Page 74 of Show Me How
Shrugging out of my jacket, I frown. I drape the heavy fabric over the back of a dining chair and then stand awkwardly, unsure where to go next. I’ve only been here once before, and that was before . . .
Shade passes me and drops onto the couch. “He won’t hold it against you. Rowe’s a hard man. Fucking impossible to offend, really. He’s got an impenetrable shell.”
“What was he doing here tonight?” I ask, joining Shade.
He immediately stretches an arm behind me along the couch, his fingers curling in my hair. It’s habit at this point, I’m sure. There’s only so much I can do myself to calm down before one of our lessons, and he always reads into that like an expert in all things Millie. His light, casual touches are for my benefit.
“Came to talk. I’ve got a piece that I’ve been wanting to ink for a while. I figured I’d offer it to him first,” he says.
“Is there even anywhere left on his body to tattoo?”
His attention snags, eyes holding mine. “Did he give you a quick body tour or something out there?”
My laugh is loud, surprised. It punches through the apartment, making his lips quirk. “Yeah, actually. He stripped down and gave me a quick show in the alleyway. It was the most romantic experience of my life.”
“I bet he fucking did,” he grouses, but it’s an act. His annoyance is so thin it’s see-through.
“I only noticed his neck. There were . . . a lot.”
Shade twirls my hair around his finger. “Yeah, he has more than I do.”
“Have you done them all?”
“No. He got a good chunk of them in prison. I’ve been touching them up, though. Some are pretty fucking gnarly.”
“I’d like to apologize to him the next time he comes to the studio. I feel really bad about behaving the way I did.”
Shade tips his head in acknowledgment, eyes flicking between mine for a quick moment. They fall to my lap, clinging to the hem of my skirt. It’s shorter than I usually wear, and yeah, maybe I did that on purpose. When he texted me, I was wearing sweatpants. I could have come over without changing, but I didn’t. His reaction right now is exactly why.
His fingers release the chunk of my hair and drop to my shoulder, gliding along the curve of it. “Have you chosen what comes next?”
“As in?”
“You need me to spell it out, princess?” he rasps.
I reject the shiver that threatens to rock through me. “No.”
“So tell me.”
It shouldn’t be so hard to get the words out. What I want is something that everyone does. It’s natural. Nothing out of the ordinary. Yet I hesitate, feeling a thousand pairs of judgmental eyes on me from all the way in Whistler.
My exhale escapes when Shade tucks a finger beneath my chin and turns my head, forcing me to look at him. I wet my dry lips and fall into his stare, the words settled on my tongue, weighing it down.
“Tell me,” he whispers.
“Teach me . . .” I trail off when he drops his hand and reaches across me to cup my thigh.
In one smooth movement, he pulls me onto his lap. I reach for his shoulders, needing balance as my legs slide to bracket his. My knees dig into the couch cushion while I lean forward and hold myself steady.
“Teach you what?” he asks, his voice deep and rough.
I gulp, thighs beginning to burn from holding myself above him. “How to pleasure a man.”
His eyes darken, growing more intense than I’ve ever seen them, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. It seems like a very important lesson.”
“Men are easy, Millie. It’s women who need time and effort.”
