Page 28 of Silk and Honey

Before I can reply, his large hands grip my waist and lift me effortlessly, setting me down right onto the smooth wood of the cutting table. I wrap my legs around his waist instinctively, my hands flying to his shoulders as he crowds between my knees, his body pressing against mine.

"Gid," I gasp, my cock growing hard in my pants.

"You are so fucking beautiful, Avery," Gideon confesses against my lips, his thick fingers tangling into my hair. "Watching how brilliant of a designer you are… I can't take it anymore. I need to kiss you."

"Yes. Kiss me, please," I beg.

When his lips meet mine, I whimper, falling apart under his touch. Our tongues meet in this desperate, possessive hunger. I pull him closer, panting heavily as his massive hands grip my hips. The delicious combination of his weight and bulk completely consumes me as we begin to grind against each other.

Stepping back, he glances down at my cock tenting my pants. He smirks, the cocky bastard. He wasn’t kidding when he said he wasn’t shy behind closed doors.

“Looks like we might need to take care of that.” His lips trail a path down to a spot on my neck that makes me whimper. All while his fingers work my pants open. I’m trembling by the time he pulls my hard cock out.

“Wha—what about you?” I ask, even though it sounds more like I’m begging.

Pulling back he tugs his own cock free and holds up the world’s tiniest bottle of lube. I bark out a laugh. “Where the hell did that come from?”

“Came prepared,” he replies, voice rough. He snaps the cap open and uses most of its contents to coat our lengths before lining us up together. The slick glide of his fingers and the silky skin of his cock is almost too much. There’s no way I’m going to last.

“Oh fuck. Are we really doing this? Right here in the studio?” I glance around, making sure all the designs, sketches and materials are out of the way. All this hard work… I’d die if we got jizz on anything important.

“We can move this upstairs if you would prefer. But that means locking up first.” His fingers stroke over my tip, making it really fucking hard to think. I know there’s probably a good reason I should stop things, but for the life of me, I can’t think of any.

My eyes widen. “No. No, please don’t stop.” I beg, thrusting my hips forward so our dicks rub together in a desperate attempt to keep him here.

“That’s what I thought.” He chuckles.

Fucking tease. “Please, Gideon. Keep going. More.”

“Hold still, babe,” he commands. “Just feel. I want you coming apart against me.” His large, rough fingers wrap around the both of us. The image in front of me is so obscene, I can’t look away. We’re both so hard and thick, he isn’t able to make his fingers meet. It’s a sight I want to remember forever; his deep, golden-tanned skin pressed seamlessly against my pale cock, every inch of contact sending fire thrumming through my veins.

Gripping his shoulders, I crash my lips back to his as he jerks us off. It only takes several strokes before I’m arching my back, my whole body taught. Thick ropes of cum spill into his hand, causing Gideon to groan. He uses my mess to continue stroking until he comes right after me.

We stay like that for a long moment. Both of us are panting, while I murmur sensual, dirty words against his ear. If I had it my way, we would be ready for round two by the time we lock up and settle upstairs.

He pulls back just an inch, his hot breath brushing my wet lips, both of us breathing heavily in the quiet room. He looks up into my brown eyes, his face serious, his dark gaze completely filled with devotion.

"You’re going to blow his mind, Avery," Gideon says, his voice steady and sure. "This collection is a damn masterpiece. And if that asshole tries to say otherwise, he'll have to answer to me."

I bark out a laugh, my heart overflowing. I lean forward and press my lips against his jaw. "You totally would kick his ass, wouldn’t you?"

"Damn straight.”

Chapter thirteen

Gideon

The brass bell above the front door of Beauty and the Boutique chimes. I don't move from my spot in the shadows. I’m standing near the back of the shop, shoulder resting against the pillar near the studio. I have my arms crossed tightly over my chest, my large frame completely still. To anyone spotting me while walking in, I probably look like some bouncer ready to tackle someone.

That’s exactly what I want. My little heart-to-heart with Avery has burrowed its way into my soul. I know I probably look crazy, but I want to protect the man I’m falling in love with. And I’m doing it the only way I know how. Let’s just say once a bodyguard, always a bodyguard.

Avery is standing near the display racks in front of the lingerie section, his fingers tightly gripping a clipboard. He’s wearing a silk blue button-up and dark trousers, his brown hair neatly styled, and his usual scruff has been shaved clean. He looks every bit the high-fashion designer he is, but I can see the subtle signs of anxiety and nerves. I can see the way his jaw is locked tight.

Next to him, Ezra stands with an unyielding, regal grace, his arms folded loosely, his eyes fixed entirely on the front entrance.

The door swings open, and Scott Woods steps into the shop.

He looks exactly how I expected the jerk to look. He’s thin, almost brittle-looking, dressed in an over-tailored, black designer suit that looks completely ridiculous for the hot weather of Foggy Basin. His sunglasses are pushed up onto his slicked-back hair, and his eyes are sharp, cold, and clinical. He carries a leather-bound notebook under his arm.