Read Online Three Hard Lessons by Nikki Sloane - Free Book Online Page A

beside him. “Coming?”
    “No. I don’t do that .”
    He stared at me. “You don’t sleep? Are you a vampire?”
    Tension balled my hands into fists and I set them on my waist. “I’m serious.”
    The blue eyes . . . well, the good one, gave me a sharp, calculating look. “Another one of your rules?” When I nodded, he added, “Great. I had so much difficulty with your other ones. Now come to bed.”
    I bent down and snatched my leggings up off the floor, intending to get dressed.
    “Payton.” The unease in his voice got me to halt. “I haven’t acclimated to the time change. My head is killing me, and I’m exhausted. You were eye-fucking this bed when we got in here, don’t think I didn’t notice.” He combed a hand through his hair and let it fall on the empty pillow that he wanted to be mine. “Let’s get some rest before round two. I’m sure we’ll both need it.” He gave me a wicked smile that was all sin and sex. “I know you will.”
    His persuasive speech got me to stay in the room, but he needed to be knocked down a peg for being so smug.
    “Fine.” I came over to the bed. “But I sleep in the nude.”
    He was ready for this. “Not today, you don’t. I’m not sleeping with a hard-on.”
    “Then control yourself and don’t look.” I pulled the camisole off in a swift move, immediately followed by the bra. “And don’t touch, either.” The panties were gone a heartbeat later.
    He rolled away from me at the sight of my naked body. “Fuck, woman, you’re the devil.”
    “I warned you,” I said, taking the sheets in my hand. “Too much to handle.” I slipped into the bed, turned away, and stayed right by the edge, giving him a wide berth.
    The mattress rocked as he moved. A hand snaked over my belly and yanked my back against his chest so he was spooning me.
    “Not for me,” he whispered.

    I was aware he left the bed. There was rustling as he dressed and left the room, and returned a few minutes later with the ice bucket full. His eye was bothering him, I assumed, making it hard for him to sleep. He undressed and got back in bed, a towel filled with ice pressed to his face.
    It seemed better to sleep than to lie awake and contemplate what the hell I was doing here, so I fell back asleep moments later.
    With the curtains closed, it was impossible to tell how long we slept, and the alarm clock was on his side of the bed. I knew he was awake, though. Fingers traced a line down the bare skin of my back, easing the covers down with it until he reached the hollow at the base of my spine.
    Then, kisses. His hot mouth moved over my shoulder blades, his stubble scraping my skin like fine sandpaper, working his way toward my neck. Goosebumps pebbled on my legs and I shivered.
    “Want me to warm you up?” his rough voice asked.
    He didn’t wait for an answer. His hand skimmed over my hip, gliding up my belly and through my cleavage so he could use his fingertips to turn my face toward him. Dominic’s kiss was slow and sultry; his tongue’s wicked stroke was slower still. I was determined to do better this time. To not take over and let him go slow, but this kiss was like flooring his foot on my accelerator.
    “No.” A hand was firm on my hip, stopping me from turning on the bed to face him.
    “No?” I let my voice go teasing. His chest was up against my back, and I shifted, rubbing my ass against him where only cotton stood between us. He was already raring to go. Good, me too.
    The hand went tighter still, fingers pressing into my flesh. “We’re doing this my way.” He pushed his hard cock back against me. “Slow. Long. Neither one of us is going to come unless I want it.”
    I shivered again, excited by his aggressive words, but my controlling personality instinctively kicked in. “Good luck with that.”
    The hand yanked me flat on my back and he was up on an elbow, peering down at me with a stern look. “I don’t need luck.” His eye wasn’t too bad, but it was