Page 57 of Beautiful Beast

“I am not missing this action,” she says.

Only Belle could make me laugh when I’m right about to bust.

Looking into her eyes combined with fast steady strokes and a twist of my wrist on every upward motion has me coming with a groan. Rather than spray the balcony, I direct it toward my abs, coating the hard muscle.

“I would absolutely lick that off,” Belle purrs. “You’re so damn sexy.”

I pull my shirt off and use it to wipe the mess off my abs, chest, and cock before tucking it back into my pants.

“Thank you for being everything I need, even when I don’t realize I need it,” I say roughly.

I’m definitely going to sleep better tonight, and I have her to thank for it.

“I miss you,” she says.

Our relationship status is confusing, and the timing of this trip was terrible in so many ways. But all I know is that I want to be with her in every way, even though I shouldn’t.

I just don’t know what I’m going to do about it.

Even though I need to get ready for bed and she has to prepare for the day ahead, neither of us wants to hang up and we spend the next couple of hours talking.

Belle tells me about the new programming she’s running at the library, Ariel’s latest auditions, and the funny things that Buster did since we talked yesterday.

I tell her about the situation with Max and how I’m already so frustrated by constantly being asked to prove myself for a job that I already have, especially when I don’t even feel like myself anymore.

Exposing my secrets and insecurities to her is becoming shockingly easy and natural.

Our relationship is so completely normal and the exact opposite of what I expected to find when I got home from Syria.

Melodramatic or not, I never imagined that I’d meet someone genuinely interested in me and not just my money looking the way I currently do.

Being used for money has happened countless times, but at least those women found me as attractive as they did my wallet because, well, that’s exactly what I used to be.

However, I don’t want pity over my new face or to just be the rich guy spoiling some random social climber.

The plan was to stay single, stay celibate, and stay locked away in my penthouse until the end of time.

Belle has changed everything.

She doesn’t seem to give a shit about money, and she’s about to come into quite a lot of her own. When she says that she thinks I’m sexy exactly how I am, the words ring true. And she isn’t letting me spend my life secluded while licking my wounds.

Despite the warning bells telling me that I’m getting in way over my head, I keep wading deeper.

Good thing I’ve never been especially good at heading warnings.

“I miss you, too, princess.”

Chapter 13

Belle

WhenItoldAdamthat I can’t dance, I wasn’t kidding.

That’s why I’m so irritated that Ariel won’t stop bugging me about some dumb party she wants to drag me to. When given the choice to hang out with a group of people my own age or immerse myself in fictional worlds that never disappoint me, the decision is obvious.

Vibe check: bookworm status for the win.

“Why don’t you just come over instead?” I suggest. “We can watch one of your shows on Netflix. I won’t even complain. Promise.”

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