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His free hand slides into my hair and curls into a fist, holding my head. “You know what they say about playing with fire.” He twists my head, his lips dragging across my cheek until they reach my ear. “Bad little Bea,” he taunts, catching my earlobe between his teeth. Warmth floods my body as he sucks the skin, then nips at it again. “Don’t you dare bite me!” “Use your manners, and maybe I’ll be nice.” His voice is a gritty whisper. His grip on my hair tightens, and his tongue sweeps the shell of my
Tristan’s jaw tics. “And you walked there by yourself?”
Worried baby
Rage-quitting means I can’t use my previous employer as a reference.
ik what that is like fr
“You don’t want my attention, Beat.” His voice is soft and menacing, sending a shiver down my spine. “I promise you, you’re playing with fire, and I will fucking incinerate you.” I smile. “That sounds like a challenge.” His expression grows sinister. “Oh, little girl, you have no idea what you’re signing on for.”
grab a couple of bottles of water from the fridge and the maple syrup, because Beat likes her bacon to swim in a pool of it.
He knows her
“Have you seen the newspaper that was sitting on the counter? I circled a bunch of ads. I want to research neighborhoods before I make more calls.” She looks at me expectantly. More calls? I don’t like the sound of that. “Maybe Flip tossed it in the recycling?” I know exactly where that newspaper is. In the garbage. Where I threw it while I was cleaning up breakfast. It’s under the eggshells and the extra ketchup I scraped off Bea’s plate. I already know those places she circled weren’t in great neighborhoods. I get that she’s looking for something affordable, but it needs to be safe, too.
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ball the rag up and toss it on the counter, then go back and smooth it out, because it drives her up the wall when Flip and I do that.
HAHA he is trying to make her happy with the little things
listen. I won’t be with anyone else while I’m gone. I haven’t and I won’t. I don’t want anyone else. There’s only you, okay? You’re the only one.” His eyes are wild. Haunted almost. He takes my hand and presses it against his cheek. “Just don’t go. Please, Bea? Don’t leave yet. I’m not done with you. I need more of you.”
Aw he is so scared of losing her :(
“Okay. Good. That’s good. I’m sorry he brought her back here.” He kisses my palm. “Fuck, Bea.” He drops his head and nuzzles into my hair, breathing me in. “Can I kiss you? Please? Before I go?”
He breaks the kiss and rubs his nose against mine. “I slept like shit. All I wanted was you.” His lips brush over mine. “You’re all I ever want.” I run my fingers through his hair. “I’ll be here when you get back.” “Promise.” He pulls back, his expression fierce. “Promise you’ll be here when I get back. Promise you won’t leave me.” “I promise.”
Bea is saved in my contacts as #1.
“It’s just you I want, Bea. I meant it when I said it.” He brushes his nose against mine. “Now that we’ve cleared that up, can I kiss you?”
Tristan Wish it was me cuddling you tonight. I hope you sleep okay. My stupid heart clenches. I need to get a handle on these feelings. Rix Sporking doesn’t count as cuddling. The headphones are in. Enjoy your door. Tristan I would settle for spooning with no sporking just to have you next to me. Night, Bea.
Tristan I want you to come on my face You can pick the position I need to be inside you I’m dying Of blue balls
Tristan steps into the bathroom and closes the door, flipping the lock. “This fucking dress.” His gaze rakes over me, and his nostrils flare. I cross my arms. “I look good.” Tristan pokes at his cheek with his tongue and shakes his head. “No, you don’t.” “Well, fuck y—” “Good doesn’t begin to describe how you look tonight. You are fucking sinful.” He takes a step forward, and I take one back, bumping into the vanity. “I couldn’t leave the table all goddamn night because of the constant hard-on.”
“I don’t want to need you.” His lips move along the edge of my jaw. “But I do.”
I snort. “No one touches you but me.” “And Essie. She’s my cuddle friend.” I make a noise in the back of my throat. Can’t say I was sorry to see Essie go.
When I was a kid, my mom would freak out if I made mistakes. But you can’t get it wrong if you don’t try at all.
I drive us to the house I rented for the night—another favor I called in. Hotels are great, but we’d have neighbors, and I don’t want Bea to hold back. I want those moans, and sighs, and shrieks, and giggles.
These booths are bigger than the ones at East Side’s, but despite that, Tristan manspreads into my leg room. When he feels my foot against his shin, he lifts it and tucks it beside his leg.
It’s incredible. But then everything Bea makes is.
Now I need to grow a pair of balls and apologize to Bea for being a giant asshole and own my fucking feelings.
I pass the note card to her. “He fucking misses you, Rix.” She presses the card to her chest. “Or he misses fucking me,” I reply. I’m still hurt about the way he left things. There’s being upset and then there’s shitting all over what we had, and that’s exactly what he did. “Damn him and his stupid sense of humor.
Halfway up he realizes I’m a few stairs behind and comes back down. “Do you… Can I?” He offers his arm. “Thank you.” I slip my arm through his. “Anything for you, Bea.” His fingers find the small of my back as the
Everything was changing, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. But I care about you, Bea. A lot. More than I know what to do with sometimes. It scares the shit out of me. How I feel about you…it terrifies me.” And there he is, that broken boy I’ve come to know well. There’s so much love trapped inside this man. “I care about you, too.” “Yeah?” The way his face brightens with hope makes my chest ache.
We can hang out, whatever you want, really. I just want to be with you..” “So you want to go on dates?” “If you do, yeah.” The table is jiggling like there’s a low-level earthquake happening under it. For as cocky as he is in the bedroom and on the ice, he’s definitely unsure of himself off of it. “We can go on more dates.” “Yeah?” His eyes light up, and my heart clenches.
He holds me for a long time. Eventually he pulls back, swallowing thickly. “I know I’m probably pushing it, and maybe you’re not ready yet, but can I kiss you good night?” My heart clenches—hell, everything clenches. “I would like that.” “Cheek or…” He trails off.
Consent cutie
He ends the kiss before it grows heated and brushes his nose against mine. “Thank you. I’ll do everything I can to deserve you.” He pulls me in for another long hug.
Eventually he pulls back. “Can I see you again soon?” “I’d like that.” His smile is so boyishly charming, I almost invite him in so I can sit on his face.
Real
I could go back to our room and sleep in a bed, or I can catch an early flight back to Toronto and take Bea out for breakfast.
She tastes like mint and home and everything I need.
I ghost my lips along her cheek. “Tell me where you want my hands.”
fun.” I want to spend time with her, hold her hand and make her smile. I can’t get better at dating her if I don’t take her places.
As nice as it is to hear from everyone else that he’s in love with me, I’m not sure when or if he’ll ever be able to tell me himself.”
Afterward, I’d feed her snacks in bed, and she’d fall asleep tucked against my side. And my arm would always fall asleep, but I’d deal with the pins and needles because I didn’t want her to move. Because all I want is to be near her—however she’ll take me. Or
“Well, here’s another one: relationships are hard and messy and sometimes they’re scary as fuck, but don’t end one because you’re too fucking scared to admit how you feel to her and yourself.” It’s like he’s inside my goddamn head. “What if she doesn’t feel the same?” “What if she does?” Hollis counters. “What if you’re everything she’s been looking for? What if you’re it for her? Are you really going to let her walk away without a fight?”
She’s worth every effort. Loving her isn’t a chore, it’s an honor.
When I pull back, I circle her throat with my hand and brush my nose against hers.
nutrition. I have a plan that includes getting her to move in with me. I’m not pushing her, though. I know she wants to forge her own path, but when she’s ready to take that step, I’ll be here to help her achieve that dream.
