, or is it only me who gets the unfortunate blunders?”
“I’m afraid my one-of-a-kind charm is a gift I must share with the world,” I said, pressing a hand to my chest. “But don’t be jealous, cowgirl. I save my best ones for you.”
“Clearly.” She sighed, but that smile was playing at the edge of her lips again. “You don’t have to try so hard. You don’t have to make it some cute, on-theme compliment. What a woman really wants is to get your guttural, instinctual reaction.”
“So, she does want me to drool on her!” I snapped my fingers at the crate where Zamboni was patiently waiting for his release, his tail wagging, tongue flopped out of his mouth. “You were right, buddy. I owe you a bully stick.”
Livia eyed the pup over her shoulder before turning back to me. “What I want, and what most other women want, is for you to show me that one look has already driven you out of your mind. I want to see how badly you want me, but I don’t want you to make a joke of it. I want to feel your desire, your restraint. We don’t need clever. We need real.”
She took three, slow, purposeful steps toward me then, the heels of her boots tapping against my floor in a way that scratched an itch in my brain. She was an inch taller than me at the moment, with me barefoot and her wearing those boots, and she tilted her head at me, tongue toying with the corner of her lip as she sized me up.
“Try again,” she purred.
And I knew without asking that it was a demand — not a request.
Livia walked past me, opened and shut my door, and then knocked again.
Poor Zamboni lost his mind, and I assured him he’d be free as soon as I passed this test. I waited until he calmed before I opened the door.
Livia stood there just like before, and this time, I tried to lean into her instruction, to do what she’d asked. I let my eyes trail the length of her as my brain whirred to catch up, and I thought I might have actually won the lottery in this lesson, since it meant I got to unabashedly check her out again.
Focus.
Listen to your gut.
Say what you really feel.
Be real.
Don’t choke.
That last internal thought was one all too familiar, one that stung like a snake bite. It was impossible to escape its teeth that sank into me, but I did my best not to show it on the outside.