Page 69 of A Lifetime of Afters
He hummed, satisfied with my answer. “For every ten minutes you make me wait, you’ll earn yourself a consequence.”
Being friends since childhood had given me a false sense of familiarity. I suddenly suspected I’d barely scratched the surface of his sensuality. I wondered what kind of consequences he had in mind.
I protested weakly, “But I still have so much to get…”
He dipped his knees and caught my eyes. “I’m counting on it.”
An hour later, I panted on my hands and knees, my arms stretched over my head. “Hawk…please…”
By my count, I’d earned three consequences. I considered the fact I finished my shopping within thirty minutes a minor miracle, but the uncertainty of what was coming turned out to be fierce motivation.
I barely spoke to him as I rushed from store to store, catching his eye now and then, my heart skipping a beat at the heated amusement in his. By the time we reached his house, my nerves were stretched taut like the strings of a violin.
He ushered me up his front path, unlocked the door, and set my bags to the side.
With my back to him, I placed my purse and gloves on the chest behind the door and reached for the top button of my coat.
As soon as the front door closed, his mood changed. Awareness crackled between us.
I stuttered, “Do I, uh, need a safe word?”
He snorted. “Stop, no, or wait will work just fine.”
His hands came to my shoulders, and he turned me gently to face him. Cupping my face between his large palms, he brushed his mouth across my lips. “Everything will be for your eventual pleasure.”
I swallowed. “Eventual?”
His lips tipped up on one side. “It wouldn’t be a consequence if it was easy. Take off your coat and hang it on the hook.”
I turned toward the hook.
“Face me, Noelle. I always want your attention on me unless I tell you otherwise.”
I could bare my body with ease, but giving him access to my face, especially when he could read my every expression, boasted of a deeper intimacy. A greater exposure.
With shaking fingers, I released the buttons and let my coat fall down my arms to my hands. Quickly glancing to the side, I hung up my coat and turned back to face him.
Tossing his coat to the side, he undid the buttons at the cuffs of his shirt and rolled them up his forearms. “Shirt and bra, please.”
I pointed at the floor at my feet. “Here?”
He smiled. “Right there is perfect.”
I glanced at the front door to my right. There was no glass, but it wasn’t locked either. I pointed toward the door. “The door is right there…” My voice petered off.
“Thank you, Noelle. I know where my door is. Shirt and bra, please.”
My brows lowered at his words.
“Tick tock, baby.” He crossed his arms over his wide chest and rested back on his heels.
The muscles in his forearms flexed across his chest. What the heck, I mentally shrugged. I wanted to play his game; I knew I did. What I didn’t want was to earn any further consequences until I understood how he played.
I made quick work of the buttons on my blouse and flicked the front clasp of my bra open. Pressing my arms back, I allowed both to fall to the floor behind me, my chin raised proudly as I met his eyes the way he demanded.
He dropped his arms to his sides and stepped toward me, halving the space between us. “Everything else off.”
My eyes skittered to the door before returning to his face.
