Oops. I think I ruined the pretzels.
Author's notes:
I’m not projecting my own work anxiety at Milo! I swear. Okay, maybe a bit. I love my job, but the AI bullshit going on is stressing me the fuck out. Long story.
Milo
Crossing my arms, I looked at the clothes that lay scattered on my bed. I’d been obsessing over what to wear the entire morning until I gave up and marched to the kitchen.
The pretzel recipe was taped to my fridge with flowery Washi to prevent me from losing it. I’d rewritten it to keep Anabelle’s book in pristine condition, and I also found several other treats to try from her ideas for later.
This time, I sat cross-legged in front of the oven and watched the pretzels get to a yummy shade of brown. They came out not burned (good) but gummy in the middle (not so good). Overall, not a success, but not a complete failure, either. I chose the best-looking one and set it aside to wrap it up to go.
I had an hour to get ready to meet Rowan.
A thorough shower and prep later, I picked a white crop top with Swimming With the Sharks’ new album cover on it. The design, depicting a stage in the rain, had the kind of visceral beauty you'd expect of a painting in a museum. So of course I had to have it the moment I saw it in a music store a few weeks ago. I pulled on my favorite baggy jeans and tightened them with a leather belt. Since I may end up walking home in the middle of the night, I threw on a thin yellow bomber jacket.
I usually took a bike for the short ride to work, which allowed me to visit Ethel when I finished. But Rowan’s hotel was two blocks closer to the cafe, so I could cover the distance in fifteen minutes on foot.
The entire walk I reminded myself that I shouldn’t talk too much and not be too clingy. We’d take a stroll in the park, get ice cream, go back to his hotel to fuck, then I’d be on my way home. No big deal.
After my messy breakup with Andrew, I’d had the odd random hookup: tourists, or men I'd met when I'd gone on vacation. But even though Rowan was only in town for the summer, it still felt like a big deal - I was gonna be seeing him around here for weeks.
Miraculously, I remembered the number of his room, and the nice porter at the entrance informed me that Rowan was waiting for me in 1608.
I knocked once, and the door swung open. The chaos in my head quieted, leaving only me, Rowan, and his pristine hotel suite.
“I was afraid you changed your mind. Or had other plans.” He stepped back, letting me in. His black shirt was untucked and unbuttoned, showing the expanse of his hairy chest and his dark pink nipples. The slacks he wore hung loosely on his hips, pooling over his bare feet.
“Nope. You’re the only thing on my to-do list today.” I winked.
“Cheeky.” He dragged a finger across my exposed midriff, leaving goosebumps in his wake.
He was so tentative when all I wanted was for him to throw me over his shoulder and…could I even take his dick? I’d dared a glimpse of the imprint in front of his pants before, but what I’d seen couldn’t be real. If I sped this up a bit now, I’d find out sooner.
I rocked on my heels. “So you’ve got big feet, huh?” Grinning, I lifted my eyebrows.
“Yeah, well…oh.” Rowan’s gaze darkened. “I do.” He stalked me until my back hit the wall. “Why? Are you interested in my feet or my cock?” His hands on the bare skin of my waist were gentle yet possessive at once.
My heartbeat quickened as I looked up and then some to his face. “Both?”
His rich chuckle filled the air as he leaned over and placed an open-mouthed kiss on the side of my neck, then my jaw, until he reached my lips. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Spend some time with me and you’d want to forget me. Or so my ex had told me. I shook my head and grounded myself by touching Rowan’s chest. This was no place for ugly thoughts.
“Good.”Because I woke up in the middle of the night and had to jerk off twice to the memory of you rolling your sleeves. I wouldn’t have been able to go back to sleep otherwise.
I pushed aside his parted shirt and latched onto his nipple, sucking and flicking it with my tongue.
Rowan’s growl rumbled in his chest, and he slid his fingers into my hair, holding me like a gentle giant with his large hand. I kissed down his hard abdomen and lowered myself to my knees. If I didn’t taste his cock in the next minute, I might die.
I tore at his pants, fumbling with the button until I sent it flying to the other side of the room. Oops. I shoved his black boxers down and…
“Whoa.” I licked my lips, mesmerised by the monster I found. Rowan’s dick was long, but it was also thick as fuck.This thing won’t fit in me.Nope. No way. But I could be creative.
Rowan’s hand froze in my hair, and his thighs twitched. “If you’ve changed your mind—”
“No. Fuck no.” Was his cock-zilla a sore spot? I could see how it might scare someone away. Good thing I felt very brave today. I wouldn’t be able to take Rowan’s cock, but we could do other things. I slid my hands up to his groin and licked the head of his hard-on. Salty pre-cum graced my mouth, and I moaned, eager for more. I traced my tongue around the crown and the foreskin hiding there, then I buried my face in his ginger pubes.
