Page 13 of Size Doesn't Matter

Jack came up behind her, and the feel of his warm hands sliding over her hips distracted her wayward thoughts, especially when he pulled her back against him and nestled his thick erection against her arse. “The bedroom is through here,” he murmured against the side of her neck before nipping her flesh between his teeth. She shivered at the erotic contact and let him direct her towards the door on the other side of the living area.

Sophie loved the way Jack touched her as they moved. His large hands were gentle against her skin, yet his grip was strong, eliciting a feeling of assuredness, of safety. It was a rare gift. One she was discovering she appreciated more and more because of its rarity.

“I can feel you thinking about something.” His lips brushed against the shell of her ear as they entered the bedroom. He turned her to face him, stroked his knuckles over her cheek. “We can stop whenever you want to.”

Her curiosity piqued, she asked, “What do you mean, you could feel me thinking?”

“You stiffened as we walked in here, as though maybe you’d changed your mind. And it’s okay if you have,” he said, his hands settling on her hips again, his thumbs stroking her skin like he had outside the ballroom, the action deliberate and sure. Confident. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

Sophie felt like she’d entered the twilight zone. Who was this man with his non-grabby, non-pushy, non-arseholey ways?

Since transitioning from makeup artist to model, she thought she’d given up all rights to personal space and the right to say no to people.

Especially men.

At least that’s what people—again, mostly men—would have her believe.

Thankfully, her parents had both been models in their day, and occasionally she’d attended fashion shows and photo shoots with them, so the arseholery in the industry wasn’t a total surprise to her. It was one of the main reasons she’d decidednotto follow in their footsteps… until five years ago, when Anna had dragged her kicking and screaming to her first tryout.

“Stand your ground,” she’d said as they’d sat in the waiting area. “Project confidence. You’re the daughter of Paul Bennett and Sofia fucking Montini. You’re a legacy. A legend in the making.”

It was at that point that Sophie had rolled her eyes. “Laying it on a bit thick, don’t you think?”

“Just trying to get you pumped up.”

“You’re making me nervous.” Sophie remembered her belly filling with butterflies, and not the good kind. Her butterflies had razor-tipped wings that had sliced at her insides until she’d felt like vomiting. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

“You’ll be fine,” Anna had reassured her, squeezing her hand. “Just don’t let them take advantage of you. Don’t be afraid to say no to them. And if they won’t take no for an answer, flip them off and walk the fuck out.”

Sophie had never flipped anyone off in her life, but she had walked out a couple times in the past five years and earned herself a reputation as someone not to be underestimated in the process.

The fact that Jack made her feel like doing anything other than walking out spoke volumes.

That didn’t mean she wouldn’t test the waters, though. “You’d be okay with that? If I changed my mind?”

“Of course,” he said, looking slightly offended that she would even think otherwise, then narrowed his eyes under a stern brow. His grip tightened on her hips. “Are you saying you’ve been with men whoweren’tokay with it?”

The fierceness in Jack’s voice soothed away any remnants of doubt that lingered in the back of her mind. “I can handle myself,” she replied, knowing her smile held an edge of viciousness. There were several ball sacs and at least one nose in the fashion world that would never be the same again after their owners “weren’t okay with it”.

Even if she couldn’t handle things herself, she had a family full of overprotective uncles who would quite literally crush her enemies for her. Not to mention what her dad would do to anyone who dared to hurt his one and only child. The man often came off as cold and aloof, and they hadn’t always gotten along, but he would burn down the world for those he loved.

Jack’s frown deepened. “That doesn’t answer my question, Sophie.”

She slid her hands over his chest, enjoying the feel of his warm skin and hard muscles. “Of course there have been men who weren’t okay with it. There are always men who aren’t okay with it, but I can take care of myself,” she assured him, then shrugged. “Most men who try that shit are cowards, and one of the upsides to being my size is I tend to intimidate cowards.” She smiled again but with less edge. “Besides, my dad taught me how to box. We spar at least once a week.”

“How did I not know this about you?” he said, one corner of his mouth tipping up in a lopsided smile.

Sophie frowned. “Whywouldyou know that about me?”

Jack’s smile went from bewildered to bashful in the blink of an eye. “I have a confession to make.”

“Another one?”

His last confession had come as a shock, and she could understand his reluctance to tell her, all things considered. She could only guess at what he was going to say this time, but she had a hunch it wouldn’t be anything as shocking as admitting to being Ethan’s brother. Nevertheless, nervous energy had her hands fisting, then flexing at her sides.

Jack rubbed the back of his neck. “When I told you earlier that I knew who you were….” His gaze flicked back to hers, as though gauging her reaction.

“Yes?” she said, drawing the word out as she watched him more closely.

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