back. “It’s about teenage wizards. No ships. No eye patches. No water. Nothing.”
“Push the button, me hearty!” Clarence called to Jack. “There be a bottle of rum in it for ye!”
Jack dutifully pushed the button a few times. Finally, with a resigned shake of her head, Skintight Dress removed herself from Pretend Pirate Clarence’s arms. Giving Jack and Penelope a little wave, she left the area and began walking toward the snack table. “You coming, Clarence?” she asked over her shoulder.
“Your turn, matey,” Clarence said, slapping Jack on the back. “Get ye some booty.” Then he hustled after Skintight Dress.
I intend to , Jack thought. Believe me.
The entire children’s area was quiet. Only the two of them remained, which suited him perfectly. Both he and Penelope were private people, and he didn’t want her holding back because of an audience.
He turned to Penelope. “So,” he said. “What cover do you want?”
She pulled a book from the pile and handed it to him without a word. He almost swallowed his tongue when he saw it. Well, she’s definitely not holding back , he thought, trying to hide his body’s reaction to the cover image.
“Are you sure?” he managed to say. “It isn’t . . . too much?”
“Not for me,” she said, looking up at him with an innocent smile. “Is it too much for you? If it is, I can always ask him instead.” She nodded toward Cologne Guy, who was chatting with Clarence and Skintight Dress across the library.
He bristled, as he knew she’d intended. “No,” he said firmly. “I’m good.”
“I hope so,” she replied, and the heat in her gaze nearly took out his knees. “Now take off your shirt.”
7
P enny didn’t know what had possessed her.
Maybe something about the quiet privacy of the children’s area. Something about seeing all those covers of couples locked in passionate embraces. Something about the way Jack kept looking at her, the way he’d held her when he’d thought she was crying . . . it all loosened a tight knot inside her gut. It silenced the voice in her head telling her she was too skinny. Too short. Too nerdy. Not enough for a man like him.
And when that voice fell silent, another took its place. This one said different things. Shameless things.
He’s yours. Take him .
Don’t you want to see his naked chest? His shoulders?
I’ll bet he’d look amazing on his knees in front of you .
That voice had proven very convincing. Which was why she and Jack were now recreating the cover scene to Kneeling Before Mistress X .
She didn’t even recognize the book from the library. She suspected it was part of Angie’s personal collection, and that her friend had meant to bring it to the hospital tonight. Too bad for Angie. Tonight, it was Penny’s turn to experience this particular fantasy.
Angie hadn’t supplied the black leather mask the cover model wore, so Penny’s face remained bare. She hadn’t changed clothes, other than peeling off the cardigan she’d worn over her sleeveless dress. But she’d positioned herself like the woman in the cover. Standing tall. Back straight. Legs spread shoulder-width apart.
Jack kneeled shirtless before her, his hands loosely bound behind his back with the rope provided by the library. She fought to keep her eyes from straying to his bare chest, with its dusting of dark hair. Or to his broad shoulders. Or even to his abdomen, partially revealed above his low-slung jeans. Sure, she’d seen men with defined ab muscles before—but only on television and in magazines. Never in person. Never within touching distance.
He wasn’t a big man, but he looked fit and strong. He looked bitable.
He’d submitted to the binding without a word, simply staring at her with hot eyes. After she’d secured his hands behind his back, he’d immediately dropped to his knees, tracing her body with his gaze. He’d started at her feet, moving up her bare legs to linger on her hips and breasts. Then
“Push the button, me hearty!” Clarence called to Jack. “There be a bottle of rum in it for ye!”
Jack dutifully pushed the button a few times. Finally, with a resigned shake of her head, Skintight Dress removed herself from Pretend Pirate Clarence’s arms. Giving Jack and Penelope a little wave, she left the area and began walking toward the snack table. “You coming, Clarence?” she asked over her shoulder.
“Your turn, matey,” Clarence said, slapping Jack on the back. “Get ye some booty.” Then he hustled after Skintight Dress.
I intend to , Jack thought. Believe me.
The entire children’s area was quiet. Only the two of them remained, which suited him perfectly. Both he and Penelope were private people, and he didn’t want her holding back because of an audience.
He turned to Penelope. “So,” he said. “What cover do you want?”
She pulled a book from the pile and handed it to him without a word. He almost swallowed his tongue when he saw it. Well, she’s definitely not holding back , he thought, trying to hide his body’s reaction to the cover image.
“Are you sure?” he managed to say. “It isn’t . . . too much?”
“Not for me,” she said, looking up at him with an innocent smile. “Is it too much for you? If it is, I can always ask him instead.” She nodded toward Cologne Guy, who was chatting with Clarence and Skintight Dress across the library.
He bristled, as he knew she’d intended. “No,” he said firmly. “I’m good.”
“I hope so,” she replied, and the heat in her gaze nearly took out his knees. “Now take off your shirt.”
7
P enny didn’t know what had possessed her.
Maybe something about the quiet privacy of the children’s area. Something about seeing all those covers of couples locked in passionate embraces. Something about the way Jack kept looking at her, the way he’d held her when he’d thought she was crying . . . it all loosened a tight knot inside her gut. It silenced the voice in her head telling her she was too skinny. Too short. Too nerdy. Not enough for a man like him.
And when that voice fell silent, another took its place. This one said different things. Shameless things.
He’s yours. Take him .
Don’t you want to see his naked chest? His shoulders?
I’ll bet he’d look amazing on his knees in front of you .
That voice had proven very convincing. Which was why she and Jack were now recreating the cover scene to Kneeling Before Mistress X .
She didn’t even recognize the book from the library. She suspected it was part of Angie’s personal collection, and that her friend had meant to bring it to the hospital tonight. Too bad for Angie. Tonight, it was Penny’s turn to experience this particular fantasy.
Angie hadn’t supplied the black leather mask the cover model wore, so Penny’s face remained bare. She hadn’t changed clothes, other than peeling off the cardigan she’d worn over her sleeveless dress. But she’d positioned herself like the woman in the cover. Standing tall. Back straight. Legs spread shoulder-width apart.
Jack kneeled shirtless before her, his hands loosely bound behind his back with the rope provided by the library. She fought to keep her eyes from straying to his bare chest, with its dusting of dark hair. Or to his broad shoulders. Or even to his abdomen, partially revealed above his low-slung jeans. Sure, she’d seen men with defined ab muscles before—but only on television and in magazines. Never in person. Never within touching distance.
He wasn’t a big man, but he looked fit and strong. He looked bitable.
He’d submitted to the binding without a word, simply staring at her with hot eyes. After she’d secured his hands behind his back, he’d immediately dropped to his knees, tracing her body with his gaze. He’d started at her feet, moving up her bare legs to linger on her hips and breasts. Then
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