Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 103637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Mike shot up and, without having planned it, raised his hand high, taking the piece of underwear far beyond Arden’s reach. “Hey there, pretty thing! How was your shower?” he asked without acknowledging that he’d totally been snooping.
“How do you think? It was wet.” Arden took the bait, jumping up to reach the stolen item, which was futile and so cute Mike surprise-tickled him under the armpit.
He was so, so smooth there.
“I always imagine water-hands touching me when I’m showering,” Mike said, getting weirdly breathless when Arden’s flat chest rubbed against his side.
“No you don’t! You just smother yourself in that weird-ass sexy rosemary soap your mom made!” He squealed at another tickle and the towel fell just enough to reveal one pink nipple. That glimpse was enough to get Mike’s dick to stiffen.
“Are you saying I smell sexy, baby?” Mike teased, leaning in. He had not smoked a single cigarette in the week since Arden had moved in, and wouldn’t budge even when the others offered. Would the boy pull away again?
“What? No! That’s not what I—” Arden noticed the towel had slipped, and stopped jumping to readjust the covering. Sadly, in doing so, he also took his lips out of Mike’s range. “Just give those back.” Arden’s expression stiffened into a scowl, but it somehow only made him cuter. His face had those soft oval lines, and while the makeup he wore on a daily basis added to the illusion of femininity, Arden’s face looked boyish without it, and Mike couldn’t ignore the fact that this particular boy was a stunning person.
“How about an exchange?”
Arden squinted. “What do you want?”
Mike licked his lips, staring at the plump mouth below. “I want you to put them on.”
Arden cocked his head. “Fine.”
Mike’s heart rattled like crazy, but it had to be simply because Arden kept giving him such hard rejections, so any scrap of ‘yes’ felt like victory. Nothing else made sense. He handed over the bit of lace and watched the boy step back.
The thin panties slipped up the smooth, long legs and disappeared under the towel which Arden so desperately clutched around him as he worked the lacy underwear on with one hand. And just as Mike started revving for a reveal, Arden raised his eyebrows with a smirk.
“There. They’re on.”
“That’s cheating!”
Mike would have stepped closer, tried to tickle Arden out of the towel, but Dad chose that moment to knock on the door. Only he announced his presence by banging on the wood with his entire hand.
Mike exhaled, keeping Arden’s gaze. “We’re not done here,” he whispered, but then called out, “What is it?”
“Rain needs your help at the garage. Leo’s off today, and she won’t text you ‘cause she’s too stubborn.”
Mike glanced at Arden, then at the door, which he reached in a few steps. “Why would she not text me?” he asked, pulling on the handle.
Dad leaned against the doorframe but his gaze still drifted over Mike’s shoulder. “What do you mean ‘why’? Because she always thinks she can handle everything herself. How’s your boyfriend?” he asked in a mocking tone that clarified he saw through Mike’s bullshit.
Facing Dad felt weird sometimes. Their features were so alike that watching him was almost like getting a glimpse into his own future. Mike had seen pictures from Dad’s youth, and they were like mirror images of him, even though Dad used to wear his hair short. It was comforting to know that since they shared so many physical traits, Mike might be handsome and suave well into his old age.
“He was just about to show me his new lingerie,” Mike said, pointing his thumb toward Arden, who shook his head.
“Was not.”
Dad nodded. “So it’s a chaste relationship. I see. Makes sense, since Mike is saving himself for marriage.”
Unlike some of the MC members, who couldn’t stop themselves from making digs at Mike, Dad saw the fake relationship with Arden as a stunt and kept humoring them about it. Mike wasn’t about to argue, because keeping the reality of his fascination with Arden secret suited him. It wasn’t like it mattered. Whether something ended up happening between him and Arden or not, wasn’t anyone’s business.
“Totally. I was wondering whether Arden prefers traditional wedding dresses or something more modern.”
Arden snorted but Dad shook his head. “Get your ass to the garage, Mike,” he said and walked off.
Mike looked back. “So, which is it?” he asked, eyeing the smooth thighs below the hem of Arden’s towel-dress.
“Big and puffy, but with a slutty back,” Arden said, and he must have thought about it before, because this very specific answer came right away.
Mike shook his head. “I knew you were a real lady,” he said and shut the door behind him, going off to the shop.
His nape tickled as he made his way through the dusty yard, swaying to the rhythm of the song playing in the bar area, and when he glanced over his shoulder, he did it fast enough to catch a glimpse of Arden watching him from their window. The boy hid the moment he realized he’d been spotted, but knowing his interest wasn’t one-sided after all was enough to make Mike smile as he strode to the garage with even more confidence. He didn’t know what exactly he wanted from Arden, but he’d find out once it happened.