My moans rise, bounce off glass and tile, then vanish when he goes still.
His mouth brushes my ear. “Not until I hear your list. All of it. Out loud.” I’ve never seen that cruel side of him before. It’s delicious.
He turns off the water, and I shove him away in mock outrage. Fine, not entirely mock, my thighs are already twisting in anticipation. I fling a towel at him. “You’re such a tease, Preston. Is this how you treat your students? Withhold orgasms until they recite their homework?”
He catches the towel one-handed, grinning like he just got tenure in sin. “Only when they’ve got extra credit tucked in their bag,” he growls, slapping my ass hard enough to make me jolt—and clench even harder. “Now, towel off, sit your pretty ass on the bed, and read to me. Every word, Mia. The longer you stall, the longer I’ll edge you.”
I’m wrapped and halfway to the bed before I decide if I want mercy or more.
I sit, leaning against the padded headboard. Legs crossed, nerves buzzing. Then he steps out of the bathroom, the towel slung low on his hips, causing me emotional harm. I should sue. That brutal V slicing down his torso is just rude, and by that, I mean, offensively hot. The longer I look, the more brain cells I lose. I’m seconds from drooling into the pillow.
“And that’s why you make me feel like a fucking king,” he says, catching my stare and holding it, full of that lethal certainty that makes me feel butterflies inside. Not in my stomach, but they flutter.
“Preston, every woman on this planet stares at you and drools. What are you talking about?”
“Never noticed.” He shrugs. “Or cared. Something must’ve changed when the nanny moved in.”
“Do you have it?” His voice stays steady, his tone giving nothing away—but when both hands land on his waist, the flicker of impatience is impossible to miss. Or maybe, just maybe, he’s as anxious as me.
“Right here.” I unfold the paper and… Well, fuck. I didn’t think this through, did I? I didn’t censor a single word I wrote on this list. I just… blurted my inner thoughts. Vented. Documented every horny neuron firing in my brain.
I was never supposed toperformthis. I’m in bed, but it feels like a stage. I feel the heat of the spotlight. The weight of his gaze. And I can’t back out. “Okay, some of these things we’ve already done.”
“Every word, Mia. I want to know it all.”
Oh God, he really can read minds. Or just see through paper? Because I did not hold back. This list is a manifesto.
I cough. Shuffle. Consider disappearing into the duvet. “Okay, okay. You might regret this, but okay. A deal is a deal. Honesty. Transparency. Right?”
Preston sits at the edge of the bed facing me, one arm draped across my hips, his hand resting on the curve of my ass. I think he likes that part of me.
“I’m not sure it’s in the right order of escalation, so don’t take that into considera—” His hand tightens. Not playful. Not light. A full-on grip that nearly pulls me down the mattress.
“Stop stalling,” he commands. “Is edging on that list? Is that what you’re aiming for?”
“Yes. Number ten. But no, that’s not the aim.” I blink, trying to refocus. “I ramble when I’m nervous.”
His hand smooths over my ass, where he supposedly just punished, fingers tracing, lingering there. Yeah, he definitely likes that part of me.
“Okay,” I whisper, spine straightening. “Here goes my pride.”
I square my shoulders. Settle in. And pretend this is a pitch presentation for the dirtiest client of my life. I fucking ace presentations.
“Number one: Give a proper hand job. No limp, awkward fiddling. Two hands? Rhythm. Grip. Confidence. Maybe even eye contact. (To be confirmed, could be terrifying.)” Fucking hell, I can’t help it. I read every damn word out loud, parentheses and all. I decide to embrace this disaster, throwing in live commentary. “Hey, not that terrifying, after all.”
“Number two: Learn how to deep throat. Or at least not choke as if I’m being waterboarded by dick. Gag reflex training. Is that a thing? Can I search it without getting flagged?”
He’s smiling back at me, but judging by the tent in his towel, this isn’t going as badly as I feared.
“That’s one hell of a challenge with what you’re packing, but I’m up for it, if you’re willing to help.”
“So fucking willing, baby.” His hands glide up and down my sides, smooth enough that the towel stays exactly where it is.
“Number three.” I’m quite sure all my teeth are on display when I read this one. “Figure out what to do withballs. Kiss them? Suck them? Cup them reverently as a prayer offering? Honestly, open to instruction.”
Preston drops his head into my lap to muffle his laughter. He fails spectacularly. When he looks up, eyes shining, he says, “Mia, your brain never ceases to amaze me. And you sayIhave a way with words.” He wipes a tear from the corner of his eye and adds, “You… prayed and revered them perfectly today, but kissing and sucking are also great. We’ll get on that another day.”
I wiggle my legs, excitement bubbling up at the promise.
