Page 23 of Starts With a Bang

His tone said he didn’t believe me, but I would prove just how sexy I found him. I slid my hand under his sweater and caressed his stomach. His muscles bunched and flexed beneath my touch. I ran my fingers along the waistband of his jeans and dipped one beneath the denim. “My free-for-all begins now.”

“I think we should save it for the chateau,” Dom said. “We have a long drive and should get going.”

I reluctantly released him and stepped back. “I’ll just grab my suitcases.”

“Plural?” Dom asked. “How many do you need?”

“A few.” I turned and walked farther into the room. “The big beast has my wardrobe, and the smaller one is a tickle trunk.”

“Excuse me?” Dom’s voice was closer than I expected. I turned and found him right behind me. He was too busy scowling at the luggage and plowed into me. I stumbled, and he looped his arms around my waist to steady me. “Sorry.”

“Quite all right.” I settled my hands on his broad shoulders and pressed my body against his. “I like this.”

Dom’s hands landed on my ass. “Did you say something about a tickle trunk? What’s that?”

I waggled my brows. “It’s just what you think it is. Filled with all the things that might tickle your…fancy. Want me to show you?”

Dom’s cheeks turned a dark shade of pink. His mouth opened and shut a few times, but no words came out.

Taking pity on him, I patted his shoulder and stepped away. “I was just kidding, Grizz.”

“Grizz?”

“I looked up the stage between cub and bear in gay culture, and it said a wolf. That doesn’t suit you, so I decided to just call you a Grizz.”

“And that’s a compliment?” Dom asked.

“Oh yeah,” I replied. “I’ll show you how hot I find you.” Pivoting, I headed toward the luggage lined up against my closet door. “I didn’t know what to pack, so I brought—”

“Everything?” Dom reached around me and grabbed the handle of the larger suitcase.

“Ha! I only packed a tiny fraction of my wardrobe.” I grabbed the smaller piece of luggage and snagged the matching weekender bag off my bed before following him out of my bedroom.

“What’s in there?” Dom asked suspiciously.

“My personal hygiene products.” I struck a pose and added, “It takes a lot to look this good.” And I packed enough condoms and lube for endless fucking, but I’d let Dom discover that for himself later.

Neither of us spoke as we exited the building and headed to the parking lot. Dom pointed a key fob at a sleek black SUV directly in front of us and pressed a button. The headlights came on, and the doors unlocked. Dom stepped off the curb and walked toward the back.

“Um, did Santa arrive at your place early?” I asked.

“It’s a rental,” Dom said as he rounded the back of the beast. “Though, I could buy this slick beauty outright with the money your family gave me for taking you off their hands for the next two weeks.”

Dom looked so pleased with himself over his little dig that I let him have it. He hit another button on the fob, and the rear hatch opened on a motorized whir. It seemed to take forever for the door to open all the way. Or maybe it was because I got lost in Dom’s eyes. The dreary, overcast sky made his green irises look brighter. Gray was a wonderful color for him. Dom narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Are you really that clueless about your sex appeal?”

Dom snorted and tossed my enormous suitcase into the back like it weighed nothing, then reached for the luggage in my hand. “I got this. Go ahead and get in.”

I patted his chest before walking around him to reach the passenger side of the vehicle. I stopped at the corner and looked over my shoulder. Dom had turned to watch me leave, and I caught him staring at my ass. “You’ll want a gray tuxedo.”

“Okay.” Then he shook his head. “Wait! Why do I need a tux?”

“For our wedding, of course.” I pointed to the sky. “Gray does amazing things for your eyes.”

Dom stared unblinkingly at me, and I took that as my cue to ease off. I continued to the front door and climbed into the passenger seat. The fully loaded SUV came with every amenity a person could want and then some. I’d packed winter gear but didn’t want to wear a coat in the car, so I turned on the seat heater. I retrieved my phone from my pocket before I put my seat belt on. The back door beeped as it closed, and the lock whirred as it engaged. A minute or two passed, and Dom still hadn’t joined me. I turned to look out the rear window and noticed he stood in basically the same spot I’d left him.

Uh-oh. I’d done it now. I’d gotten him to agree to a sexual free-for-all and then kept pushing. The wedding reference probably shoved him right over the edge. I visualized turning down a dial in my head and cycled through a few breaths. The last exhale sounded a little shaky when I noticed Dom walking toward the driver’s door. Should I apologize or pretend I hadn’t said it? I didn’t really know how I was going to handle it until the words came out of my mouth. The man got one butt cheek on the plush leather seat before my gums started flapping.

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