Page 40 of Learn For Me
Of their own volition, her hands lifted to his forearms, not to push him away, but just to reinforce the connection between them. They were thick, corded with muscle; his skin was warm and smooth on the underside, finely dusted with hair on top.
Powerful, capable of hurting her easily, yet even when his emotions were riled, he treated her with the utmost care.
“I don’t like that you’re worried about me. I’ve never had anyone who cared enough to stage a one-man intervention on my behalf.” Olivia bit her lower lip. “I lose myself in projects because I’m the bestmewhen I’m on the laptop. Outside of work, I don’t really know who I am. I mean, I love to read, and apparently, I’m a sucker for hot sex with an older, experienced man whose penis declares war on women, but I don’t think I’m like normal people.”
Zeke snorted, then shook his head. “We have a month to figure that out, then. I don’t love normal people, Livvy; I loveyou. I’m not expecting you to change so drastically that you lose yourself, but just enough to open your eyes and see the dangers that exist beyond the screen.”
Like a child cuddling a stuffie, she hugged those three words tightly. Hearing them from him after she’d given up hope was akin to sinking into a hot bath after being frozen to the bone in a snowstorm; a little painful at first, until the heat erased the chill, and then it became wonderfully peaceful.
Olivia admitted that his expectation for her safety wasn’t an unfair request. On the contrary, it was probably a smart one, considering she had a propensity for wearing blinders when it came to real life situations. He was right; she spent weeks of her time tracking down the worst of the worst through a computer without recognizing what was happening around her.
If a few weeks of rest and relaxation helped her to become more aware of her surroundings by reversing the effects of her constant exhaustion, then taking advantage of his help was likely a wise move.
“Okay,” she acquiesced. “I will try and be more amenable to a change in routine.”
“Thank you.” Releasing her head, he gave her a warm smile. “Hit the showers, angel. I’ll make sure breakfast is ready when you’re done. There weren’t a lot of clothes in your suitcase,” he added with a disapproving frown, “so we made an educated guess at your size.” He gestured to a set of drawers near the door. “You’ll find everything you need in there.”
“We?”
His grin flashed. “Atticus and I did some online shopping; he knows your everyday style better than I do. Alicia threw her opinion into the mix, so don’t be surprised by the rabbit onesie she ordered.”
“Rabbit… onesie?” Baffled, she gaped at him.
The grin turned carnal. “Atticus assures me the butt flap comes in handy.”
Liquid heat pooled between her legs. Cheeks burning hotly, she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, unsure what her reaction should be. Her nipples perked up, her breasts growing heavy at the thought of Zeke yanking down the flap when she was least expecting it, his fingers touching her folds and preparing her to take his thick length inside her.
“Apparently the princess struck gold,” he murmured, eyes glowing with the reflection of her arousal. She squeaked as he tugged her to her feet, but he only looked at her as though he wanted to eat her. “No sex until you’re showered, fed, and the sight of you with all these curls in disarray doesn’t make me want to be rough.”
“Y-You can be rough if you want.”
His hand skimmed down her side, over the curve of her ass. It sent thrills of excitement through her, even as anxiety skittered beneath them. She was completely bare, standing before him on incredibly unstable legs, and she wasn’t used to being so openly vulnerable.
“One day,” Zeke promised, lowering his head to kiss the side of her neck where all the delicious nerves tingled in welcome, “when this tight pussy won’t snap my cock off if I thrust too hard, I’ll be as rough as you want.”
She jolted when he gave her ass three sharp pats, feeling the sting, absorbing the warmth that filtered through her. Leaning into him when he shifted and wrapped his arm around her waist, she let him lead her on a vaguely familiar path out of the bedroom.
A thought niggled at her. “Did you say it was Friday?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“So, tonight’s the grand reopening of that club?”
His eyebrow lifted. “It is.”
“Are we… going?” Shit, why did she sound so hopeful? Peopling was not her thing; peopling in a club where there were too many faces was a bad idea. Trying to be social when there was presumably nudity and sex? That might just be the end of her.
“Avalon is a kink club, Olivia. It will be busy, a lot of sights and sounds that might be disturbing. Tonight might not be the ideal night to introduce you to everything the lifestyle entails.”
“But all your friends are going.”
“Our friends, and yes, they are. It was their home long before it was mine. Besides, they’ll understand if we don’t go. Scaring you is a possibility, one I’d prefer to avoid. I’d like the club to be part of our social life again eventually—”
Bravery she didn’t know she was capable of made her speak. “It’s a big night for all of you, Zeke. You need to reconnect with them, and be there for the next step forward. I’m not as easily spooked as you think; I can handle spending a few hours down the rabbit hole.”
“Hmm. Why don’t we see how today goes? If you can follow orders like a good girl, eat, and take a nap without argument, I’ll consider it.”
Eyes narrowing, Olivia regarded him carefully. Shewasa good girl. Obeying orders when she worked for a man like Atticus came naturally—unless she had an emotional breakdown and decided to hold herself hostage in her office, she reminded herself. Eating wasn’t an issue, if there weren’t eggs involved; she loathed them.