Page 38 of The Handyman
She sat in the recliner while staring into space. She held her cheek in her hand, her naked body no longer shivering, but still lacking some color. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Tossing my sheet onto the floor, my heart ached at the lost lilt in her tone, and I sat down on the edge of my stripped bed to prop my elbows on my knees. Dazed, brown eyes met mine, and I pursed my lips thinly at the thick sheen that brightened them. We stared in silence for a long moment before I stood up to walk over to her. “Come on, baby.” I held out my hands, waiting for Riley to make the decision to take them or not. She moved sluggishly, her grip on my fingers loose, but with her, I found that I had patience in abundance. Unfurling her legs from under her, she stood up to huff a small sigh, and I squeezed her hands gingerly. “There’s no reason to make hasty decisions. You don’t have to do anything right this moment.”
“I need to talk to her.”
I’d beendreadingthose six, damned words, and I hid my sharp scowl as I led Riley down the stairs.
“I have to, Reece. I need to know.”
“Okay. We’ll decide what to do, but not right this second, baby.” Glancing at the sofa, my eyes narrowed as Delilah studiously stared at the TV even though the volume was almost too low to hear. Reaching the living room, I guided Riley to the door to the spare room, and she inhaled a rattling breath that rippled up my back. Tugging her through the threshold, I kicked the door shut behind us to turn her to me. Cupping her cheeks, I rubbed just below the dark circles under her eyes, and her lids fluttered closed easily. “Just relax. You’re okay, okay? You’re gonna start your job in three days, and you’re gonna beamazingat it, and you don’t have your mom in your life making you feel horrible and tomorrow, you won’t be hungover, so you’ll feel better.”
“Yeah, I know.” She reached to hold my wrists, casting me a small smile of appreciation before opening her mouth again, “I’m glad I’m not Hannah. I would’ve called out. Thanks for letting us party here.”
“You’re very welcome.” Forcing her backwards slowly, I guided Riley to the bed pushed up against the back wall by the balcony windows. My chest tightened when she sat down gracefully, her eyes brimming with trust and comfort. “Can I video you?”
“Okay.” Smiling warmly, her hands slipped from my skin to clasp in her lap.
I headed to the closet as I rubbed the back of my neck roughly.
“You like making porn, Reece?”
“What? No. I’m never gonna show it to anyone. I like videoing lots of things, having documentation.” Inside the closet was just a bunch of boxes of unopened toys, and I grabbed the camera off the high shelf as I answered her, “I’ve never felt the need to video having sex. I guess, I just want to just to have it.”
“For the nights I don’t sleep over?”
I could hear her smile in her tone, and I backtracked out of the closet with camera and tripod in hand.
Now, Riley was laying on the bed horizontal to the headboard, staring at the ceiling, with her legs draped over the side. “What if you don’t have any of those?”
“I think it’s important you stay in your own apartment, Riley. You’ve got your new job, and Hannah seems like a great neighbor. You don’t need the added stress of feeling obligated to spend time with me.” I didn’t know why I was always urging Riley to slow the fuck down; it wasn’t like she was going to leave me again. “I’m sure you’ll appreciate the distance for a few weeks, at least, until you get comfortable in your new job.”
“Why are you always so sensible?”
“Why are you trying to rush?” Combatting her question with my own, I rounded the bed to pull the tripod legs as tall as they could go. “Considering how well it went for you last time to jump into something, I thought you’d be more cautious, Riley.”
Riley’s brown eyes flickered to me, sparkling as she puffed out her lips in a pout. “You’re not a douchebag, though.”
Pursing my lips as I fixed the camera to the stand, I frowned under tightly knit brows.
On the little screen that flickered to life, Riley frowned upside down. “What?”
I adjusted the angle as I answered, “Riley, I’m not trying to take this out of proportion, but you were almost raped. You quit all your jobs. Your mom hired a hitman to kill you. You got a new job at a high-profile place withnooffice experience. Okay— I’m not saying youshouldn’twant to rush through to the greener grass beyond these hills, but seriously… I’m not going anywhere. You gotta slow down. There’s things you can zip through and things you should take your time with.” I left the camera just the way I wanted it to head back to the closet while Riley laid silently on the bed. There was no plan, but I grabbed an egg, still in the box, and a pre-cut coil of hemp rope. Riley was still laying down when I emerged, and I leaned on the door frame to stare at her. “You’re so beautiful, you know that?”
And Rileytrulywas beautiful. With her long, thick legs and hourglass figure, her skin pale from the winter, she had the kind of body guys drooled over. She blushed, turning her face to strain the muscles in her neck, and my abdomen tightened. The sudden shift in the air was palpable, and I walked over to set the rope next to her.
“You’ve got it all, baby. You should savor it.” Putting the box on the floor, I knelt down to caress up her legs, and Riley gasped lightly. Kissing up her calf, I relished the taste of her skin and grazed the bend of her knee with my teeth. Palming her thighs to spread them wide, I teased up her quivering, soft skin with my tongue. Hunger twisted in my gut as my cock hardened in my jeans, and I reached to undo the fastening before grabbing the rope.
“If you can’t slow down, I’ll just have to force you to.”
Excitement flushed her pink at my statement.
I stood up to drag the coils along her abdomen. Unlike at Black Cat, I was kinda limited in what I could do.The basics are basics for a reason, though.“Close your eyes, Riley.”
She obeyed immediately, her lower lip trembling before she sucked it between her teeth.
Gingerly grabbing her leg, I started the soothing, familiar motions of wrapping the rope around her ankle. Every time I tied Riley up, she looked more and more appetizing, and my mouth watered as desire flooded my system.
“I-I just want it to be over,” she whispered.