Page 57 of Sass

I stretched catlike, aware of his gaze travelling my body. “I believe I’m up for the challenge. But in the meantime—” I shuffled closer and kissed his shoulder. “—I have a proposition.” I pressed my lips to his neck.

He hummed and ran his nose up the side of my face. “I’m listening.”

“Well, since we haven’t actually gotten dressed and said goodbye, I propose that thisone-timehook-up istechnicallystill in process.”

He chuckled and kissed me on the lips. “Well,technically, I suppose you’re right.” He took hold of my cock and it jumped in his hand. “It appears someone else is on board with that idea.” He kissed me firmly, his tongue sliding through my mouth, sparking licks of fire in my balls. “Maybe I can take your mind off that family meeting you’re so determined not to attend, and we can explore the fascinating matter of me owningyourarse this time.”

The thought burned my brain. I wasn’t entirely sure my heart would survive being fucked by Chris, but my body was definitely up for the challenge. I nuzzled up his neck and along his jaw to suck on the sensitive lobe of his ear, and his head fell back with a happy sigh. “You can have me anytime and anyway you want,” I told him. “I can’t wait.”

A growl rolled up his throat and he cupped my face and kissed me. “How do you feel about shower sex?”

I blinked because... shower sex? Nothing against it, but we were in a perfectly comfortable bed.

He grinned at my surprise and kissed down my neck to suck each nipple into his mouth, before tonguing the rings and sending jolts of electricity to my cock. “You see, the word is—” He kept kissing. “—Alec and Hunter ditched the old bath and upgraded to a double shower with a convenient... bench.” He ran his hands over my chest. “Imagine all this inked skin, slippery wet and sudsy, and then me taking your monster down my throat before you ride me on a towel on the floor, or I fuck you over that bench until you can barely walk.”

“Jesus, Chris.” The imagery barrelled through me, my cock hard and aching like a bitch.

Chris slung a knee over my thighs and straddled my hips, putting his hands either side of my head. He dragged his lower lip between his teeth and studied me with enough heat to fry the skin off my bones. I’d never seen anything so damn sexy.

“So, what do you say? Shall we close this show with a standing ovation?”

What did I say?Was he fucking kidding me?“What Isay—” I stopped to clear my throat because... damn. “What Isayis that we’re wasting too much time talking.” I bucked him off me, grabbed his hand along with lube and condoms in the other, and pulled him laughing from the bed and across into the bathroom, where, true to his promise, he sucked my brains out of my cock and then fucked me until I could barely stand, let alone walk.

And when we were sated and boneless and crashed out on the floor of the shower, we washed each other clean in a weighted silence that neither one of us were brave enough to break.

Hook-up, my arse.

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

Kip

“So, what do you think?”I held the sample shirt up to the computer screen and turned it slowly so Rhys could take a good look.

After talking with Leon, I’d called Rhys Sunday night to tell him about our problem and my possible solution. He hadn’t panicked nearly as much as I’d expected. Rhys in love was a much chiller version of my friend, and one I was still getting used to. He’d given me the go-ahead and I’d emailed him a list of fabric alternatives that we could source quickly.

On Monday morning, the owner of the new manufacturing business was in my office, and twenty-four hours later, I was sitting with the sample in my hand, and pleasantly surprised by her work. There was still the embroidery detail to add, since that would’ve slowed the sample process, but overall, it was a good pass, and it looked like we had a fighting chance to save the pre-Christmas orders, after all. I’d Skyped Rhys immediately.

“Not bad at all.” He smiled. “Show me the back again.”

I did and he nodded. “How about the seam work?”

“Strong and tidy,” I assured him.

He sat back in his chair and nodded. “Then if you think it passes, I say we go for it.”

I blinked. “Me?”

He grinned. “Yes, you. I’m not there and you’re Johnny-on-the-spot. Without actually holding the shirt in my hands, I’m going to rely on your judgement.”

What?“But—”

“I trust you, Kip.” Rhys held my gaze. “If you say it’s good, then I say we do it. And I also agree with your personal top fabric choice, out of the ones you sent. The others are either off in colour or the fabric is not good enough. It won’t be as crisp as the original, but it will work. So—” He eyeballed me. “Are we good to go?”

All I could do was stare, my thoughts warring between the horror of the responsibility he was putting on me and the warm swell of satisfaction and pride his words engendered. Then Leon’s words came to mind.

It’s the fact you don’t think you have what it takes is what’s screwing with your ability to think... you’re already doing the job...You’re a fixer...

Rhys waited, a smug quirk tugging at his half-smile.

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