Page 39 of Regally Binding

Bear scowled at his second burger. “Fine, but I’m leaving when I’ve finished eating,” he said between bites.

Liss popped a chip in her smirking mouth as if she’d won an hour of verbal sparring rather than get him to stay a little longer. “What were you saying, Isla? What do you mean it’s not unusual?” Liss asked with her mouth still full of chips. From years working in the pub, she learnt you can’t stop for anything, including eating. She covered her mouth with her hand to attempt a slither of etiquette; she might be a princess, after all. She might have to have behaviour classes!

“I miss fucking,” Isla grumbled.

“But you’ve slept with at least four guys this year,” Liss commented, licking the sauce off her fingers. Bear shifted in his seat again.

Isla reeled off a list of names while tapping her fingers as she counted them. “It’s more like six. But that’s not the point. I miss fucking. That moment when you’re desperate for someone in that animalistic way. When you rip their clothes off or, even better, when you leave the clothes on because you want them inside you that second. You know what I mean. A really hard fuck.”

Liss pondered briefly. “I’ve had sex, so I guess I get what you mean. I’ve had kisses like that.” She refused to look at Bear, but her gaze drifted that way when she added, “But not in sex. Like I’ve experienced nice sex.”

Bear raised his eyebrows as he took another bite of his burger.

“Kisses and nice sex are not fucking, Liss. Sex shouldn’t be nice. It can be sweet and gentle and loving but never nice. You’ve slept with several guys.”

Liss shrugged and gave a noncommittal, “I guess.”

“From what you’ve said about the guys you’ve slept with, especially that one where everything needed to be clean and planned, I can’t imagine that was hard fucking.” Liss nodded in agreement. “But what about the guy at university you picked up a month before you left? Wasn’t that fucking?”

Bear’s burger held his attention, but his eyes widened every time Liss spoke.

“His name was Bryan,” Liss replied. “Or was it Ryan? We didn’t have sex. I gave him a blow job, and he said it was the best he’d had.”

Bear coughed loudly. “The chip went the wrong way,” he mumbled before sipping his drink.

Liss sighed as she shook her head. “But there wasn’t anyone like you describe.”

“You must have had a good fuck though?” Isla demanded incredulously. “Why didn’t I know this before?”

Liss eyed the puddings. “The guy from a couple of years ago was okay. But the two times we did it, his cat scratched at the door, and he kept getting texts. It was never that passionate, desperate for each other sex. And with the other one, it was more like a cup of tea at the end of a long day.”

“Fucking hell.” Isla blew out a breath. “So it was like nice sex then. Not the other kind?”

Liss shrugged. “I’m not sure. It wasn’t bad sex.”

“This isn’t right. ‘Not bad sex’ isn’t even good sex, let alone the fucking I’m talking about. Help me out here, Bear. I bet you’ve experienced hard, mind-blowing fucks in your time.”

“Don’t involve me,” Bear grunted, but he continued to peek at Liss from beneath his eyelashes.

“Seriously, Bear. Don’t you think Liss needs a good fucking? You need bending over furniture and being fucked until you scream.” It might have been Isla saying the words, but Bear’s eyes widened as he gave Liss his full attention.

Sweat beaded his forehead, and he rubbed the back of his neck. His ears developed that familiar pink tinge.

“Bear, you okay?” Liss asked.

He swallowed loudly before jumping up. “You’ve got your puddings, and I’ve got work to do,” he replied, fumbling for his drink as he bolted from the room.

Liss was wide-eyed as he reached the door. She wanted him to stay, yet he was her bodyguard with a reputation as a player.I need to get a grip.Her cheeks burnt hot, and she finished her drink and snapped up the pudding. The freezing ice cream on her tongue highlighted rather than quelled the heat of her attraction for him.

“So all this time, I’ve missed out on great sex?” Liss stuttered as the ice cream slid down her throat. “Do you think Bear ran out of here because he was embarrassed for me?”

“Honey, based on what was going on in his trousers, I don’t think so.”

“Oh,” Liss replied. Her face burnt hotter. “Ummm, let’s talk about anything else instead.”

“If you’re sure.” Isla’s eyebrows were high as if she was expecting more, but when Liss didn’t speak, she carried on. “And you can tell me why Steve was still losing his shit with worry when he called me.”

“Steve? Bear had a word with him as we left. They don’t like each other.”

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