Page 67

For a moment, I consider pushing—saying something,doingsomething to make him lose control completely.

But I don’t.

I turn and walk out, leaving him to his papers.

Back in the bedroom, I let the bathrobe slip from my shoulders and curl under the sheets. There’s a lump in my throat, and an ache in my chest I don’t know quite understand.

I feel like I might cry.

I don’t knowwhy.

I lie there for nearly an hour, staring at the ceiling, willing the feeling away. My body is restless, buzzing with unsatisfied energy. The sheets tangle around my legs. Every time I close my eyes, I feel the ghost of his hands, his mouth, the heat of his breath against my skin.

The door opens.

I freeze.

Pulling the sheets down just slightly, I see Nicolas step into the room.

I steady my breathing, keeping my eyes closed, pretending to sleep. The mattress shifts beneath me, warmth radiating from his body as he settles beside me.

A gentle stroke against my cheek. His thumb glides over my lower lip, slow and deliberate.

“She looks so peaceful when she sleeps,” he murmurs, tracing the curve of my cheek again. “Where does all that fire go?”

My heart pounds.Has he done this before?Watched me sleep? Talked to himself like this?

I try to stop the heat rising to my cheeks, but—God—it's unfair howcutethis is!

My chest tightens with the effort of keeping still, keeping my breaths even, when suddenly-.

He kisses me.

“She tastes so good,” he mutters, almost to himself. Then kisses me again.

It takeseverythingin me not to react.

His hand trails down, the sheets shifting slightly as his fingers brush over my already hard nipples. A shiver runs through me, my body reacting instinctively.

“Fuck. Even in her sleep,” he murmurs, almost to himself.

My mind races.What the fuck? What is he doing? Is he…touching me while I’m sleeping?

I should be angry, should say something- but instead, heat coils low in my stomach. A traitorous thrill rushes through me, and I don’t know whether to fight it or give in, Then, just as suddenly, the warmth of his presence disappears.

I hear him moving around the room. The sot rustle of fabric. The click of the bathroom door opening.

I risk a peek, just enough to see—and then he steps out.Completely naked.

I shut my eyes again, pressing my lips together to keep from reacting.

There’s no way he’s going to…He wouldn’t…

A few seconds later, I feel the bed shift beneath me. But this time, he’s not beside me—he’sbelowme.

Cool air brushes against my skin as he lifts the blanket, settling between my legs.

A sharp inhale. A gentle touch. The slow, deliberate press of his hands as he parts my thighs, opening my pussy to him. I wish I could see his expression. My head falls back into the pillows as Nicolas puts his lips between my thighs and licks my pussy with a slow, hot flick of his tongue.