Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 71403 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71403 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 357(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 238(@300wpm)
I hope Aus asks me to sleep with him. At the very least to make sure he can protect me the whole night through.
But it’s more than that.
His cock burning through me could be the very medicine I need after such a crazy day.
“Home sweet home,” Aus says as he parks into a spot in the alley behind his apartment.
The brick building is older, dusty, with wrought-iron fencing lining the perimeter. Aus guides me out of the car through a courtyard to the front door of his building. He pulls out a key and jerks it around inside the keyhole.
“It never works the first time,” he explains as he twists the key around. Finally the latch loosens and he opens the door. I walk inside, and he gestures to a set of stairs. “I’m on the third floor, apartment five. But the Roman numeral five, so it’s a V.”
“Got it.”
Dodo begins purring as I walk up. I’ve had her long enough to know it’s a nervous purr. “Shhh, Dodo. It’s okay,” I whisper. “Aus is a good man. He’ll make sure nothing happens to us while we’re here.”
“Damn straight I will,” he says from behind me.
We reach the third floor and saunter to the apartment marked “3-V.” Aus puts the key in again, and again it sticks for a second. “It’s a little messy, but I obviously didn’t know I’d have company tonight.”
“I couldn’t give less of a fuck how messy your place is, Aus. You welcomed me at a moment’s notice, and it’s the sweetest thing a man has ever done for me.” I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him on his cheek.
It’s warm. So warm.
Just like all of Aus Waverly.
He’s warmth…and heat.
He grins after I kiss him and then turns toward his door, turning the knob. “Open sesame.”
I walk in behind him.
It’s not bad. Aus’s place is a converted loft space with exposed brick walls. To the left of the front door is an industrial-style kitchen with stainless-steel appliances, and to the right a cozy dining nook. Two gray couches—well-worn but good quality—populate his living area along with a shelf full of colorful books. I pick one from the shelf at random. On its cover is a black-and-white photo of a man pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
“The Tarbell Course in Magic, Volume One.” I narrow my eyes. “Are you into magic?”
“I was a magician in Vegas before I came to Chicago to help run the Jade Sanctum.”
“You were? That’s incredible.”
He crosses the room, takes the book out of my hands, and replaces it on the shelf. “It was another life. Those Tarbell books are the bible for magicians. I used to read them cover to cover all the time.” He sits down on the couch. “It’s been years since I even looked at them. Strange how life turns out so differently from how you planned it.”
“True.” I sit down next to him, lay my head on his shoulder. “Thank you again.”
“Any man with an ounce of decency would have offered you a place to stay.” He turns toward me, lifts my chin.
“If only every man were as decent as you,” I mutter.
He chuckles lightly. “I’m glad they aren’t.”
Then with a tip of my chin, he brings my lips to his.
26
AUS
This is wrong. I shouldn’t be kissing Thea right now. Her whole life is crashing down around her. She’s vulnerable, and if I sleep with her, she’ll think I’m taking advantage of her.
I break my lips from hers.
Her eyes flutter open. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you stop kissing me?”
I sit back on the couch. “The last thing you need right now is some guy you barely know kissing you.”
Her irises flare. “That’s exactly what I need right now. I need you to kiss me, to take me away from this horrible night.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been surer of anything.” She crushes her lips to mine.
I open my mouth, and our tongues tangle. I reach my arm around her back, squeezing her tightly to me. We stay there for a moment, our bodies woven together in need and hunger, but it’s not long before her hands wander to the buttons on my shirt. She slowly works her way down and slides the fabric off my shoulders, exposing my chest. She slides her fingers over my nipples as we kiss and kiss and kiss, and it feels so fucking good.
I grab the zipper at the back of her dress and bring it down, revealing her perfect breasts.
“No bra,” I growl as I pinch her nipples.
She grins and our teeth collide gently. “No underwear either.”
Fuck.
I’m hard.
And she knows it. She’s fiddling with the buckle of my belt. Once she gets it undone, she whips it off my hips in one fluid motion.
In a flash, she’s removed the rest of her gown and my own pants and briefs are around my ankles. She swings her legs over me and slides down onto my dick.