Page 156 of Masters of Pleasure
“They’re good.”She shut the door behind him, admiring his ass in his jeans, then had to suppress more laughter when she saw his stiff gait.That was not his normal walk.If he was another submissive, she’d be giggling in fellow-feeling, knowing exactly how that felt, but she didn’t think Nick would appreciate sympathetic laughter.He was more likely to think she was laughingathim, and she didn’t want to make him feel like that.
“We spent most of the night building the perfect man for Iris.”
That made Nick turn around, his brows furrowing.“What?”
Now, she could finally laugh, and it if was a little heartier than it might have been otherwise, he couldn’t take offense.
“Apparently, she wants to be part of a happy couple, so we were talking about what would make the perfect guy for her.”Avery grinned as Nick shook his head and turned around, heading for the kitchen.“What, you don’t think there’s a perfect guy for Iris?”
“If there is, he’d need the patience of a saint,” Nick tossed over his shoulder.
Avery plopped on the couch, watching him with amusement as he moved around her kitchen as though he belonged there.She was the same way at his house.Maybe thoughts of moving in together weren’t so far-fetched.
Maybe you should wait till you exchange the L-word before you go down that path so you don’t scare him off.
“Iris is a brat, in the purest sense of the word.”
“You’re not wrong.She wants someone adventurous and fun.”
Picking up a beer from the bottom shelf of the fridge, Nick made a face as he straightened.The hiss from the can opening punctuated his expression.
“She’d be better off with someone who could ground her a little.”
“The way you ground me?”Avery teased.
Nick laughed, coming over to the couch, sitting gingerly next to her.Avery really felt she deserved a medal for the way she kept her face straight.Leaning in, he brushed his lips over hers for a brief, affectionate kiss.He’d taken a sip of his beer, so when he kissed her, he tasted like oranges and hops.
“No, the way you ground me.”He winked at her.“I’m not fucking Gordon Ramsey after all.”
“No, you’re fucking me.”She completed the joke, even though it made her want to groan.The big jerk chuckled, looking smug.He’d probably known she wouldn’t be able to resist.
“So, what are your plans for the holidays?”
Avery nearly choked.It was a good thing she wasn’t the one drinking beer, or she would have spat it out all over him.When she met his gaze, it was full of mischief, and he was grinning at her.
“Not what you were expecting me to say?”
“Well, there was no segue.”She narrowed her eyes, a little miffed he’d amused himself at her expense while she’d been trying to be so good about not doing that to him, but she couldn’t ignore the pounding of her heart.Was he asking what she thought he was asking?“I uh, hadn’t really thought about it… but my mom asked if I might bring you home when I told her about you.”
“Wow.Our mothers must be made from the same mold.”He took another sip of his beer, but the amusement hadn’t faded from his expression.If anything, it had increased.Shifting on the couch, he pulled her into his side, so she was nestled under his arm, head in the nook between his shoulder and chest.Her favorite spot.“I asked because Luke pulled me aside tonight.Apparently, our mom has been asking him if I’ll be bringing you home for the holidays.”
Nice to know she wasn’t the only one with an importuning mom.
“Why doesn’t she ask you?”she asked, curious.
“I’ve always been a bit of a contrarian.I’m pretty sure she worries if she asks me, I’ll say no on principle.Luke was the good son who tried to make my parents happy.I was the one who would do the exact opposite of what they said.”
“Why am I not surprised?”Avery shook her head, rolling her eyes.
“Be warned, if you meet her, she’ll want to know if you want kids.”
The casual tone of his voice threw her off as much as the actual conversation.As if this wasn’t momentous, life-altering stuff they were talking about.Suddenly, she wished she could see his face, to see how serious he was, but she was kind of glad she couldn’t.She wasn’t sure what her expression looked like right now.
“Do you want kids?”
Act normal!Act normal!He’s acting normal.You need to as well!
“Yeah, I always pictured myself with a couple of kids.”She wondered if she was dreaming.The whole conversation felt a little surreal.“What about you?”
