Page 19 of Stealing Forever (Bridge Point Bears Baseball #1)

Even without the lights on, I can see the apprehension in her eyes, but as she glances from her book to me, then back to her book. Then, in a quick shift, it changes into something else: challenge.

Her eyes dart across the room to where Sailor’s asleep on the small couch.

“It’s not appropriate,” she argues, but there’s not a lot of fight in her voice.

“She’s out. I can hear her snoring from here. C’mon, let’s hear some of this book.”

With another quick glance at where Sailor sleeps, she exhales and gives a curt, decisive nod.

There’s a slight shake to her voice as she starts to read.

“It’s him . There’s no doubt in my mind he’s who was watching me from the roof earlier today.

Or was it yesterday? It’s not like I can reach for my phone and check the time.

Swallowing thickly, I wait for his next move.

My heart hammers within my rib cage as terror clenches me tightly.

‘I’m going to take my hand away from your mouth, but if you scream, I’ll gag you. Do you understand?”

Holy shit, what the hell is Hailey reading?

“With him closer, I can make out the intense lightness of his eyes, so crystal blue that his irises look fake,” she continues.

“My heart seizes up, not knowing his intentions, yet I feel myself nod beneath his grasp. As promised, his hand slowly slides away from my mouth and comes to rest around my throat, and he holds it with the same amount of pressure as he did my mouth.”

Fuck , now I’m thinking about my hand around Hailey’s neck. Would she like that? If I put a little pressure on the column of her delicate skin as my full weight relaxed on top of her delicious, voluptuous body?

“‘Who are you?’ I croak, my voice coming out strained and distorted. I clear my throat, not even sure why I’m asking when I already know it’s him, but I need to hear it.

‘Ah, Little Devil. You don’t remember me?

You put on quite a show earlier…did you think I wouldn’t come back?

’ I’m frozen on my bed. He’s sitting back on his heels now, still straddling my hips but not putting his full weight down.

From between his legs, he leans forward slightly to continue holding me in place by my neck while his other hand still ghosts my midriff.

” Hailey’s voice strains as she reads, and my dick hardens with every seductive word that leaves her lips.

Who knew reading could be so erotic?

I want to fucking touch her—feel her body beneath my fingertips as she reads this out loud. Is she wet reading this to me? For me? It takes every ounce of restraint not to close the distance between us and plunge my hand into her panties to find out.

“With my eyes fully adjusted, I can see him better. His hoodie is a dark gray, or maybe a worn black. Unzipped halfway, his bare chest is exposed. He’s muscular, so damn muscular, and I want to reach up and trace the outline of his pecs with my fingertip.”

I imagine her nipples are stiffened to tight peaks, and what it would feel like to trace the edge of them against the fabric of my shirt she’s wearing. My dick feels like it might combust, and without thinking, my hips rock, chasing a touch that isn’t there.

“‘How did you get in here?’ The words tumble from my lips in a timid stutter. He laughs and presses his body forward against mine, leaning back down to my ear. ‘Do you want me to leave?’ he whispers. Shivering, I swallow past the lump in my throat. Despite the terror I feel, I give the slightest shake of my head.” She stops reading, letting out a small whimper, and the bed moves slightly as she shifts her body.

There’s no doubt in my mind that her pussy is aching right now, and I desperately wish I could do something about it.

But with my daughter in the same room as us, there is absolutely no way I’m so much as touching this woman’s face in a platonic manner, and trust me when I say nothing about what I want to do with Hailey is platonic.

Her voice is strained and breathy as she continues, and barely audible.

Still, I listen intently, because fuck if this isn’t the hottest sexual thing I’ve ever done and I haven’t even laid a hand on her.

“‘Because earlier,’ he continues, ‘it sure seemed like you wanted me to come down off that roof and eat your pussy. Or were you hoping I’d fuck you instead?’ Pushing his hand into my pants, he brushes his fingers over the fabric of my panties.

My hips buck against his touch and he smiles. ’”

“Fuck,” I growl, losing all control when she reads those last couple sentences.

“Yeah.” She sighs, the bed shifting slightly again as she moves her legs. I imagine her pressing her thighs together under the blanket. “I told you.”

As discreetly as possible, I reach under the duvet and palm my aching dick. “Go into the bathroom,” I demand. I need to see her. I won’t fucking touch her, but I need to know this is affecting her as much as it is me.

“Excuse me?” Hailey drops her e-reader against her chest, but I’m wrestling with the blankets to get out of the bed.

“Now, Hailey.”

This.

Fucking.

Sheet.

Finally shoving it off me, I slam my bare feet against the carpeted floor.

“Why?” she asks, but she’s already moving the blankets off her and sitting up.

“Because you’re right, the book isn’t appropriate. And you’re going to read more to me.”

Stalking to the bathroom, I hear the light patter of her footsteps following behind me. My palm slaps against the light switch, turning it on and casting the room in a warm glow.

Once she’s inside, I close the door and lock it for good measure. Sailor’s asleep, I’m sure of it, but you can never be too careful.

I walk to the wall across from where Hailey stands just inside the doorway, wanting as much space between us as possible. I can’t touch her. But that doesn’t mean I can’t blur the line a little, either. “This is what you read in your spare time, sweetheart?”

She bites down on her lower lip, and with a quick glance at the e-reader in her hand, she nods.

“Say it aloud. Tell me the type of books you like.”

“I read romance. And smut. Readers refer to it as spicy romance.”

“That’s it, sweetheart.” I cross my arms over my chest and watch as that gorgeous shade of crimson flames her cheeks again. “How do these books make you feel?”

“Wha-what?” she stammers.

“Do they turn you on, Hailey? Do you get wet reading books like what you’re reading now?” I tip my chin in the direction of the device in her hand.

This is it. Best case scenario, she dances across the line with me. Worst case, she quits and files a sexual harassment lawsuit against me.

That would suck.

For a fraction of a second, her eyes widen, and I think she’s going to tell me to fuck off, but then she surprises me when she says, “Yes.”

One simple word, but it packs a punch.

Yes , she gets turned on by her books.

Yes , they make that sweet pussy of hers wet.

Yes , she’s crossing the line with me.

I go all in—at least verbally.

My erection strains against my sweats, thick, engorged, and begging for reprieve, so I palm it openly, adjusting myself before I lean against the bathroom wall. “Be a good girl and take off your shorts.”

From across the room, I see her breath hitch. This woman loves to be praised, and I can’t wait to shower her with it.

Hooking her thumbs into the elastic of her barely-there pink sleep shorts, she pushes them down her legs and lets them pool at her feet. My button-down shirt reaches her upper thighs, leaving too much to my imagination, but I don’t ask her to take it off.

“Sit on the counter,” I command, my voice low and rough. My dick twitches against the thin fabric of my sweatpants, the head practically peeking from the top of my waistband. “Can you see what you reading that sexy book aloud does to me?”

“Yes.” She obeys me easily and hops onto the edge of the counter, e-reader still dangling from her fingers. “Declan, this feels…intimate.”

“No more intimate than you being in my hotel room— in my bed —in those goddamn little shorts. I won’t touch you, sweetheart, but I need you to keep reading to me.”

Her chest rises and falls in steady motions, a deep shade of rouge splashing across her cheeks. She’s silent for a few seconds, holding my gaze, before her head bobs in agreement. “Okay. I can do that.” Picking up the book, her gaze flicks across the screen, then she continues where she left off.

“Softly, he dusts his lips against my neck, groaning into it. ‘Did you dirty your panties with your cum, thinking of me earlier?’ His finger grazes lower, and he pushes it into me slightly, still covered with my underwear. My back arches as I moan. I still haven’t answered him.

I haven’t said a word. Pushing my hips forward again, I chase his touch when I should be trying to fight him off, trying to get away from him.

His fingers flex against my neck. ‘No,’ I tell him.

‘The fantasy wasn’t enough.’ A wide grin spreads across his face, and I marvel at how ruggedly handsome he is.

His eyes so bright and vibrant they glow, his five o’clock shadow adding to his features and somehow enhancing his straight jawline more.

'Of course it wasn’t. But it’s okay, baby girl.

I’m here now. And I can feel how much this pussy wants me.

’ He pushes aside the fabric with his middle finger and dips it inside of me. ‘So perfectly wet, and tight as fuck.’”

I groan, and her words cut off as our gazes collide. Her chest rises and falls in heavy breaths, much like my own.

“You’re doing so good, Hailey. Spread your legs for me. Let me see how wet you are.”

Something between a moan and a sigh floats past her lips, and she slowly spreads her legs, exposing her center, although it’s covered with the white-cotton fabric of her underwear. There’s a small wet spot from her arousal soaking through, and I can’t help but lick my lips at the sight of it.