Toeing off my shoes, I leave them by the door and walk to the bathroom and turn the water all the way to hot as I strip off my clothes. I curse the second the spray touches my skin, scrambling to turn the handle to something less likely to give me third-degree burns.
It should be enough to divert my attention, but it isn’t. I need the relief.
I’m desperate for it.
Wrapping my hand around my cock, I hiss as I squeeze and stroke myself, thinking of all the little things my brain had captured being with Kinsley.
The flirty touches.
Sexy glances.
The way she pinned me against the door and kissed me.
The way she demanded I kiss her again.
I grunt as my orgasm rips through me, the evidence painted on the shower wall as I brace myself and try to catch my breath.
The odds of me surviving this little deal are slim but hell if I’m gonna turn back now. If Kinsley wants to coach me, I’ll be the best damn student she’s ever seen.
6
KINSLEY
True to his word, Royce had shown up at my door surprisingly early with the NDA in hand. Even though his hair was wet from a shower, he looked like he hadn’t slept. He blamed it on a video game, but I couldn’t help wondering if I’d kept him up too.
Sitting in my apartment with him, everything had seemed so easy.
Straightforward.
But as the silence echoed around me, I’d felt less sure abouteverything.
It’d been reckless to proposition him.
To kiss him.
To tell him to kiss me again.
But when he’d shown up in the morning, tired and adorably rumpled—albeit clean—it’d settled all the unease. He feltsafe.
And with Nessa gone, it was nice to have that again.
“Everything all right, Miss Dane?” Zander murmurs as he opens the back door of the SUV, allowing me to climb in as I nod. He towers over me, his hair trimmed and faded, his suitstretched across his barrel chest. He looks like a bodyguard, and in the three years I’ve known him, he’s always looked the same.
Circling to the front, Zander climbs into the driver’s seat as I relax into the pristine leather.
“Where to, Miss Dane?”
“Just home. I have a movie date with my neighbor,” I say, a small smile teasing my lips. He raises an eyebrow in the rearview mirror so I add, “We’re staying in.”
Seemingly appeased, he looks back at the road as I stifle a yawn. Today’s event had been held in a small town outside Nashville that was fundraising to rebuild their library. The roof had been no match for several days of heavy rain, and the insurance policy hadn’t come close to covering what had been lost.
My agent had grumbled about me being here alone, so Zander had volunteered to be here—didn’t hurt I was paying him, I’m sure.
I could have written a check to cover the full amount, but that wouldn’t help them in the long run. My physical presence guaranteed that people would associate me with this project for years to come. They’d donate simply because they saw my face, heard the passion in my voice.
And the best part? Iampassionate about the rebuild—about making sure books and resources are available to the town and the communities surrounding it. Days like today make the hard ones worth it, even more so considering Nessa wasn’t there with me.
“Miss Dane, we’re here.” Zander’s voice is soft and I blink quickly, surprised that I’d fallen asleep on the ride home.
