Page 147 of Sin City Dark
“Yes, ma’am.”
Carefully, she pushed on the skin at his cheekbone, lifting, then paused. “Last chance,” she warned.
The blade glinted in her hand.
“Do it.” He looked a touch annoyed. “I’m not changing my mind.”
“All right, then, here goes!” With utmost care, she turned the blade at just the right angle, brought the blade to his cheek, and, starting at the top, gently stroked downward in smooth, controlled motions, rinsing the blade after each pass.
Beneath, she discovered his skin was smooth and unblemished, contradicting her belief that acne in his youth had left scars he wanted to hide. As she revealed what was turning out to be an achingly handsome face, she marveled at her ability to keep doing this, despite her growing arousal that made her clench to the point of near pain.
Jannie surreptitiously squeezed her thighs together, continuing to shave the sides of his face until she reached his upper lip. The skin there was easy to cut, she knew.
“Pull your lips tight,” she ordered.
He smiled a little, then did as she asked, and she used extra short, gentle strokes, up, down, then up again, until she uncovered …
Dear God, his mouth …
How hadn’t she noticed in high school? The man’s mouth was full, perfectly shaped, and made for kissing.
Her face was now inches from his as she carefully moved the blade along his chin, somehow keeping from tossing the razor and seizing those lips, to finally feel what they were like, with no barrier between his mouth and hers.
She realized then that he hadn’t glanced in the mirror at all, not even a quick peek. He alternated between relaxing with his eyes closed and looking up into her face, and she wished she could read what was there, but kept her focus on doing a good job and not cutting him.
She placed two fingers under his jaw. “Tilt your head back.”
He did, exposing his throat. A highly vulnerable position, yet he stayed calm while she literally pressed a blade against his pulse point. She pulled up on his chin with her free hand, finishing with careful strokes down his neck, exposing what was hidden beneath all that hair: a jaw sharp enough to cut glass.
She set down the razor, then wiped off the remnants of hair and gel with the wet towel.
Then, she assessed her handiwork.
And him.
Nick gazed up at her, searching, trepidation in his questioning eyes.
Goddamn. This man… Perfection was a sorry understatement.
Jannie felt as if she might melt into a puddle right there on the bathroom floor.
A slow, impossibly sexy smile curved that mouth of his. “What?”
He damned well knew what. “This …thisis what you’ve been hiding from me?”
“Not from you, beautiful girl. When it comes to you, I have nothing to hide.” He ran his hand over his now-smooth jaw. “You did an incredible job.” He turned to her, his dark eyes smoldering. “Care to test it out?”
Nick
Nick glanced in the mirror again, then had to turn away from his reflection, discomfort stirring in his gut.
To his eyes, he looked weird: much too young, and, well, way too exposed. He hadn’t seen that face in many years, and truth be told, he hadn’t wanted to. After his rigorous fitness regimen in college began toyield results, he grew a beard, erasing all traces of the former scrawny, ugly Nicholas Sebastian Kent. A harsh new face to go with a hard new body. And he’d been happy with it, convinced it would be his permanent look.
When Jannie made the first cut with the razor, he regretted his decision. But now, seeing the way she looked at him,fuck, he’d let her shave whatever else she wanted. His only regret was not getting rid of it sooner.
Slowly, she reached up to cup his cheek, and he closed his eyes at the feel of her hand on his naked skin. “Maybe I shouldn’t have shaved it off,” he heard her mutter, as if to herself.
Oh, no.
