Page 33 of Puck & Make Up

He tosses that wolfish grin in my direction. “But you already have experience with poles.”

I roll my eyes.

But I’m secretly touched.

The man actually put together a collection of career suggestions for me.

Which is just…

Maybe the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.

“I believe I suggested anexotic dancer,” he says, waggling his brows. “And why not? You’re hot and would be good at it.”

“For one,” I counter, “despite mypole experience,I have no rhythm. And for another, I don’t think my body type”—I wave a hand down my front—“screams stripper.”

The way his brows drag together in outrage may be even nicer than the whole binder of jobs. “Have you notseenthat gorgeous body in the mirror?”

I laugh. “Oh, I’ve seen it. And so have my exes. I know exactly where I’m lacking?—”

I barely finish the word before I find myself pinned between a hard body and the couch.

“Fox,” I whisper.

Hot brown eyes on mine. “You arenotlacking.” His mouth comes so close to mine that I think he’s going to kiss me.

Or maybe it’s just that I’m desperate for him to slant his mouth over mine.

Instead, I only feel his words on my lips. “Not lacking inanything, sugar.”

“Fox,” I whisper again.

“This body”—a hand drags along my side—“these curves. This strength. This ass—” He groans as he palms it. “You have no idea how much I dreamed of it.”

My hands tremble.

Hell,everypart of me trembles.

I shift, spreading my legs slightly, feeling?—

Oh.

That’s nice.

And big.

Andnice.

But even as I’m processing the hard length of his erection against my thigh, reveling in the pleasure of his weight pressing me into the cushions, even as I’m trying to summon the courage to part my legs a bit further and allow him even closer, he’s pushing off me, sitting us both up again, saying, “So if not an exotic dancer?—”

I huff out a breath and roll my eyes, but I can’t fight my smile.

Each of his “suggestions” has grown increasingly more and more outrageous, and I know it’s because he’s trying to help me—by both making me laugh and also to see if anything resonates.

“—definitelynotan exotic dancer.”

He gives a beleaguered side that I don’t buy for a second as he continues, ticking off on his fingers as he says, “We’ve already turned down teacher and financial analyst.”

I nod.

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