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She blinks once and gives me a quick nod. “I’ve never been with anyone more than a year older than me, but you make me want to try. You’re a grown man, a real man, and I think that’s what I need.”
With my free hand, I tighten the grip on her waist and pull her closer, leaving no air between us. I release the growl vibrating in my chest and lean forward. “You think, or you know?” I don’t give her time to answer. Her lips part with surprise, and I take my fucking shot.
Without an ounce of guilt or regret, I slant my mouth over hers and taste her plump lips for the first time. Wren moans into our kiss, and my head swims with a simmering, combustible lust that sets my soul on fire. My racing heart slams into my chest, and I pull away to catch my breath. Wren lunges forward, her lips crashing harder against mine, unsatisfied with a momentary reprieve. That’s fine by me. My little bird likes to be kissed, and I’m the only man fit to take care of her needs.
“I know,” Wren whimpers, stroking my tongue with hers, driving me too crazy to understand what she means.
My hands slide down from her waist and caress the globes of her magnificent ass that has featured in every dream I’ve had for the past week. She hums with satisfaction and grinds forward into my aching cock. I have a hunch she’s going to be a handful.
“You know what?” I’m still lost and too busy devouring her lips to reflect on what she meant a moment ago.
“You asked if I think or know you’re what I need. And I said I know.” Wren lays her hands on my shoulders and hooks her leg around my thigh.
Instinctively, I dig my fingers into her ass and lift her onto my hips, helping her climb me like a tree.
With her legs locked around my waist, I wrench my lips away from her kiss and lean my forehead against hers. “Does my little bird need a real man between her thighs?”
She nods eagerly and kisses my bottom lip, pulling it into her mouth with a gentle bite. Wren York has turned out to be one hell of a surprise. She’s nothing like I expected, but precisely what I need.
She’ll never be rid of me now.
“Let’s go downstairs and eat, baby. You need sustenance before I help you burn off every last calorie,” I groan against her lips, pissed with myself for putting on the brakes. We can’t jump straight to sex before sharing a meal. That’s not the way I want our relationship to begin.
“Really?” Her expression twists with confusion, perhaps believing I don't want to continue. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I nod and playfully swipe my tongue across her lips. “I think I smell something burning.”
“The chicken!”
CHAPTERTEN
“It’s not burnt. Stop fussing. The edges are a little crispy, but I like it that way. Plus, this is the best marinara I’ve ever tasted. Where did you get it?” Ford serves himself an extra helping of chicken and douses the sucker in so much marinara I can’t even see the bird on his plate. I was so busy getting my groove on upstairs, it overcooked and dried out. This is so embarrassing.
“You don’t have to say that. It’s dry and burnt. I take full accountability for not setting the timer and then getting so distracted, I could have set my new house on fire,” I exaggerate, sawing off another piece of chicken with a steak knife. Thank goodness I had these ready. “And I made the marinara from scratch. At least that came out okay.”
Ford’s eyebrows shoot up with surprise. “From scratch? That’s amazing.” He scoots his chair closer and slides his palm beneath mine, threading our fingers together. “You’re amazing.”
“No, I’m not. But thank you for saying that. It’s nice to hear,” I whisper, my throat so tight I can barely increase the volume of my voice.
Ford lifts my hand to his lips and plants a soft kiss against my wrist. I shiver and place my free hand over my heaving chest, overcome by the intensity of his dark gaze. He blows out an unsteady breath, and his sober expression makes me take pause.
Does he want to leave? Is he only staying to be nice?
“If I say you’re amazing, then you’re amazing, little bird. Learn to take a compliment because I plan to dish them out daily,” Ford rasps, releasing my hand to continue eating. “Tell me something about yourself that I don’t already know.”
His question intrigues me. What exactly does he already know? Has he looked me up? I suppose it’s only fair after my grandfather ran a background check on him. That’s the only reason I knew his age before he told me. Sixteen years is a big gap, but I don’t believe it’s insurmountable.
I lean back and straighten my posture, considering his question and trying to find the words to ask for clarification. It would be rude to accuse him of stalking me. “What do you know?”
He smiles and finishes chewing his dry chicken. “I know your age, and your grandfather told me you recently graduated from college. He didn’t mention much else, but I can tell from your home that you put a lot of care into everything you do. And you seem to spend a lot of time with your grandparents. Did they raise you? Did your parents pass away?”
The mention of my parents makes me cringe. I don’t like talking about them. It would be easier to say they passed away and didn’t leave me willingly, but that would be a lie. How do you confess that your parents never wanted you? He’ll think I have daddy issues or mommy issues, or some kind of detachment disorder. That’s not a side of my life I’m proud to share.
“Is that too much to ask?” Ford breaks the awkward silence and retakes my hand, stroking it gently to put me at ease. “You don’t need to tell me anything that makes you uncomfortable. I’m genuinely curious to know everything about you, everything that makes you tick.” He pushes his chair away from the table and lifts his plate. Before I can stand, he grabs mine, emptying the last remnants in the trash before placing them in the sink.
“I’ll do that, Ford,” I blurt out with horror when he turns on the faucet and begins washing my dishes. Where the hell did this man come from? And why did he take so long to get here?
Ford’s attentiveness and consideration are a breath of fresh air in the trash dump that was my love life. I like having him here. He fills the space with a sense of calm that soothes my weary soul.
