Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 63214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
“Jesus Christ. This winter is insane.” Dragging the blankets, she frowned and went to the chair.
Okay. She’s listening. Keep the conversation light. Relax her. Wait until she’s had some tea. Then find out what’s going on.
I found a porcelain dish with a cover full of loose herbs. “You buy the good stuff.”
“I like tea.”
Smiling, I glanced over my shoulder at her. “Who put you on to tea, girl?”
She rolled her eyes. “You know it was you.”
I winked at her. “Oh yeah, that’s right. Do you remember what I told you that day we cut school and snuck into my grandmother’s house?”
“Making tea is an art.”
“No, I said making proper tea is an art.”
“Yeah. I also remember drinking that great tea and spilling it all over me, due to your grandmother rushing in on us with a belt in her hand and spinning it around like a tornado. I still have bruises on my ankle that never healed.”
“Well, we shouldn’t have been cutting school.”
She laughed. “True. And those were the old days.”
“Yes, when everyone whipped all the kids.” I grabbed an elegant teapot made of silver with vines and flowers engraved at the top. I set it on the counter and then grabbed a kettle. “If someone found a child cutting school, they’d whip them and then take them to the school, and the principal would whip them. Then their Dad or Mom would have to get off early from work, and once they got the kid home, it was another whipping. Even the grandparents would come over that night and whip their behinds.”
“Lots of pain for one kid. Now all the abused kids are adults. No wonder this world is crazy.”
“There were some traditional ideas to the whippings.”
“Yes, but would you let anyone whip your boys now?” she asked.
I filled the pot with water and put it on the stove. “Hell no. I have a look that keeps them in shape. I haven’t used my hand yet, but they’re too scared to even push me past the look.”
“Yeah, I perfected that look and I wouldn’t let anyone touch my girls.”
“Brett doesn’t whip your girls either?”
“No and I don’t want to talk about him either.”
I nodded. “I guess it’s back to the art of proper tea.” I sighed. “You never use boiling water to brew your tea. It deadens the flavor.”
“I remember.”
“You have to catch it just before it boils.”
“I remember.”
“Mom would take her tea to the point where she would check the temperature. She didn’t play. 80C for green and herbal teas and 85C for black.”
“This is a bit much. I just drink it when it’s hot.”
“You’ve always been impatient, when it came to pleasure.” I didn’t even turn her way when I said that. This was no time to bring it back to sex, but she was naked and I was still a man.
How could I not think about her body on mine?
Keep her talking. Keep her relaxed.
“Do you remember that Chinese saying about tea that I would always say?” I asked.
“Yes, you were the biggest nerd I’d ever met. Most of the boys were talking about my tits and you were reciting ancient quotes on tea.”
“I wasn’t a nerd. I just had rules. One of them was that life was too short for crappy tea.”
“Mama’s boy.”
“Stop distracting me as I drop knowledge and impress you.”
“Oh, sorry. Go right ahead.”
I turned the fire on the stove. “How does it go? Oh yeah. The first brew of tea is for your enemy. The second for the servant. The third cup for your wife. The fourth for your mistress.”
“This is a lot of cups of tea from a pretty dickish dude.”
“You’re missing the wise meaning here.” I smiled. “The fifth cup is for your business partner and the last cup you keep for yourself.”
I finished making the tea. The leaves danced in the hot water. A sweet-smelling steam rose.
I turned around and covered my bare chest with my arms. “How are you feeling?”
She bit her bottom lip. “You should put on your shirt?”
I drank in that sexy form. “You should put on some clothes.”
“I will.” She wrapped the blankets tighter around her as if that could stop me from ravaging that gorgeous body. “I’m just trying to get a grip back on reality. It’s been a rough couple of days.”
Pain and confusion swam in her gaze.
My patience left me. “What happened last night?”
“I thought we were talking about tea?”
“Life is too short to lie and hide bullshit from each other. What happened?”
“You’re not ready for what I have to say.”
“I found you in the snow, moaning and fucking it. And I’m right here, taking care of you. I already told you that I’m not going anywhere.”
“You don’t have to do this. You’re so sweet and—”
“I’m not a boy scout, baby. I’m doing it because I love you.”