Page 67 of His Property

We’re making this more complicated than it needs to be.

“I don’t pretend with you,” I finally say, shaking my head. “I didn’t then, and I won’t now. There was never any illusion to begin with.”

Mae bites her lip, and I step up to her and grab her jaw before crashing my mouth to hers. She softens against me, her hands smoothing down my bare chest, and I weave one hand through her hair while the other slides up her shirt.

I pull away before we start putting on a show for my neighbors, and I rest my forehead on hers.

“Your turn to be honest,” I say, keeping my eyes closed.

“Ask me anything.”

“Do you want me to fuck you in my bedroom or in my basement?”

She hesitates, but after a long exhale, she answers. “Basement.”

“Then I have one request.” I pull away and open my eyes, and she does the same.

She blinks and waits for me to go on.

“No safe word.”

18

MAE

“Fuck.”

Victor pants beside me with his eyes closed and one arm cradling the back of his head. I roll onto my side and drape my arm over him. We’re both sweaty and exhausted, and every time I inhale, I breathe in the smell of sex.

“Yeah,” I agree, closing my eyes and nuzzling his side.

“I’m so fucking glad I didn’t go to Paddles.”

My lips pull into a smile, and my spine tingles when Victor wraps his arm around me and brushes my shoulder with his fingertips. He rolls onto his side, and I open my eyes. His lips press to mine, and I open my mouth to grant him access to my tongue.

We kiss for a minute before he pulls away and inhales another deep breath.

“Goddamn.” He laughs and wipes sweat off his forehead. “I’m gonna have a heat stroke down here.”

I chuckle. “It’s freezing in your basement.”

“Not with you here.”

I roll my eyes. “Cheesy.”

Victor winces. “You’re right. I feel like kicking myself in the balls for that one.”

“I could do the honors if you’d like.”

He narrows his eyes. “Ha-ha.”

He sits up and swings his legs over the bed. I lay on my side, staring at the scars on his back as he saunters to the dryer and pulls a towel from the basket of clothes on top of it. He wipes the sweat off his body then puts on a clean pair of boxers. When he grabs a shirt, I whine.

“Not the shirt.”

He moves his gaze to me. “No shirt?”

I shake my head, and he tosses the tee back into the basket. He saunters back to the bed and climbs in next to me.

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