Total pages in book: 14
Estimated words: 13099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 65(@200wpm)___ 52(@250wpm)___ 44(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 13099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 65(@200wpm)___ 52(@250wpm)___ 44(@300wpm)
“Excellent.” I flopped on the couch. I had been dozing in my recliner earlier but the couch suited my purposes here better. “Have a seat.”
“Thank you.” He perched next to me, not relaxing but not retreating to the far side of the long leather sofa.
“You still seeing that artist?” Having established that he didn’t live with the co-parent to the kids, I still had a couple of questions. The previous fall, Stu had been seen at a couple of local events with a glass artist who had worked in several area galleries, but I hadn’t seen them together all winter. Now it was July, and I hoped like hell Stu was fair game.
“Gotta love small-town gossip.” Stu gave an eye roll that made him look far younger than his actual age, which was likely his early forties. I liked his maturity. Around here, the local singles scene tended to be a lot of younger folks, which was a no-thank-you from me. I wanted sex, not a babysitting gig. Stretching, Stu finally relaxed a bit against the couch. “No, that was a brief fling. Mika wasn’t up for the whole dating a single dad thing, not that I blame them.”
“Their loss.” I took another leisurely sip of my beer. One of his many colorful T-shirts featured a goose holding a pan Pride flag, so I’d been fairly certain he swung my direction at least some of the time, even before he’d dated the nonbinary artist.
“Thanks.” As before, Stu mimicked my actions. I did like the potential here, for sure. Hot and able to follow directions well? Yes, please. Stu set his beer on a nearby end table I’d picked up at a neighborhood yard sale. “You’re single as well? I’m not opposed to casual, but I don’t do cheaters.”
“Single. Divorce cured me of any settle-down urges I might have had.” I met his gaze, trying to convey that I wasn’t the dating type. Hookups, yes. Flings, sure. But picket fences? Been there, got the heartbreak, no thank you on a repeat.
“Ah. My divorce wasn’t so bad, but we were college friends first.” He gave a vague gesture. “We’ve made it work for the sake of the kids.”
“That’s good. I moved across the country to escape the fallout from mine.” I was an open book by nature, but I also wanted to reinforce that whatever happened here wasn’t the start of some grand romance. “Hector, my ex-husband, was also the mayor.”
Stu winced. “The mayor. Ouch.”
“Told you. The aftermath sucked.” I left out the part about Hector leaving me for his much younger administrative assistant. Somehow, despite the cheating, he’d managed to keep the bulk of our friend group and town support, and I hadn’t been able to stomach staying and starting over in the same area where I’d lost my parents, my marriage, and my hopes for the future.
“I imagine so.” Stu nodded sympathetically.
“It’s been a couple of years, but feel free to console me.” I stretched out farther, legs falling open, arm snaking out along the back of the couch.
“What did you have in mind?” Stu’s dark-brown eyes flared with heat. I’d made the suggestion open to whatever ideas he might want to run with, but the way he tossed the ball back into my court for direction made my cock pulse that much harder.
Reaching out, I ran a thumb over his lower lip. “I’ve been a fan of these lips of yours since I saw you at Caleb’s birthday party at the Heist.”
“Yeah?” He scooted closer.
“Watching you sip that beer gave me all sorts of ideas, but you feel free to share your own.” I left him an out in case giving oral wasn’t his thing.
“I like how you think.” He laid a hand on my bare knee. “And I’m happy to follow your…suggestions.”
The way he drew the word out made the tent in my shorts that much bigger. I did enjoy giving orders and having them followed, and if Stu was into that too, so much the better for this little encounter.
“Is that so?” I drawled. “Anything you really don’t like? Kissing okay?”
“Kissing is great.” Nodding, he licked his lips. “Don’t come on my face, and I’m not into pain, but feel free to get as bossy as you like otherwise.”
“Come here.” I started with a simple command, yanking him into my lap. No protest from Stu as he arranged himself to straddle me on the couch. He bent forward, close enough to kiss, but waited for me to make that move.
I happily obliged, pulling him into a kiss with a hand tangled in his thick hair. He moaned approvingly. Since Stu wasn’t under a time crunch, I intended to fully enjoy those lips of his. I traced them with the tip of my tongue before sucking on the lower one, which earned me another groan. He wasn’t a passive kisser, but he did let me lead. I moaned as well when he welcomed my tongue into his mouth, sucking on it in a clear imitation of where this was headed next.