5
" Fuck, I can't get enough of you," he muttered, giving a shake of his head. Yeah, like that would clear it.
"We should go upstairs---"
"No. Picnic first," he muttered, knowing he'd regret this for the next few hours when he sat through the torturous process of putting food into her mouth while battling a distinct case of blue balls. "You deserve to be treated right."
Confusion clouded her eyes. "I want you, Manny. I don't need all the fancy trappings."
"This isn't a fancy date, it's low-key, and I want to spend some quality time with you."
The confusion cleared, replaced by amusement. "You sure you're not a woman trapped in a man's body?"
"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand. "Besides, the faster we eat, the faster you get to discover that my body is definitely all man."
She fell into step without having to be asked again. "
― Nicola Marsh , The Man Ban
6
" Now drink up. Fatigue makes you grouchy."
"Not grouchy. Thirsty," she said, uncapping the bottle and drinking deeply, drawing his attention to the elegant length of her neck and the pounding of her carotid pulse.
Before he could second-guess the urge, he leaned across and placed his lips over the pulse, giving a little nip that had her half gasping, half choking as she doused him with water.
"Are you trying to kill me? I almost choked," she said, elbowing him away, but there was no malice in her tone, and she pressed her fingertip to the pulse, a coy smile playing about her mouth.
"It's okay, I'd revive you with CPR." He puckered up and made smooching sounds. "A little mouth-to-mouth, combined with my hands all over your chest, you'd be just fine. "
― Nicola Marsh , The Man Ban
8
" How's your room?"
"You could see for yourself if you popped in."
"Is that a line?"
"I don't know. Is it? Do you feel the compulsion to rush over to room 306 and see me right now? I promise I'll make it worth your while."
"Sorry, no compulsion."
"Too bad." He lowered his voice. "I'm still sore from hefting all those heavy platters in Auckland, and if you want me at the top of my beefcake game for your shoot tomorrow, you could give me that massage."
She laughed, a joyous sound that shot straight to his heart. Head. Gut. Wherever. "Nice try, but I'll pass."
"Your loss, sweetheart. Just think, you could be here right now, having me splayed on the bed at your mercy, all that bare skin to explore, running your hands over my pectorals, my biceps, my latissimus dorsi---"
"I hope that's not a fancy anatomical term for anything below the waist."
He guffawed, enjoying their sparring way too much. "You sure I haven't tempted you?"
She hesitated for a moment, before replying. "Maybe a little, but I really have to prep for tomorrow. I'm meeting with the head chef in thirty minutes to run through the dishes, then I'll need a few hours to go through my planning."
"Anything I can do to help?"
"Just bring the beefcake at eight sharp in the morning."
"Yes, ma'am."
"And Manny?"
"Yeah?"
"If I ever lose my mind and decide to give you a massage, I'll be starting at your very impressive gluteus maximus. "
― Nicola Marsh , The Man Ban
10
" Eager. I like that, Manny."
"Good morning to you too, Sleeping Beauty. Or should that be good afternoon?"
"It's still morning, though I feel like I've slept away the day."
"You must've needed it."
"Is that your medical opinion?"
"No. I'm off duty."
Just hearing his deep voice had Harper snuggling back under the covers, wishing he was next to her.
"Pity. Because I'm not feeling so good, and I was hoping you made house calls."
"What's wrong?"
"A distinct case of I-miss-you-itis."
"Damn it, if I wasn't halfway along this Craters of the Moon geothermal hike, I'd be there in a flash." He muttered a curse. "I know. I can give you a more accurate diagnosis over the phone if you do one thing."
Smiling, she said, "What?"
"Tell me what you're wearing."
Her thighs clenched as her smile extended into a grin. "My, my, Doctor, I didn't think this was one of those calls."
"You're in bed. You're missing me. What did you expect?"
"A little decorum."
"Yeah, sure."
"You're right. I want to torture you a little."
"A lot, considering I'm now envisaging you cute and sleep rumpled."
"What are you wearing?"
"Why?" he asked.
"Because I'm assuming there are families on that hike, and too much envisaging may lead to more than one tent pole in that national park."
He laughed so loudly she had to hold the cell away from her ear.
"You really are something else," he said. "And for the record? I miss you too."
"So I'll meet you in the foyer at four for our picnic?"
"Yeah. I found the perfect spot."
"Secluded?"
"Babe, you're killing me."
"Not yet, but maybe this will help." She lowered her voice. "I'm wearing nothing and I'm thinking of you."
She hung up on his garbled cry, grinning madly. "
― Nicola Marsh , The Man Ban
13
" Harper knew Wayne Storr must've told the kitchen staff to go all out with this dinner, because she couldn't believe the quality of every course. Seared scallops with charred scallions, slow-cooked lamb shoulder with fennel ricotta, grass-fed rib eye with polenta and salsa verde, finished with a tiramisu that made her eyes roll back in her head. At least, that's what it felt like, and if Manny's rapturous expression was any indication, he liked it too.
"That is categorically the best meal I've ever had." He patted his stomach and groaned. "And I'm not going to eat for the next week, so I'm stuffed."
"Me too."
But she knew a good way to burn off the calories, and she couldn't wait any longer. While the food may have been delicious, watching Manny eat had been torture. His lips wrapping around a scallop, his tongue flicking out to capture a dab of salsa verde on his lip, the small, satisfied groan as he spooned the final scoop of tiramisu into his mouth.
He'd driven her slowly but surely crazy.
It seemed like the entire meal had been one giant exercise in foreplay, and she'd been patient long enough.
Time for dessert.
In her case, greed was good. "
― Nicola Marsh , The Man Ban
17
" It's our first outing as a couple," she said, her smile surprisingly shy.
"You know what would be nicer?"
He lowered his head to whisper in her ear every filthy thing he'd do to her later, and by the end of it she was leaning into him, her breathing accelerated.
"You don't play fair," she muttered, tilting her face up to his. "The least you can do is kiss me."
"I'm not into PDAs in the middle of Melbourne," he said, struggling to not laugh in the face of her outrage.
"You better give me some kind of public display of affection right here, right now, mister, or I'm going to torture you."
"How?"
"By telling you I'm going commando under this dress and your naughty wordplay means I won't be sitting down the entire time we're in the bar."
With that, she strutted up the steps in front of him, leaving him with a raging hard-on and lamenting his urge to tease, because Harper had matched him quip for quip while upping the ante.
She was magnificent. "
― Nicola Marsh , The Man Ban