Page 16 of Full Body Check

He doesn’t reply immediately, silent as he manhandles me to his liking, as if I’m a weightless rag doll, making room to rejoin me on the bed… and settle under the covers. Meaning, of course, he’s now covered. “Come here,” he grunts, flopping a giant, muscular arm out to the side, which I assume is for me to lay my head on… so I do. He turns his head and stares at me to growl, “Closer? Nine Inch Nails? That’s your song choice?”

“If that’s the name of it, then… yes?” I hitch a shoulder and use my expression as a question. “What? I was trying to, um, set the mood.”

“Whose mood? Damn sure not mine, and not yours either, Gracelyn. Have you ever even heard that song?” My face must betray me, because he sighs a laugh. “That’s what I thought. So why pick it? Why even think of it? The one line you know of it anyway.”

I try to sit up, in vain, his arm curling tight around me. “Why’s it matter? I’ve heard of it, and anytime ‘nasty sex songs’ are the topic that’s everyone’s answer, so… I picked it. Why are you making this a thing?”

“Because, I have heard it, all of it, and I’m not okay with ‘the mood you’re setting’ being that of me violating or desecrating you. And those are just the two specific words I can remember. Fuck only knows what else it says!”

I snicker, to his extreme disliking, his glare definite confirmation. “Brewer, you’re reading way too much into this, this, non-issue. And I just have to ask; I admit, I’m no expert or anything, but, is this normal one-night-stand behavior? All this talking? Contemplation? Putting your dick away, over a song choice?”

Shocked breath whooshes out of me as he once again handles me to his will, his will being, apparently, for me to sit on top of him, legs straddling his hips. “I don’t give the first shit about the song itself, Gracelyn. I do, however, very much care what it says, about where your head’s at.”

“And where is that? Where, exactly, is my head, Brewer? Enlighten me, please, because right before your, whatever this is, my head was bobbing up and down… while I was sucking your dick.”

“No, it wasn’t. You’d stopped to make your song choice, remember?” He bows one flippant brow. “And your little plan? Not gonna work,” he deems, the solemn intensity therein eliciting goose bumps to light all over my body.

“Well, alrighty then,” my disbelieving jeer’s loud and bitter, “your call, weirdo. Thanks, for your blunt honesty; saves time I guess. So, if you’d be so kind as to unhand me…” I aim my own glare at his hands, the big, greedy ones suddenly firming their grip at my hips, “I’ll just grab my clothes… andan Uber.”

Or not.

I’m starting to resent his size, almost as much as his still unexplained mood swing — having just been steamrolled onto my back, forced to now be looking up at the scowling mammoth hovering over me.

“I not make myself clear earlier, about keeping you, or did you think I was joking? I wasn’t.” His snarl’s hot on my lips, his forehead pressed to mine.

Merely for the sake of show — a show of protest — well aware by now that the act’s futile, I use both hands to shove at his chest. “You seemed so normal, dammit! I should’ve known it was too good to be true.” My laugh’s brittle with disappointment. “As if, Gracie! A safe, steamy, rendezvous with an unbelievably gorgeous, charming, mountain of a man? Who the hell was I kidding?”

“Yourself, but in an entirely different way. Reason the song pissed me off. I know what you’re doing, well, trying to do, and like I said, it’s not gonna work.”

“And like I said, get off me and I’ll be leaving!” I bite with deadly venom. “You no longer wish to uh, be withme; got it. Likewise. Now move!”

He shakes his heads and tsks. “Which one of us is talking crazy now? ‘No longer wish to be with you?’ Who said that shit? Wasn’t me. And your ‘likewise?’” He grins, skimming his nose the length of mine. “You’re kidding yourself again, sweet Gracelyn. You can’t wait for me to take you, make you come, overand over. And, you know I’m safe, you’re safe, and that it’ll be more than steamy.”

“I… I have absolutely no idea what is happening, or what you’re talking about anymore. Absolutely none.”

“You settle the hell down, I’ll be happy to explain. If I move, are you gonna stay put and listen to what I have to say?”

“Yes,” I heave, “but only because I know you’d have me recaptured before my feet even hit the floor.”

“See, you’re already starting to get things right again.” He leans in and kisses the end of my nose before resituating himself beside me. “Look at me, Gracelyn.” When I do, slow and stubbornly, he hits me with a smile so kind and tender, that no matter what he says next, the beautiful image will forever remain burned into my memory. As a fond one. “You chose the raunchiest song you could think of for one veryspecific reason— to try and trick yourself into believing you’ll make it through this unscathed. And you were right; no, this isn’t ‘normal.’ Normally, I don’t even come close to analyzing the inner-workings of the women I fuck. But, I also don’t normally fuck women like you.”

“What does that mean? What kind of woman am I, Brewer?” It’s purposefully snippy — he knows next to nothing about me — presumptuous ass.

“You, Gracelyn, prefers-to-be-called-Gracie-but-I-can’t-help-myself, Bolton,” he traces my jawline with a roughened fingertip, “are the kind of woman who will never be able to have anything physical without at least some emotional in ittoo. I already knew that, but when you started subconsciously safeguarding yourself against the inevitable… well, it worried me.”

“Oh. My. God.” My voice thin as ice, like the glare pinning him, I snort my dismissive laugh. “Worried you? That what, I’m gonna fall madly, instantly, in love with you? Doodle your name on every piece of paper I can find? Run to the store, in between stalking you and forgetting to take my birth control pills of course, to buy a baby name book? Geez, Brewer, ego much? And stop that!” I swat his hand off my cheek, his touch no longer welcome.

“Can’t.” He reaches right back up again, cupping my entire cheek in his warm palm, and wordlessly demanding I look at him. “Not one of the silly things you just listed, or anything close, ever crossed my mind. I also know, you’re a woman of great pride, Gracelyn. Sogreat, you’d politely resign before ever risking what you consider to be humiliation, desperation, or self-degradation. You’re getting all fired-up, which is adorable, but unnecessary; misunderstanding what I’m trying to say, so let me try this again. All I meant was, if we don’t get a few things cleared up, right now, you will end up getting hurt, in ways I’m not willing torisk.”

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