It was after he left for the tour. Everyone was gone and Georgie and I had decided a little pain was a good idea. It was my first one and I loved it, a tribal horse on my side over my ribs. He traced the ink with his finger and shivers caressed my skin.
I barely breathed as I roughly whispered, “No sex.”
Ream grinned. “Oh, baby, I know the rules and I won’t be breaking them either.” He nodded to the bathroom. “Get ready for bed.”
I took a deep breath about to argue when I realized there was nothing to argue. I picked up my pink travel bag and strode into the adjoining washroom and closed the door. It was only when I was alone that I let the emotions come down on me. I rested my hands on the edge of the counter and stared into the mirror and what I saw completely terrified me.
I felt vulnerable to the emotions creeping up on me. He was taking control … No, he already had it and that meant he could open me up to emotions I didn’t want to face. I wanted us to have a chance, but in order to do that I had to let him in—completely.
I abruptly turned away, brushed my teeth, relieved myself, then went and crawled into bed. Ream wasn’t around and I was glad because if he saw my face, he’d know what I’d seen in the mirror.
I pulled the sheet up over my shoulders and nested it between my legs then fell into an exhausted sleep.
***
I woke up so friggin’ hot and sticky, as if I was lying in a sauna. I tried to push the duvet aside, but it wasn’t a duvet, it was Ream and he had his arm snug around my waist, his leg hooked on top of mine while the long length of his body pressed up against my side.
Shit, I was at the cottage-shack-cabin-thingamajig. Alone. With Ream. And I was in my panties and he had his leg thrown over my thighs—his naked muscular leg.
Holy damn. When did he crawl into bed? God, was he naked? Did he at least have boxer briefs on? I’d go with that. But my mind had already far surpassed that thought and was onto him being naked and his cock hard up against me while his lips were nestled against the base of my neck.
I had a choice: I could quietly turn and slip his cock inside me or quietly climb out of bed. I chose the second option because, really, I needed some control here and being stubborn, I wanted Ream to be the one to break his rule first.
I placed my hand on his wrist then gently tried to lift it from me. It was like lifting a barbell strapped to the floor. It wasn’t moving.
“Go back to sleep, beautiful,” he mumbled against my neck. The vibration of his lips sent a shiver of pleasure through me. I really needed to escape fast.
“You’re breaking the rules.”
“Since when is sex, sleeping?”
“What? No. It’s not, but you’re naked and it’s close enough.”
He chuckled then nibbled on my shoulder. “Oh, baby, there’d be no question you’d know if I was inside you.” Yeah I would. “Go back to sleep.”
“I want to get up.”
He sighed and pulled me in closer. “Do you ever stop fighting?” His voice was that rough, lazy morning voice, and it was making me wet. Who was I kidding? I was already wet. “Where’s the fun laid-back chick I once knew? I want her back.”
“Lost,” I mumbled, not expecting him to hear me.
“Then we’ll find her,” he murmured against my shoulder where he was sprinkling kisses.
Shit. “I want to get up, Ream.”
“You have to piss?”
“No.”
“Then you’re staying here. I’m not ready to get up, and you need to learn to relax and sleep in.”
“I never sleep in.”
“Bullshit. We spent two days in bed.”
“Since when is sleeping, sex?”
“Mmm.”
He moved his leg up farther on my thigh, and his cock was there, unrestrained and ready. Nope. No boxer briefs—shit. I tried to shift away because seriously the throbbing between my legs was so close to diving off the cliff that if he touched me with one finger, I’d be screaming in ecstasy. He tightened his arm and tugged me back in. Then he had the nerve to chuckle.
“Go to sleep, Kitkat.”
“I’m not tired.”
“Then lie here and think of me fucking you.”
“Ream, that’s ridiculous.”
“No, you’re being ridiculous for not shutting your mouth and just enjoying cuddling.”
“You’re an ass.”
“Never said I wasn’t. Now close that sweet, fuckable mouth before I find another way to shut it.”
“That’s a form of sex,” I retorted, although the thought of tasting him again made my breath quicken and my mouth water. Some men tasted like shit; Ream tasted like heaven, but I sure as hell wasn’t telling him that.
“Oh, I wasn’t thinking of that, beautiful. But it’s nice to know that you are.”
Gah.
His arm loosened and his fingers splayed across my abdomen, then with a slight feathered touch he caressed my skin. That was how I fell back asleep, wrapped in his arms, hot and bothered and Ream caressing me.
I moaned and pulled the pillow underneath my cheek then slowly opened my eyes. I was greeted with the sun blazing beams of light across the room. I bolted upright and listened for any noises. No Ream. It was quiet. Tranquil. It was … beautiful. I hadn’t slept in this long since … well, since forever.
The farm could be quiet and serene when the guys weren’t there, but there were always things to do, horses to look after, paintings to finish. This morning I had nothing to do.
Except deal with Ream.
And since there was no sign of him, I scrambled out of bed, threw on the shirt lying on the end of the bed, and quickly went to the washroom to freshen up. I froze as my gaze hit the cup by the sink. My pink toothbrush stood beside his blue toothbrush.