Page 86 of Pretty Little Thing

Twenty-Two

Nora

I already feelit before I even open my eyes; that deep muscle pain which comes from bending and twisting in ways you never have before. A smile creeps up my face and I roll over, completely delighted with the stretch of my thighs and the twinge in my abs.

I’m alone on the bed, but I wasn’t always — that’s for sure. The duvet is somewhere on the floor, probably. My dress lies in front of the mirror next to a man’s dress shirt and tie.

“Clive?”

No answer. I sit up, letting the lonely sheet fall free as I drop my feet to the floor. My thighs clench as I stand, stretched and tingling with vague memory. I bend down and scoop Clive’s shirt off the floor to put on. As I slide it over my shoulders, I stop in front of the full-length mirror by the doorway.

My jaw slowly opens as I gaze at the fresh marks on my breasts. Deep, purple bites left behind. I gently pinch them, wincing at the tenderness, but smiling at the memory.

I button up and head downstairs.

I see him before he notices I’m there. Clive wanders around my condo in nothing but his black pants and socks. I delight in the crunch of his abs and the deep, v-lines on his back. His hair is wild and haphazard with a natural bed-head.

I quickly realize that I was so preoccupied with my nipples before that I didn’t check my own hair. I comb my fingers through to kill any tangles that might be there. He continues his slow walk from my sitting room to my office and I follow him with curiosity.

I peek in at him from the hallway. Clive scans the walls of my office, checking every nook and cranny as if he’s searching for something.

“Good morning,” I say.

Clive startles and twists around in surprise. He instantly smiles at the shirt I’m wearing and exhales a deep breath. “You move very quietly,” he says.

“The perks of being petite.” I step inside. “You looking for something?”

“No,” he says. “Not at all. I’m just...” His eyes flick back and forth. “You have a very nice place.”

“Thank you.”

“A little, black book did all this, eh?”

I nod. “It did.”

“That’s kind of amazing.”

My shoulders bounce as I look away. “I just got lucky, I think.”

“Turning a full house in Vegas is lucky,” he says. “You worked your ass off and you know it.”

I blush. “Well, I don’t like to brag.”

“Brag. You earned it.”

I pause, sensing a shift in his tone, almost as if he’s demanding it. “All right,” I say. “I am amazing.”

He smiles. “You also snore.”

My face falls. “No, I don’t.”

He pinches the air. “Just a little.”

“Fuck me...”

“Don’t worry about it.” He steps closer and I look up from my view of his smooth, exposed pecs into his deep, blue eyes. “How did you sleep?” he asks.

I take a breath. “Honestly... I don’t remember the last time I woke up this good.”

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