Page 66 of Tiger By the Tail

He tilted his face like a cat trying to figure out what someone was saying. It looked utterly adorable.

Then his hips flexed against mine, and a downright dirty grin pulled his mouth wide. “I wouldn't say I'm on guard around you, baby. More like standing at attention.”

I loved how bold he was becoming. It had only been a few weeks of him being out of his shitty situation, but it felt like the real Roy. Not the cowering, scared, tiptoeing guy he'd been when we first met, but a sweetheart with a filthy mouth. Trying to get our conversation back on safer grounds, I decided to ignore the comment about his throbbing dick between us.

“My sisters asked me to come home for the bank holiday next weekend. I'd forgotten all about it and the flights are fully booked. I was going to ask you, but yeah, no flights.” Shrugging awkwardly, I bit my lip, feeling warmth spread over my cheeks.

Roy pursed his lips empathetically. “That sucks. You were going to ask me what?”

There was that head tilt again.

How on earth does hemanage that lying down?

“If you want to come along, Brighton is nice in summer.”

I hadn't meant it as a meet-the-family visit, but there was no denying the fact that I had been more disappointed than I should have been when it had become clear it wasn't going to happen.

“I've never been, actually. I mean, we could take my car…” He said it as a throwaway comment, but I saw the sincerity in his eyes.

“That's eight or nine hours. One way.”

“So? I don't mind. We could leave in the evening and drive through the night.”

"You really mean it, don't you?” I needed to be sure.

The smile he gave me was answer enough.

Not wanting to jump his bones again, I freed myself from his embrace and sat up. “Let's have coffee and talk about it, okay? I don't think you know what you're signing up for. We need an informed decision.”

His yellow eyes dropped from mine and dragged down my naked body, surveying me like a predator trying to decide which bit of me to eat first, and I knew exactly which part of me would gladly volunteer as a tribute.

Basically fleeing the bed, I quickly grabbed some clothes and left for the bathroom.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Kat

Roy was making coffee by the time I arrived in the kitchen, looking like a snack and a half in APEX gym shorts and a soft grey shirt with the word ‘feral’ printed in large letters stretching across his broad chest. As I stared mesmerised at his lazily flicking tail poking out from the cutout in the back of his shorts, I seriously doubted my infatuation with him had an expiration date. I could get used to having him around indefinitely.

“Here you go.”

Crap. The amused look on his face told me he had caught me staring at his backside.But come on, you can't blame me. You have a gorgeous ass.

I took the mug from him, wrapping my hands around it and folding my body on one of the chairs around the dining table. I loved lounging around with my legs up, curling in on myself.

Once he'd made his own Americano, he sprawled in the chair across from me. It was probably a good idea to put a bit of distance between us. Cradling the solid hand thrown mug in his paws, he took a sip, then focused on me.

“So, the road trip. You said I needed to make an informed decision. You're right, I'm usually not the most impulsive person. Wanna fill me in? What do I need to know?”

Not the most impulsive person? What does that say about our hookups?I seriously doubted he'd planned to kiss me, or any of the other stuff we had done.

“Well, my mum lives in Brighton, which means we would be staying at her house. My sisters are going to be there.”

“Ava and Isla.”

“Yeah.” I was touched that he remembered their names. “They're teenagers, so you'd have to be prepared to answer about a million questions about yourself,” he shrugged one of his broad shoulders, “and they might be a little, uh, unhinged.”

Roy spluttered as he choked on the sip of coffee he'd just taken.

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