Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77941 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“And what’s in your basket, Little Red Riding Hood? Did you bring something for the Big Bad Wolf?” Rhys didn’t say anything, but he also didn’t look away. Caleb could see desire in his eyes. Would he enjoy some Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood role play? Caleb could get into that if Rhys wanted it. “Tell me what’s in the basket.”
Rhys glanced down at the basket as if he needed a reminder. “It’s just dinner. I made dinner. I mean, I put it together. It’s charcuterie. I don’t cook much, but I thought… I’m sorry I pulled away from you at the bookstore like that.”
Caleb hadn’t realized how much he needed to talk about that moment. Rhys’s apology melted all his tension. “I understand. I know you didn’t want Jonah to see us holding hands. I wish we could be more open, but I’m okay with things for now.”
“That’s good. I wish it wasn’t like this either.”
Caleb didn’t think talking anymore now would help, so he changed the subject. “Before you tell me more about dinner, why don’t you tell me what you’re reading.” He loved the shock on Rhys’s face. Rhys clearly hadn’t been expecting that question. He set the basket down on one of the tables and rubbed his hands up and down on his thighs, which Caleb knew was a sign that he was nervous.
“I’m not going to judge you. I’ve read all kinds of things. Smutty things. Things that made me question exactly why I liked them.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Rhys scrunched up this face. “It’s Jonah’s fault.”
“Jonah’s fault? Did he force you to read it, or did he read it aloud to you?”
“He challenged me. He likes to pick out books he knows I’d never choose for myself and challenge me to read them. Then I get to tell him if I actually like them or not.”
“And how often is he right?”
“He’s always right.”
“Always?”
Rhys sighed. “He’s had two misses in almost ten years.”
“Wow, that’s impressive. So have you read the book he gave you the other day yet?”
Rhys looked down at his hands. “It’s… um… It’s the third one in the series. I had him order it for me. He gave me the first one, and I swore I wouldn’t like it, but I did. It was hot.”
“Tell me about it.” Caleb took several steps toward Rhys, who backed up until he bumped into a table, nearly knocking the picnic basket off. Caleb steadied it, then caged Rhys in between his arms. “Talk to me.”
Rhys kept his gaze down. “I’m not very good at that.”
“You’re perfectly good at talking.”
“About certain things. Not about… those books.”
“It’s just me, Rhys. I’ve been inside you. It shouldn’t be that hard to tell me about what you like.”
His cheeks were bright pink now. “Oh my God, that just made it worse.”
“Do the cowboys in the book have a lot of sex?”
“Yes. It made me…”
Caleb smiled. “What did it make you do?”
“It made me think about you.”
“When did you read the first book?” Rhys bit his lip. “Come on. Tell me.”
“Before we started working together.”
Caleb liked hearing that more than he should. “Tell me what kind of things they do.”
“They get stuck in a cabin, and they fuck each other in all the rooms and even out by the hot tub.”
Caleb used his tongue to trace the outer edge of Rhys’s ear. “Would you like to do that too?”
“I don’t know.”
“We could find out. I’m open to any ideas you have. If there’s something you want, just tell me.” Would he really rent a remote cabin just for Rhys? Hell yes, he would.
“Oh my God.”
“I was thinking maybe as long as dinner can wait for us we should have dessert first.”
“Dessert?”
“Yes.” Caleb started unbuttoning Rhys’s shirt as he kissed along his collarbone.
Rhys sucked in a breath. “You don’t mean real dessert, do you?”
Caleb just chuckled.
“You mean…”
“Do you want me to take you upstairs and give you a treat?
Rhys nodded. “Yes. I want dessert first.”
He was so damn adorable. Caleb didn’t want to stop touching him, but he needed to get them someplace more comfortable and less exposed. He didn’t want Rhys thinking about how someone could look in and see them. “If that’s what you want, you’d better head upstairs.”
Rhys practically ran up the stairs, and Caleb kept up with him, smacking his ass as they reached the top step. “Get inside and get naked.”
“Fuck.”
“Yes, I’ve been waiting all day.”
Rhys struggled to let go of how he might ruin this by being scared of exposure. This wasn’t the time to talk about it, but he’d never been good at picking the right time to say anything.
He tried to work his way out of his shirt as he moved toward the bed, but he hadn’t unbuttoned the cuffs, and he couldn’t get the sleeves over his wrists. Caleb grabbed him from behind. “This could be fun, you all tied up in your shirt, bent over the bed, at my mercy.”