Page 126 of Cashmere Ruin

“Sleep is for the weak,” she replies, a bobby pin between her teeth.

It’s ridiculous. Goofy at best. I don’t think there’s one man alive who’d find it sexy.

And yet, I can’t look away.

So I guess there’s at least one.

“I take it work has been going well?”

Her face lights up at that. “How ‘bout I show you?” She herds me towards an empty spot of floor, in front of a mirror. “Take off your jacket.”

“That’s awfully forward of you, Ms. Flowers.”

She slaps me playfully on the arm. “Unclothe yourself or I’ll do it for you. And yes, that is a threat.”

In the end, I shrug my jacket off. April’s hands help it along, expert and delicate. I want to snatch them out of the air and kiss them, one finger at a time, until she’s all red in the face. Then I want to trail my lips up her arm, her shoulder, her smooth and beautiful neck. Until she’s breathing hard and begging for more.

“All done!” she claps her hands once, taking a step back to admire her creation.

I look in the mirror. The jacket’s fabric is sleek, elegant, with nothing to envy of my usual wardrobe. Its color is a deep charcoal black, reminding me of bulletproof vests. There’s the same sense of sturdiness to it, but without the rigidity I’m used to. Experimentally, I start moving around.

April’s face lights up like a Christmas tree. “Smooth, right? We think we finally perfected the fabric blend. Kevlar’s still the cornerstone, but it was too rigid on its own, so we tried all sorts of…”

I zone out, April’s words flying straight over my head. Only her voice remains, passionate enough to put world-class stylists to shame.

Amazing. My woman is amazing.

“… and we think we’ll be ready for mass production soon!”

That jolts me out of my reverie. “When?”

“Well, Dr. Reznikov thinks we’re there already, but Professor Simmons and I still want to test a few things. There’s a couple of kinks to iron out with washability and weather resistance, and then—mmmph!”

The kiss swallows the rest.

I don’t stop until she’s exactly where I want her: face flushed, breaths short, pupils blown to high heaven. “What was that for?” she pants afterwards.

“You.”

Her cheeks blush even redder. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You did. And now, you’re going to get a reward.”

“Ahh… Matvey…!” Her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling madly. With every lap of my tongue around her clit, her body shakes harder, desperate for a release I’m holding back on purpose. “Please,” she gasps, voice breaking.

But she doesn’t set the pace here.

Ido.

“Please what?”

“Let me come.”

It’s a convincing plea. A weaker man might even give in. “Not yet,” I growl.

I part her thighs wider. My five o’clock shadow grazes against the delicate skin of her inner thighs, an extra layer of sensation she doesn’t seem to know how to handle. April’s voice cracks as she pants, “You said… this was my… reward…!”

“It is,” I answer curtly.

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