“Well, I’m asking.”
She pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth, and all I wanted to do was suck it right back out.
Where the fuck was this sudden hunger for her coming from?
“He just gave me the creeps and kept pressing to buy the drink. That’s all.”
If she thought I’d believe that was all, then she must think of me as a fool. But I wouldn’t press. Tonight, Sage was fragile, and I’d handle her with the delicacy she needed.
“If he comes near you again, you call me, okay?” It wasn’t a question, more so a demand.
“Okay.”
“Men like that deserve the worst of what’s coming to them. Don’t feel bad sticking up for yourself, and don’t feel guilty calling me.” Because I knew she would. Sage and I, we were alike in more ways than one. Like calls to like, and my entire being called to Sage like a lighthouse to a ship lost at sea.
I reached down, grabbing her hand in mine. “Come on.”
Leading her down the hall and around the corner, I opened the door to my bedroom and led her in.
My king-sized bed sat in the middle, dark brown sheets folded over a cream comforter with more pillows than a typical bed for one held. Women weren’t the only ones who liked pillows.
A floor to ceiling mirror sat against the wall across from the bed, gold rimming the edges with intricate detail at the top. To the left was the door to my bathroom, and behind the bed was a wall of windows that looked out over the land, but the curtains were drawn, blocking us in and the world out.
“You’re very neat,” she stated from where we stood just a few feet inside the door.
“Ranch work and lessons are messy by definition. I need some kind of cleanliness in my life.” People always talk about the gruff, messy cowboys, but never about the ones that still took their immaculacy at home into account. We weren’t all unhinged in that department.
Her hand slid from mine as she made her way over to the antique mirror. I’d found it at an auction and couldn’t pass up the price, and with such an empty house, I figured it would add some character. By the looks of it, Sage approved.
“It’s beautiful.”
I slowly stepped behind her as she looked up at the top of it, admiring the weaving of gold around the frame. It was the most expensive thing in this house. I didn’t indulge in pricey items often, but I was learning to treat myself every now and then. Life was short.
My hand reached up to her shoulder, gently trailing down her arm. My fingertips passed over the strap on her tank top, then slid down her bare skin. Like before, goosebumps rose in the wake of my finger, and I wondered how long it’d been since she’d been touched.
“Just like you.”
She met my gaze in the mirror as I pressed a kiss to the crook between her neck and her shoulder.
“Tell me if this isn’t something you want to do,” I murmured against her skin.
“It is,” she whispered, keeping her eyes on mine in the reflection.
Her arms slid up to fold around her stomach, like she wanted to hide.
That wouldn’t do.
I reached around her, clasping her hands and bringing them to her sides. “Keep them here.”
Releasing her, I watched as her chest rose with a big inhale while her fingers on her right hand rubbed together.
“Don’t get in your head, baby,” I told her as I slid my hands along her belly.
“I have a scar—”
“Sage.”
Our eyes met again in the mirror. Our silent communication was clear. She didn’t have to explain her body or worry that I wouldn’t love it. She was still standing here fully clothed, and I was harder than I’d ever been my entire life.
My fingers wrapped around the hem of her top and she worried her bottom lip again. Keeping one hand on the fabric, I reached up with the other, using my thumb to free the pink flesh. “I’m not judging you, Sage. I’m going to visually devour you, so that when I physically do the same, it’s that much sweeter.”
Just because she had a baby years ago didn’t make her body any less beautiful, any less breathtaking. She was the definition of perfection, and I hated that she didn’t see that. If anything, I wanted to worship this body harder than I thought possible with that thought in mind.
She was astonishing.
Moving my hand from her mouth, I cupped her chin, making sure her gaze stayed locked on the mirror. I slowly inched her top up, only enough to give me easier access to her pants. I didn’t want to scare her, but I wanted her to know that I wasn’t shying away because she didn’t think of herself as worthy of this. Of being admired openly.
My fingers undid the button on her jeans with ease, moving to the zipper to pull it down. Sliding her jeans down her legs, I bent to take her shoes and socks off. She stepped out of her jeans with my help, all while keeping her hands to her sides.
So obedient.
I rose, leaving her black lace panties on. Reaching back around her, I bunched the material up in the front so the center was a thin strip, revealing her pussy. “Did you wear these on purpose?” I asked her, my voice low and smooth.
“Maybe.”
Pulling up, the fabric went taut against her clit as I whispered in her ear, “Only clear answers, Sage.”
She swallowed, keeping her eyes on my hand in the mirror as her thighs inched apart ever so slightly. “Yes.”
