Speaking of, I had a good way to convince Willow this was a piss-poor idea. “That’s nice and all, but I’m too broke for any of this. My dream is just that—a dream.”
Someone had replaced Willow with a Cheshire Cat. Her grin was eerie, almost as much as the twinkle in her eye. “Do you know what I do for work, Price?”
I was almost too afraid to shake my head. “No, I don’t think so. I know you got a promotion recently.”
“You’d be right. I’m a proposal writer for a collaboration of investors. My side of the department works specifically with small businesses. I’ve floated around, so I’ve seen most of the different positions and inner workings of the company. I know how investors think, what they want, how to win them over, and how to make a damngood proposal because it’s literally my job. I know Matt because I worked with the investor who bought into his business. We had monthly meetings for a while, and as Mr. Cordell, the investor, trusted me more, I became a direct point of contact for any business needs between them.
“Now, I primarily reach out to businesses in the area with proposals of our own and sometimes help go over proposals that come in from them. My work is very boring, Price. But I have a lot of tools in my arsenal because of it. Tools you could use, including connections to different investors who would love to pick up a locally owned fine-cuisine restaurant like yours. Those are rare, and rare is good.”
My jaw was officially on the floor. Willow had a cocky smirk plastered on her face—and for good reason. Not only had she proved that she was serious, but she was also offering to help me. When was the last time someone had honestly thought I could do more with my life like this?
I had no idea meeting Crew would open a possibility like this. Which was another thing. Once Crew and I were through, would he regret his friend helping me like this? Where would I even put the restaurant? Who would I hire? How possible was the previously impossible?
As my mind reeled with questions, Crew scooped up my empty plate alongside his. “Just think about it, Prince Charming. Willow may go headfirst into things, but she doesn’t expect an answer right away. I think it’d be a wonderful idea, and I know you could pull it off, but it’s a lot to think about all at once.”
“Right.” I nodded. “Thank you, Willow. I’ll think about it and let you know.”
She flashed me a smile as she stood. “You do that. You’ve got my number if you need anything. As for now, I’ll go hide in my room and shove some earbuds in my ears so I can pretend y’all aren't about to fuck like rabbits.”
Crew choked on thin air, coughing through curses. “Get—your ass—outta here!”
Willow’s echoing laughs could be heard down the hallway, only muffling once she was behind her closed bedroom door.
I walked up behind Crew as he put our dishes in the sink, wrappingmy arms around his waist. “Are we?” I asked against his ear, my chest pressed into his back.
“Are we what?” He leaned into my hold, placing his hands on my wrists.
Placing a path of kisses down his neck, I licked a particularly sensitive spot. “Gonna fuck like rabbits?”
He hummed beneath my ministrations, the sound satisfied and breathy. Lacing a hand around the back of my head, Crew nuzzled his nose against my cheek. “I like the sound of that. You might have to keep my mouth busy, though. Don’t want Willow getting an earful.”
“That can be arranged.”
“Come on.” Crew spun in my arms, pulling me towards him and down the hallway to his bedroom.
The moment the door snicked shut, he had his palm square on my chest, pushing me until the back of my knees hit his bed. I smirked up at him as I landed on my ass, enjoying the palpable hunger in his eyes.
It was glimmering in them. A gorgeous twinkle against an icy backdrop, darkening with each second that passed between us. Neither of us looked away as Crew graciously dropped to his knees in front of me. I parted my legs, leaving room for his body.
His hands were abnormally warm over my pants, his lust scorching through the fabric as he placed them on my thighs. I dropped my gaze to them, watching as he rubbed up and down, getting closer to the inner crest with each pass.
A tease of his fingertips close to the most sensitive part of me. A ghost of the future. My heart was in my throat as I looked back up, only to see a self-satisfied smirk on his face. Jesus, I wanted to kiss it off him. Render him as boneless as I was with searing, barely-there touches like he was doing to me.
Crew began to unzip my pants, the sound of the zipper’s teeth tearing against each other loud in the otherwise silent room. I leaned back on my hands to give him room, lifting my hips when he pulled them down. I raised my eyebrow at him in question when he didn’t take my briefs with them.
“Patience,” he muttered.
I was nearing zero in the patience category. Sweat started to slick my palms, forcing me to nonchalantly wipe them on the blankets.
They were quickly curled beneath my fist as Crew leaned forward, placing a hot kiss against my covered shaft. All this time, I was teaching him the art of waiting, patience, and gentle touches. Now, I was the one struggling as he used my own tactics against me.
He mouthed at my cock, leaving large, damp stains on my briefs. The fire contained in my soul begged to lash out and claim all that was in front of it, licks of its tail pushing against my stomach in an attempt to break free. I reeled it in, though just barely. Something was different about Crew.
Out of everything we’d done, he hadn’t sucked me off yet. When we had sex, I could see hesitation in his eyes if even for only a moment. Whether he admitted it or not, Crew was still scared of gentle intimacy, and it fucked with my brain. Not because of the fear itself, but because of thewhyor lack thereof.
So far tonight, his eyes had been clear. In place of the fear and anxiety was a ferocity I’d not seen before.
I watched as he pulled my waistband down, once more helping him by lifting my hips as he pulled them all the way off. He leaned forward, taking my base into one hand. His mouth opened, a beautiful shape just wide enough for my cock. I placed my hand in his hair, not tugging or pulling, simply because I needed to feel closer to him. I needed something to hold onto as he sucked my crown into his mouth, his cheeks forming dips as he did. With his tongue swirling around me, he looked up at me from beneath his gorgeous lashes.
