Page 45 of Rim Job

I'll kick his ass, that's what I'll do. I'm pretty damn good, if I say so myself. Leo and I still shoot every other Saturday.

Wait, is this him making future plans with me?

Holy shit.

“Yeah, I'd like that. So, enough about me. Tell me about yourself, Rim.”

I sit back and listen as he speaks, taking it all in. Rimmington Banks is interesting as hell. Any woman would be lucky to call him theirs. One thing for sure, he is giving my dream man list a run for its money. I absorb everything he has to say. He's so fascinating. Boarding school, university, power, privilege, royalty. His life is a far cry from my life. None of this makes him seem uppity, though. He's worked hard for what he has. He's a fairly regular guy, you know, for someone who lives in a castle.

Pay attention to what he’s saying, Ti…

Impossible when his tongue darts out and licks his bottom lip. I watch like a hungry dog staring at a bone.

God…all the ways I could use that tongue.

Rim begins to laugh.

What? Why? What happened? Shit, I need to cover.

I laugh. At what…who knows?

He laughs louder.

Shit. What did he say that's so funny?

“You have no idea why you’re laughing, do you?”

Crap. Crap. Crap.

“Um.”

Shit, I'm so busted.“No, I'm sorry. My mind wandered elsewhere for a moment.”

He doesn't need to know where. Back to Pound Town.

22

CHRISTINA

Cake. He got me cake. I’m not sure if he already had this planned but he is scoring some serious suave points. I never even saw him speak to any of the staff about it.

I dig in. The buttercream icing dances on my tongue.

“Mmm, so good. Please don’t tell the girls I’m cheating on them with this cake. They take their desserts seriously.” I close my eyes and moan around the mouthful of decadence.

“Sounds like that will get you in trouble, wife.”

I open my eyes as Rim rises from his seat and prowls around the table.

Oh hell.

His eyes are narrowed. He looks hungry, predatory. “I know I shouldn’t rush things between us. I know after the jet you felt uncomfortable. I am sorry. I never want you to feel that way again. You are beautiful. You are smart. You got a mouth on you like a sailor, and I love that about you. You are my wife, and I want to get to know you in every way, but right now, right now all I want to do is kiss that icing-covered mouth of yours.”

I raise my hand to my mouth and wipe icing from my lip.

Jeez, how embarrassing.

“Don’t. Let me help you.”