Chapter Ten
Jasmine
"What are you reading?" Sarah Tolliver asks, peering over my shoulder at the sheaf of papers in my hand.
"What? Nothing." I slap my hands over them, trying to hide them.
She shoots me an odd look. "Um…okay, then?"
"Ignore her," Lilah advises, passing by the sofa with a stack of books. "River gave her his latest manuscript the other day. She's being weird about it."
"I am not being weird about it." I roll my eyes at my best friend's back. "I'm protecting his privacy." Maybe I'm being a little weird about it, but he didn't give me permission to show it to anyone else. I am not betraying his confidence. Hell no.
Sarah stares at me, wide-eyed. "Is it any good?"
"So good," I whisper, swallowing hard. In truth, I think it might be the best thing he's ever written, and that's not because I'm biased.
It's because every page drips with emotion.
I don't just feel seen in this novel, I am in this novel.
And so are little pieces of him, like he's written the parts of himself that are wild about me into it, too.
It's intimate, personal, and so damn beautiful.
His readers are going to love it. I love it.
"You're glowing," Sarah says, her expression soft.
"That's because she's getting laid every night!" Lilah shouts, her voice floating to us from behind a shelf.
"You do not get to judge me for riding River into the sunset when Lincoln has you tied to his bed nine nights out of ten, Lilah Davis!" I shout back. Naturally, the bell over the door jingles at that exact moment, and a group of shoppers spills into the store.
They all turn wide eyes on me, gaping.
Dammit.
Sarah laughs nervously, her face bright red. Not that she has any room to talk. She's been fucking Olive's brother for the last few weeks. They basically live together already. Honestly, good for her. She's never been this happy.
I quickly shove the manuscript back into the box before hopping to my feet. "Welcome to Book of Love, where we both read and discuss sex with hot men," I say, deadpan.
"Oh, count me in!" A curvy petite brunette grins from ear to ear, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I'm always down to discuss someone else's sex life."
"Yes, because you don't have one, Meridian," one of her friends says.
"Exactly," Meridian retorts, skipping forward to link her arm through mine like we're old friends. "I need to live vicariously through someone getting laid."
"I like you already," I murmur, earning another grin from her. "What can I help you find?"
"If dirty sex with hot men isn't on the menu, I'll take a filthy, possessive orc."
Oh, I really like her.
"We can definitely do that," I murmur, leading her toward the correct section while Sarah hurries forward to help her friends.
By the time we have them all sorted out, they're all loaded down with books, vibrators, and three bottles of wine, and the store is full of a brand-new wave of shoppers.
It's another hour and a half before I finally get a moment to breathe.
When I do, River is standing just inside the door, watching me.
"Hey," I murmur, my gaze running up and down his body. God, he's gorgeous. I don't think he even realizes how damn beautiful he is. He's just living his life, oblivious to the fact that he's fucking hot.
"Hey, princess," he rumbles, his eyes dark. "You busy?"
I glance around the store, breathing a relieved sigh when I realize that everyone has finally cleared out. I haven't stopped moving since Meridian came in over two hours ago. "Nope. Not anymore."
"Good. You got time for lunch?"
"Sarah, can you—?"
"Yep," she says, waving me off. "I'll keep an eye on the register."
"And I'll just be over here!" Lilah shouts, peeking from behind a stack. "Don't mind me."
"Hey, Lilah."
"River." She grins at him. "Good to see you again."
I scowl at my best friend, but she just blows me a kiss. "Have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Please. I do plenty you wouldn't do," I mutter, making her giggle. I start around the counter to River, then pause to grab the box containing his manuscript from beside the register. "I'm ready."
He smiles, placing his hand on the small of my back to lead me out to his SUV.
"You been reading today?" he asks, nodding at the box.
"Trying. We've been busy for the last two hours." I shield my hand against the sun, peering up at him. "Where are we going?"
"My place," he growls, his eyes dark. "I'll make you something to eat before I eat you for dessert. Been thinking about the way you squirted all over my face last night all damn morning, princess. I need to taste you again."
Oh, hell yes.
"Or you can eat dessert first," I breathe, leaning into him.
He groans softly, his hand flexing against my back.
I don't get a chance to climb into his SUV. He practically tosses me inside, making me giggle. I guess he's really been thinking about it, then.
The drive to his place is only five minutes, but I make every second count. As soon as he's out of the parking lot, I've got my hand on him, stroking him through his jeans.
"Jesus Christ, Jasmine," he snarls, his hands locked around the steering wheel like he's afraid he's going to wreck out. "Are you trying to kill us?"
"No. I'm trying to see how wild I can make you before we get to your place," I hum, leaning over the console to lick a trail up the side of his throat. "Think I can make you come before we get there?"
"I think I'll spank your pretty ass if you do," he growls.
"Is that supposed to deter me?" I yank his zipper down. "Because all I'm hearing is a challenge."
He mutters a string of curses… but he doesn't try to stop me when I shove my hand into his pants, wrapping my fingers around his hard cock. He doesn't even try to stop me when I pull it out, stroking him.
He does speed up, though, doing twice the speed limit the whole way.
We make it to his house in record time.
"Damn. Guess I los—"
I'm still talking when he hauls me out of my seat onto his lap, his mouth covering mine. He kisses me like he's going to die if he's not all over me right now, his hands digging into my hips.
"I thought you wanted to eat me," I breathe.
"Changed my mind." He reaches for the handle to shove the seat all the way back. "You're going to ride me soft right here in the driveway. Then I'll feed you, then I'll eat you. In that order."
I moan, my core clenching.
"Lift up and move your panties aside," he orders me. "Get on my cock."
"Don't be bossy."
"Don't get spanked."
"Insufferable ass," I mutter, lifting up and flicking my panties aside.
Before I can sink down on him, he bats my hand away, pressing a finger into me.
I gasp, grasping at his shoulders.
"What was that, princess?" he asks, his eyes locked on my face. "What am I?"
"An insufferable…Oh, god, River," I moan, rocking against his palm when he adds a second finger. My skin is on fire, my pulse thudding everywhere at once. "Don't stop."
"Finish it. What am I?" he asks, his fingers curling inside me.
I bite my lip, arching against his hand, and glare at him through a haze of lust. "An insufferable ass," I pant, grinding down harder on his hand, desperate for more.
He leans in, his teeth closing over my nipple through the thin cotton of my dress.
I yelp, clutching his shoulders for balance. "Perfect," I shout, the word torn from me. "You're perfect!"
"That's what I thought you meant." He lets go of my nipple, only to suck and then bite again, leaving the hard bud throbbing. Then his hand is gone from between my legs.
Before I can whine about the loss, he's yanking me down onto his cock hard enough to make me see stars. I'm so wet, he slides in like it's nothing, but the stretch is enough to steal my breath.
"River!" I shout.
"I love when you say my name like that," he groans, smacking my ass. "Ride me."
I ride him hard, my thighs spreading wider, my head thrown back as I bounce in his lap, his hands gripping my hips so tight I know I'll have bruises. I want them, though. I want every mark he gives me.
"Look at you." He watches me through glossy, dilated eyes, like hell itself couldn't force him to look away, his glasses askew on his face. "You were made to take me like this."
It's too much. I can't hold back.
I clench around him, sobbing his name. "River, please!"
He grabs my hips and uses me, fucking up into me so hard I lose all sense of time or place. All I feel is him inside me, driving me out of my mind with pleasure.
"Look at me," he growls, and I do. His eyes are wild, so dark with desire, I can't breathe. "You're going to come on my cock, right here, right now."
I'm already there, hovering on the edge. He knows it, too. He's ruthless about chasing it down, grinding his hips up into me, hitting that perfect spot again and again.
I moan, the sound loud and desperate, and let go, my body shaking in his hands. I squeeze his cock so tight he curses and nearly loses it, but he holds on, fucking me through my orgasm until I'm limp and shuddering.
I love this man. God help me, but I'm in love with him. I'm not even afraid of it. I'm not panicking, overwhelmed, or desperate to run, either. I'm just…in awe. Humbled.
For one heart-stopping second, I almost tell him. The words are right there, perched on my tongue, eager to burst free. But I swallow them back, burying my face in his neck as he shudders and pours himself into me, chanting my name.
He wraps his arms around me, holding me close. I burrow into him, listening to the strong beat of his heart, wondering when the fuck I'm supposed to tell him how I feel. Surely not while he's inside me, right? Right.
"You okay, baby?" he whispers after a moment, pressing kisses to my hair.
"Perfect," I whisper. For the first time in my life, I mean it. Because of him, I'm perfect.