Beneath This Man(46)

'Says he with twelve superbikes.' I quip, and then sigh happily as I'm sunk into the lovely relaxing water, still astride his lap, still full to the hilt with his semi-erect cock. 'I could look at you all day.' I muse to myself, tracing my fingers from side to side across his abdomen.

He lays back and lets me have my way. I run my fingertip over every square inch of his hard, lightly tanned chest, swirling and flicking as I go. The silence is comfortable as he watches my delicate touch skating all over him. I work my way up to his neck, his chin, his lips and they part, his eyes twinkling as I lower myself to rest on his chest, my mouth meeting his.

'I love your mouth.' I say, dropping kisses all the way around the edges of his lips until I'm back to where I started. 'I love your body.' My hands drift down his arms, my tongue slipping into his mouth. 'I love your crazy mind too.' I coax his tongue from his mouth and lap gently as I trail my hands back up his arms until my palms wrap around his neck and my body arches into him.

He moans. 'You make me crazy, Ava. Just you.'

I feel his big palms slide up my back until he's cupping the back of my head and pushing me into him, our mouths continuing to work each other slowly, our bodies slipping against each other slightly. I know I make him crazy, but he makes me crazy too.

I pull back and look at my crazy man. 'Crazy.' I mouth.

'ish,' He smiles and lifts me from his lap, turning me until I'm sat between his parted thighs. 'Let me wash you.' He grabs the sponge and starts squeezing the hot water all over me, resting his cheek against the side of my head. 'I need to talk to you about something.' he says quietly. There is no mistaking his apprehension.

I tense all over. I don't like the sound of this, which is quite hilarious because I've been willing him to talk. 'What?'

'The Manor,'

Okay, now I'm prickling from head to toe and it's bloody obvious, which is even more hilarious because I've been wanting him to talk about this specifically. But his approach tells me I'm not going to like whatever is going to come from his mouth. He has ceased squeezing warm water over me, and I can literally hear those f*cking cogs clanking around in his handsome head. What about The Manor? I do not like the direction of tub talk today. I want to get out and have a shower.

'The Anniversary Party.' The worry is clear in his tone and it bloody should be. I'm not going.

'What about it?' I ask nonchalantly. I'm not going to get myself worked up because I really, really am not ever, not in a million years, going. Never - no way. I want to turn myself back over, lay on his chest and put my lips back on his so he can't talk.

'I still want you to come.'

'You can't ask me to do that.' I say calmly, but I'm feeling a little angry that he would even suggest such a stupid thing. Hang on...I agreed to this before I knew what The Manor really was, and Kate did too. Is she still going? I cringe. Bloody hell, she will as well. 'You asked me to go before I knew.'

'I gave myself a deadline to tell you.' he says quietly.

'Oh.' I don't know what to say. I found out before his time was up.

'Are you going to avoid my workplace forever?' he asks sarcastically. I don't appreciate his tone of voice - not in the slightest.

'I might do.' I retort. Work place? Is he f*cking kidding me?

'Don't be stupid, Ava.' He recommences soaking me in water and presses a kiss to my temple. 'Will you please just think about it?'

I sigh tiredly. 'I'm making no promises, and if you even think about trying to f*ck some sense into me on this, I'm leaving.' I threaten. I'm being completely dramatic, but I want him to know how much I don't want to go. The Manor anniversary party? Never.

He nuzzles my ear and wraps his legs around the outside of mine. 'I want the woman with me who keeps my heart beating.'

Oh God! That's emotional blackmail if ever there was any. How the hell can I say no to that? Damn you, Jesse Ward, of an age I don't know.

I let him continue to wash me while I think about using this to my advantage. Maybe I could negotiate his age from him in return for my presence at The Manor's anniversary party. I'll think carefully about how much I want to know his age compared to how much I don't want to go to the party. That's a tricky one.

'Did you speak to Clive?' I ask. I know he hasn't. I'm being sneaky.

'About what?'

'The mystery woman.'