Page 23 of Royally Embraced: RBMC

The door opened and out walked a fresh-faced Tori. He prepared himself to ignore her until after his shower. Seeing her in the pajama set they’d bought together, with her hair in a high ponytail, wearing no makeup, she appeared younger.

“You all done in there?” He nodded toward the bathroom.

She pulled the suitcase behind her, stopping at his question. “Yep. Do you have a preference for a side of the bed?”

His heart thundered in his chest. He wanted to pump his fist since she wasn’t making him sleep on the sectional. Instead, he shook his head. “I’m good with either. Lady's choice.”

Tori licked her lips, making it hard as fuck for him not to groan. God, did she have no clue how sexy it was when she did that?

“I’m gonna take a shower and brush my teeth. I’ll be quick.” He hurried by her without touching her. That, in and of itself, was a feat he thought should garner him an award.

Behind the closed door, he lifted his head toward the ceiling. His dick jumped inside the confines of his slacks. Jeter walked to the sink and placed his small bag on the right side. He took stock of all her things she’d put on the left in neat little sections, as if she had a ritual of some sort. Women were fascinating creatures. His mother and sister were the same. They always had their things organized by usage. Obviously, it was a female thing.

He ran his hand over his jaw, scraping his palm over the stubble that had grown since he’d shaved last. “I’ll shave in the shower.”

Opening the black bag, he pulled out his shaving kit, along with his body wash. While he loved the scent Tori had on, he didn’t want to cover his own body with it.

His suit came off, and then he laid it over the rail so it wouldn’t get too wrinkly. Completely naked, he moved to the shower enclosure and turned the water on. After feeling the water to ensure it was warm, he stepped in and placed his shower things on the ledge next to Tori’s. The sight of their things next to one another looked good. His and hers. Shit, he needed to slow his damn roll. She lived in Chicago, and his home was in California. Period.

Water pelted his face and body. But nothing erased his thoughts. He grabbed the shampoo, washed his hair, and conditioned it before lathering his hands with shaving cream. Even without a mirror, he quickly shaved his face and neck without nicking himself. After washing the cream off his face and hands, he braced his hands on the stone wall, allowing the water to pelt his back and shower. His cock jumped, still hard from earlier.

Jeter grabbed his shaft, sliding his hand up and down in firm strokes. He pictured Tori with him, imagining her small hand touching him. An image of her creamy skin covered in water as she knelt in front of him had him stroking his dick faster. He twisted his hand, rubbing his thumb over the tip with each stroke. A low grunt escaped him as the first tingle heralded his impending orgasm. Two more pumps of his fist, and the first spurt escaped, followed by another. Jeter jerked his fist faster, watching as his come exploded from the crown of his cock, splashing all over the tile wall and swirling down the drain. He smoothed his hand up and down, letting the pleasure easeslowly. The hand on the wall holding him up shook slightly, making him chuckle.

“Fuck me,” he whispered and released his dick.

Jeter grabbed his shower gel and soaped up again, cleaning up the mess he’d made, and then rinsed. He shut the water off and reached for the towel outside the door. In less time than it took him to get undressed, he pulled the boxer briefs on, along with a clean T-shirt. Padding over to the mirror, he wiped at the foggy surface, startled to see the image he presented. Shit, if he went out to the other room looking the way he did, Tori would know he’d taken care of himself in the shower.

He rolled his shoulders and reached for his toothbrush. His dick filled out the briefs, but at least the fucker wasn’t at half-mast. If she noticed his post-orgasmic look, then so be it.

Nothing usually bothered Jeter, not even if his brothers caught him with his pants down and his dick out or in something. Yet the moment he walked out of the bathroom, he did his best to avoid Tori until he was sure she wasn’t paying attention to him.

“Do you want something to drink?” he asked with his back to her.

“I already grabbed a bottle of water. Thank you, though.”

He nodded without turning around. Inside the fridge, he found several bottles of beer, water, and a few cans of pop. Like Tori, he opted for a bottle of water. He unscrewed the lid and chugged half the contents.

“Damn, that’s good,” he sighed.

A gentle laugh made him look over his shoulder. “I thought the same thing. You’d think we hadn’t had water in ages instead of the brief period since the incident.”

Jeter pivoted to face the bed. Tori sat against the headboard with the comforter pulled up to her waist, looking too damn sweet and young for the likes of him. He opened the bottleonce again. Keeping his eyes locked with hers, letting the cold liquid slide through his mouth, swallow after swallow. After he emptied the bottle, he dropped his arm to the side. There was a war within his mind. He wanted her. He wanted to be deep inside her like he needed his next breath. That’s the honest-to-good truth. He didn’t understand it, but there it was.

There had been a time in his life when he’d been a fuck or get fucked kind of guy. He’d been sure those years were behind him. Obviously, he’d been wrong, or Tori brought out the caveman in him. No matter what his stupid mind and body wanted, he’d keep himself in check. He’d never forgive himself if he scared her, never mind hurt her.

“You look like you’re either going to throw up or pass out. Do I scare you or disgust you, Jeter? Honestly, whichever it is, you might want to let me know so I can know how to navigate this situation. I promise I won’t try to jump your bones if that’s what has you freaking the fuck out,” she muttered.

Chuckling, he moved toward the bed. Before he could speak, she grunted and crossed her arms over her chest. His eyes zeroed in on the cleavage she inadvertently put on display with the move.

He groaned and held out his hands. “You got it all wrong, farfallina. You certainly don’t disgust me. Far from it, in fact. Scare—that might be a little accurate.” He puffed out a breath. “I find you way too enticing and don’t want you to feel uncomfortable with me lying next to you. I swear on a stack of Bibles, I won’t lay a finger on you unless you give me the green light.”

Why the fuck did he add the last part?

HER MIND WENT BLANK. Jeter wanted her. All she had to do was say yes.

Holding out her hand, she beckoned him to come to bed. “Then we are good. Come to bed, Jeter. I think we both need sleep.”

Yeah, she totally lied. What she wanted to say was she needed him to touch her, possess her, and make love to her. Hell, he could fuck her ten ways to Sunday, and she’d say thank you, sir. Can I have another? However, she wasn’t sure if they were ready to take that step yet.

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