Page 40 of Praised
He raised a brow like he was challenging me. “Unless you demand it?”
“I don’t make demands, and you earn calling me Sir by wanting to call me Sir, Rose. I’m not a hard man to please, but it’s a serious thing and I treat it as such.”
“Thought you were only into casual.”
“Do you get off on calling out all my hypocritical tendencies?”
I walked around the island and again notched myself between his spread legs, enjoying the way he laughed at me and slid his arms around my neck. With him on the counter, he was almost the same height as me, so I leaned in and stole a kiss.
“I’m just trying to make sense of you,” he murmured, parting his lips and making way so I could slide my tongue against his.
“My friends say that’s impossible.” I hauled him to the edge of the counter so he could feel my dick as it got hard for him from the way he kissed me and touched me. “They’ve been trying for years.”
“So, sex is casual, good sex is serious?”
Rose smiled against my mouth and I sank my teeth into his bottom lip until his smug little laugh turned into a moan.
“You have me a little turned around,” I admitted, pulling back enough so he could see how serious I was in my confession.
“It’s mutual.”
“I haven’t had a serious partner since I was in college.”
Rose wrapped his legs around my waist and pressed our bodies together as much as the spacing on the counter would allow. His hands came together at the base of my neck, fingers tangling in the short strands of hair that had grown too long.
“Are you asking for one?” He dragged the side of his nose against mine, the ghost of a smile visible on his lips.
“I think that’s more your speed. I haven’t forgotten our first night together, you in those panties talking about all the things you deserve.”
It was the truth.
And I didn’t think I’d ever forget it for the rest of my life.
“I want a monogamous partner,” he confirmed, which was fine with me.
Barclay was the polyamorous one in our group, and Dalton was always more than willing to make his twosome a threesome. It had never been my style to share the way the two of them preferred. No shame to either of them, or anyone else for that matter, but it wasn’t for me. I was a little too possessive, a little too jealous.
“What else do you want?”
“I want someone who sees the good in my bad,” he whispered, cheeks flushing crimson.
I grabbed his face in my hands, cradling his burning flesh against my palms and I held him steady until he looked into my eyes. “Someone who can maybe talk me through both of those things.”
Fuck, he was a gorgeous, gorgeous man. Trusting but wounded, fearful and hopeful all in the same breath. I’d talk him through the end of the world if that was what it came down to. If that was something he allowed.
“I can do that,” I said softly, placing a gentle kiss against the corner of his mouth. He arched into me, pressing our chests together as he tightened his fingers against the base of my neck.
“I want to wake up and wear more of your clothes around the house,” he said.
Something unexpected surged in my chest at his confession, something raw and feral, and I slanted our mouths together and kissed him until I was dizzy. Until his hands had made their way down my back and around my ass, until my pants were sticky with precum and sweat.
“I’d rather you wake up and wear nothing,” I confessed.
Rose wrapped his legs around my waist and raised himself off the counter, his body giving more instruction than his words ever could.
“I think that can be arranged.”
CHAPTER14
