“You would with me,” I whisper in her ear.
Her breath hitches.
“And I’m willing to bet you’ll enjoy it,” I add.
“You’re pretty sure of yourself there, Mr. Christensen,” she argues in a feeble voice.
“Call it a hunch. A very strong one, Miss— I didn’t get your last name.”
“It’s Bickford-Smith.”
“In that case, consider yourself warned, Miss Everly Bickford-Smith.”
“You’re taking an awful lot of liberties with that assumption—”
“You mean fact.”
“Someone is cocky.”
“Am I being cocky when I know I can deliver on my promise? In spades.”
Her eyes widen like saucers.
“I don’t know anything about you, Holt Christensen. You could be a married man looking for a good time with an unsuspecting donut dominatrix.”
Good one.
“So you’re interested?”
She clears her throat. “I didn’t say that.”
Too bad the veil of lust covering your big brown eyes betrays you.
“I’m just trying to understand where you’re coming from,” she adds.
I think it’s pretty clear.
I study her.
She brushes her hands in a semi-circular motion in front of her face. “Forget what I just said—”
Too late.
“Have you noticed a ring on my finger?” I ask.
“Doesn’t mean a thing,” she retorts.
“So you’ve been checking me out.”
She shrugs. “You didn’t have a ring the other day at the bakery.”
“Like I said, you’ve been checking me out.” That sly smile is back on my face.
“In any case, my point being, contrary to children’s storybooks, it’s a well-known fact storks don’t drop babies from the sky right at their parents’ doorstep.”
“Thanks for the reminder. What are you getting at?”
“You don’t need a ring to be in a relationship,” she states.
“Just so we’re clear, I’m not married and I’m not in a relationship. My little princess is my responsibility… and mine alone.” She readies herself to ask another question, but I continue. “I don’t have a girlfriend either and I’m not seeing anyone on the side. Any other questions?”
She swallows thickly and mutters her response. “I don’t think so.”
“Good. What about you? How many men have you seduced with your mad donut dominatrix skills? More precisely, what about the guy that works with you? Should I be worried he’ll come after me for hitting on his girl?”
CHAPTER 12
Everly
I bite my cheek to stop from smiling so much.
I can’t believe this.
Holt Christensen, the very handsome guy who had me drooling the first time we met, is hitting on me.
Me?
Oh. My. God.
I’ll have to thank Ainsley for wanting a break from all the partying. Without her suggestion, I wouldn’t be standing here in front of this delicious wall of muscle.
Holt’s taunting smile has my stomach doing somersaults.
Still focused on his hypnotic eyes, I try to remember his question. The loud thud of my heart prevents me from thinking straight.
“What guy?” I ask, still under his spell.
“The one that kept brushing me off, telling me to come back when I stopped by your bakery last weekend.”
“Oh, Callum. He’s my cousin.”
“So he’s family? I don’t have to worry?”
“Not at all.”
“What about your other suitors?”
“You’re safe. You don’t have to worry about them either.”
“You’re single?”
“I am.”
“I don’t believe it,” he challenges.
“Why not?” I challenge back.
“Are you telling me men aren’t banging down your door?”
“Maybe I don’t like to be tied down.”
His gaze narrows. Eyes fixated on me. Blue irises turning dark.
“What?” I ask, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
His head angles to the side, cockiness painted on his face.
“Hmph.” He hums a non-committal sound.
“Are you going to give me more to go by?” I press.
He looks at me with unrelenting intensity in his eyes.
I blush furiously under his inspection.
I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something ominous—dangerous even—about him right now.
He leans towards me. “Obviously the guys you’ve been with so far don’t have a clue what they’re doing. When done properly, behind tied up or tied down is as enjoyable for you as much as it is for me. Not that I want to boast, but I have some mad skills, Everly.”
Is it wrong to admit my pussy is throbbing like crazy right now?
“You’d be surprised what I can do with a tie or stockings,” he continues, “Trust me, you’d change your mind about being tied down real quick.”
Holy hell.
His tone is steadfast.
His voice without hesitation.
There isn’t a trace of humor in his statement.
My nipples harden and my mouth waters. My body aches in places I’ve never felt before as I soak in his words.
Dear God.
Forget about throbbing, I'm officially doing Kegel exercises.
Was that an invitation or just a taunt?
I look up and notice the barely there arrogant smile on his lips before meeting his eyes again. My mouth drops open at the lingering lust I see in his stare.
He’s serious.
I try to swallow, but I can’t. It’s as if I’m parched. I guess that’s what happens when you’ve gone without for so long.
Silence stretches between us and I convince myself I need to look away from those mesmerizing ocean blue eyes. Yet I can’t find it within me to break the hold he has on me, let alone breathe.
The man renders me speechless.
I’m taken aback by this guy’s undeniable virility.
I’m completely affected.
His mouth twists into a cocksure grin. “I see the wheels churning in your pretty little head, Everly.”
“Okay, so you one-upped me,” I say when I find my voice again. “You had me going there for a minute. Tied up. Tied down. Ha! Good one. Funny how you twisted that around,” I deflate. I even let out a small laugh.
“Who said I was joking?”
“Oh.”
Jesus.
The sexual tension coating his skin is so thick, I almost feel it.
“Have you ever given up all control to a man before?” he asks.
My body hums with awareness.
How am I supposed to respond to that?
No, is the logical answer. After all, I don’t know this guy.
But I’m already imagining it.
Imagining us.
His hard body pressed against mine, strong arms holding me tight, full lips taking mine.
I wonder how it feels to be tied down. Specifically, how it would feel with him.
“I didn’t even know it was an option,” I say in a whisper.
I swear I thought my inner voice was doing all the talking, but his dumbfounded expression lets me know I was wrong.