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“How was your day?” Roy asked, turning his bulky torso to me.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten dinner with someone in my own home and talked about our day. My love life had been practically nonexistent the last couple of years. Ever since my last relationship had ended, I hadn’t found it in myself to start dating again.
Back then, my ex-girlfriend Taylor and I had just realised one day that we’d fallen out of love, both focused on our careers and that had been that, an anticlimactic breakup if ever there was one.
I had no idea if Roy was even interested in anything outside of pressure relief or rebound sex. After the ordeal he’d been through, I couldn’t blame him for simply trying to feel alive again. And if I got some mind-blowing orgasms out of it, there really was nothing to complain about.
“It was good, yeah,” I answered his question a little belatedly. “Yours?”
He slurped some noodles from his chopsticks, and licked his lips. “Long. I went to the gym this morning. I’ve been slacking a bit.”
Huffing a laugh, I poked at his bulging bicep that was almost bigger than my thigh, the muscle so taut under the skin that my touch didn’t even dent it. “Clearly.”
A deep rumbling laugh shook his shoulders. He threw his head back and I stared. I’d never heard him laugh so freely. It was a beautiful sound.
“I meant my management duties.” Shaking his huge head, he picked up the bowl, set it on his lips, and drank deeply.
I watched his throat bob, mesmerised by the movement and the play of his neck muscles under the sleek creamy fur.
Setting the bowl back on the table, he grabbed the folder. “Hugh gave me this, wanna have a look?”
“Hang on, want a beer? I found the IPA from the brewery your brother works for at the shops today.” Not that I’d checked on their website where in Kirkmuir I could get their products to see Roy’s sweet, surprised, melt-me-into-a-puddle smile. Nope, not at all.
“Yeah, thanks.” His eyes followed me to the kitchen as I got two beers out of the fridge and brought them back to the table. Roy chinked the bottom of his bottle to mine before taking a sip.
“Let’s see it, then.”
The folder contained drafts and mood boards for what I thought were Hugh’s latest designs. It was a bit like creating a new website with the added benefit of Roy in his element.
Watching him inspecting the pages, weighing options and making notes was somehow super hot. Just like when we’d fooled around, his insecurities melted away and were replaced by the confident, in control version of him. Minus the filthy mouth he had in the bedroom.
“What do you think about these?” He cocked his head at me like a dog waiting to be thrown a bone.
“I like this one.” Flipping back a few pages, I pointed at a design that had caught my eye earlier. Hugh had roughly sketched the mannequin but it was clear it depicted a Tigris, probably his boss, judging by the breadth of his shoulders, the narrow waist and thick thighs. It wore a dark suit with interesting details, casual but elegant. “And this, too.” I tapped my finger on a Kraken in a hoodie with an intriguing print I could just see grumpy Gill wearing.
Some of the designs I didn’t like; one or two pieces of women’s wear were neither practical nor pretty.
“And you want pockets on these,” I said, indicating a dress, a skirt, and a pair of trousers. “We love that and never get normal ones you can fit anything in.”
When I raised my gaze, I noticed his eyes resting heavily on me. They were the eyes of a predator surveying its next victim, only I knew the kind of meal Roy wanted to make of me and definitely didn't object to serving as dessert. Shivering with anticipation, I forced myself not to look away.Wasn’t that what you did with wild animals? Stare them down to intimidate them until they backed off?
But my grand plan didn’t work on a beefy-ass Tigris. On the contrary, Roy leaned in and lightly skimmed one large hand up my arm.
“Thanks for the feedback. Is it okay if I run our future designs past you, too? Not for free of course, and you have to promise to always be honest with me.”
“There’s no need to pay me for that. I’m glad to help. And I promise, I’ll be as honest as I can.” My heart was hammering frantically in my chest at the barest feel of his fur over my skin. He licked his lips again, eyes dropping so heavily down to my mouth that I swore it ought to have been audible.
My lids felt like lead, and I fought to keep them open, not wanting my need for him to kiss me to show. My brain had locked up, and it took a moment to start running again.
“Wanna watch a movie?” I asked stupidly when I'd found my voice.
Roy swallowed, then backed out of my personal space rather suddenly. As his stroking hand left me, his cocky demeanour was replaced by a gentler, almost shy expression. “I’d love that. Did you by any chance get more of that beer?” When I nodded yes, he pointed me over to the couch to take a seat.
Getting up, he grabbed two more bottles from the fridge, then settled his bulk next to me. Too close for a purely friendly movie night, yet far enough so that we weren’ttouching. Even though we’d never cuddled, I missed his warmth, craving it with a desperation that baffled me.
We chose an action film about one of the International Sea Creature Council’s special units on a mission in South America. It was based on real events, fascinating but violent as fuck. At one point, the gore got to be so much that I instinctively hid my face in his arm.
“Come here.” Holding out the arm in question, he invited me to snuggle closer, tucking me against his side.
