Page 11 of Silk and Honey

"Exactly," I say, my voice rising with excitement. "That is the beauty of it. When the raw beeswax absorbs into the silk fibers, it alters how the fabric behaves. It stiffens the edges without making them brittle. It gives the silk an architectural, structural drape that you never see on a runway. Plus, it adds a beautiful, subtle sheen to the borders and makes the hems water-resistant."

A slow, appreciative nod comes from Gideon. He appreciates craftsmanship; I can see it in the way his serious expression softens. "It sounds precise. But how do you get it out when the garment is finished?"

"For the parts that need to stay soft, we use heat," I explain. "We place the silk between sheets of absorbent paper and run a warm iron over it. The paper absorbs the excess wax, leaving the silk completely safe and clean. And the best part? It's totally sustainable. I’m going to collect all the wax shavings and the wax-soaked paper from the studio and bring them right back to you."

Gideon blinks, his dark eyes softening even more. "Back to me?"

"Yes." I offer him a warm, playful smile. "You can remelt the shavings to make your candles, or use the wax-soaked sheets as eco-friendly wraps. Nothing goes to waste. It’s a complete circle between the studio and your apiary. A real partnership."

Gideon stands up straight, stepping away from the counter. His massive frame towers over me, causing me to glance up. Oh yeah, I totally have a size-difference kink. He looks down at me, his chest expanding as he takes a deep breath. A dark, intense blush starts creeping up his neck, coloring his tan skin a deep red. Fuck. I can grow addicted to this man’s blushing.

"A partnership," he rumbles, his voice dropping to a low, gravelly register that makes my skin tingle. "I like the sound of that, Avery."

"Yeah?" I whisper, my heart skipping a beat as the professional talk completely melts away into something heated.

"Yeah," Gideon says, his large hands twitching at his sides before he finally reaches out, his thick fingers lightly catching my waist. "You have a beautiful mind, Avery. And I have plenty of wax for you. I’ll do anything I can to help you."

“It’s going to require a lot of patience while we test things and learn.”

“I have a lot of that, too.”

I take a step closer to him, my eyes locking onto his bare, muscular arms. “Is that what you learned in the military? Patience?”

Gideon rubs the back of his neck, his thick fingers twisting in his wavy black hair. “Let’s just say, I learned how to stay calm under pressure. Still amongst the chaos. The bees are a lot like the crowds. If you’re angry or nervous, they feel it. They react to your energy. You have to be calm and completely steady when you move among them.”

“Steady,” I repeat, reaching out. My hand looks so damn small as I flatten it against his massive chest. The muscle is rock-hard beneath my palm, burning hot to the touch. I caress him there, wanting more. “You feel pretty steady to me.”

My thumb grazes his nipple.

Gideon lets out a sharp, ragged breath. He doesn’t move away. Instead, his large hand comes up, his thick fingers gently wrapping around my wrist, holding my hand against his chest. His grip is firm, but so incredibly careful, as if he’s afraid he might break me.

“Avery,” he rumbles, his eyes searching mine. “You are testing me.”

“Maybe a little,” I admit, my voice dropping to a flirty whisper. I step into his space, my chest brushing against his green tank top. “Can you blame me? You’re incredibly handsome, Gid. And we lost five months. I feel like I have a lot of lost time to make up for.”

Gideon’s dark eyes flare with pure desire. He lets go of my wrist, and before I can even process the movement, his massive hands grip my waist. He lifts me effortlessly, setting me down on the edge of the clean counter. And just like that, I’m hard.

I let out a soft, delighted gasp, my hands instantly flying to his broad shoulders for balance. He steps fully between my thighs, his heavy, powerful legs crowding mine, trapping me against the metal counter just like he did against the shelves yesterday.

“Gideon,” I breathe, my heart hammering against my ribs.

“You talk a lot,” Gideon murmurs, his serious face inches from mine. His breath is warm against my lips. “But I like it, Avery. You’re passionate, smart, and so fucking beautiful. You have no idea how hard I’m holding back.”

“Then don’t. Don’t hold back, handsome,” I challenge softly. “Show me what you want to do to me.”

Gideon groans, a low, gravelly sound that vibrates straight through my chest. He leans down and catches my mouth in a deep, bruising kiss.

This time, there is no one to interrupt us. The sweet scent of melting beeswax surrounds us. I wrap my arms around his neck, my fingers tangling in the thick, wavy black hair at the base of his skull, pulling him down to me. Our kiss is all tongues, lips, and teeth,

Gideon manhandles me like I’m something incredibly light. Precious. One of his massive hands slides up my back, pressing me firmly against his chest, while his other hand grips my thigh, lifting it slightly to anchor me closer to his hip. The raw, heavy power of his body makes me shiver, a soft whimper escaping my throat into his mouth.

He tastes sweet and so damn intoxicating. His lips move against mine with a slow, heavy rhythm that drags his hard erection against me. He feels large, even behind the material of his pants. Every touch of his thick, scarred hands against my skin sends a jolt of electricity straight to my cock.

“I haven’t been with anyone since you,” I admit, panting.

He steps back, looking at me in shock. “Me too. I haven’t been with anyone since that night five months ago.” His lips crash back down onto mine, his fingers fumbling with my pants until he yanks them off. Back then, we talked about test results and skipped the condom. And just like that night, I don’t want anything between us.

I reach for his pants, but he stops me.