Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 105183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105183 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
“Mr. Harrison,” Callie says, abandoning my toes, looking a little panicked. It’s the nude polish. I’ll defend her to the end.
Jude frowns down at my toes and turns interested eyes my way. I don’t shy away. “Green?”
“It’s seafoam, actually,” I say, inspecting my feet casually, thinking how it’s a similar shade to Jude’s eyes when he’s about to send me delirious with pleasure. His accusing glare licks my skin. Over nail polish? I look out the corner of my eye. He doesn’t seem impressed.
“Callie, would you give us a moment?” he says calmly.
What?
“Of course!” She’s up and gone before I can protest, and Jude’s soon sitting on the little stool she’s just vacated in front of me.
Reaching for the leather arms of the chair, I hold tight, stiffening from head to toe as he takes my ankles and starts to pull my legs apart. I fight him with everything I have. No, we’re not doing this again. I tense harder, resisting his force, but I’m no match for him. My legs spread, and I go lax in the chair, surrendering to him again, as he moves his stare to between my legs. On a long, deep breath, his chest expands, and he sighs, tilting his head, having a good study while I sit there and just let him, his large hands flexing around my ankles.
“How was your massage?” he finally asks, keeping me exposed to him.
“Overrated,” I say quietly, making him smile a little, peeking up at me. I’m unable to stop myself from mirroring the glorious sight, my own small smile breaking. He’s maddening. And fucking wonderful.
“Maybe you should leave a review on Tripadvisor.”
A burst of laughter erupts from me. If I leave a review on Tripadvisor, he’d be fully booked for the rest of his life. And, weirdly, that makes me wonder about all the women who have come before me.
And those who will come after.
I flinch.
Using my feet as a prop, he rises and leans in, getting his face close to mine. Then he releases one ankle and walks his fingers up the inside of my leg and strokes through my recovering flesh. My lips part, air streaming past them, my body instantly convulsing.
“Overrated?” he whispers, bringing his finger to his lips and sucking it clean.
Fuck.
“You’re going to a lot of effort to get a woman into bed,” I say quietly, my eyes glued to his.
“Do you think I go to all this trouble for—”
“Every woman you want to fuck?”
He takes a moment, thinking. “I don’t, to be clear.”
Probably because he usually gets little resistance. “Lucky me,” I breathe as his mouth moves closer. The heat of his fresh breath warms my face, his signature musky scent sending me dizzy. He rests his lips on mine but doesn’t advance his move into a full-blown kiss. It doesn’t stop my insides from furling, though, my hands twitching, ready to grab him and haul him into me as I look into his eyes, waiting, my impatience growing. I can’t help but think that any kiss I experience in my future that isn’t with Jude Harrison will be subpar. How depressing. I release my tongue, lightly slipping it into his mouth, meeting his, and he groans, pushing his mouth harder onto mine and devouring me for a few brief moments before pulling away, leaving me listless and breathless.
“Let’s talk about your choice of polish,” he says, lowering back to the stool before me and lifting my feet onto his thighs. “Blue.” He pouts.
“I told you, it’s seafoam.”
“I chose nude.”
“They’re my nails.”
“Tonight, Amelia, you’re all mine, so I get to choose.” He stands and moves onto a chair beside mine. Just tonight? “Callie,” he calls, and she pops her head around the door. I close my legs and pull my robe in, making Jude smile mildly. “Amelia has changed her mind,” he says, matter-of-fact.
“Have I?”
“She’d like nude.”
“Would I?”
He looks at me with a dash of playful warning. “Just let me do all the thinking.” He takes my hand as Callie resumes her position and picks up her small nail drill, starting to remove the seafoam polish. “Hand massage?” Jude asks.
“Oh no,” I snatch my hand away, shaking my head. Definitely not.
“It’s part of the service.” He reaches for the hand cream on Callie’s workstation. “Isn’t that right, Callie?”
She giggles and blushes, keeping her attention on removing my polish as Jude pumps a few blobs of cream into his palm.
“And I know for a fact that you love a good hand massage,” he says, claiming my hand. Callie chuckles again, peeking at me.
“I don’t need a hand massage.” I glare at Jude, silently begging him not to do this here as he starts working the cream into my hand. Of course, my plea goes unanswered. I grit my teeth, closing my eyes, digging deep for the strength to sustain the next phase of his seduction as his fingers slip through mine. I’m taken back to the bathroom at my office building, when he blindsided me, and my recovering flesh starts to throb greedily for him again. A million curses are let loose in my head. I’m trying so hard not to tense so Callie feels it. I know I’m failing when she repositions my foot to where she wants it.