“I didn’t find you unattractive,” she answered.
“It’s not good enough.” I shook my head a single time. “I’ve told you a million times that I find you beautiful. Now it’s time for you to tell me the truth: do you find me attractive?”
“Boulder, I…” She trailed off.
“It’s a simple question. Yes or no,” I insisted.
“You’re very masculine but I like the way you…” She looked down.
“No, look at me,” I demanded.
She did and took a deep intake of air. “I like it when we’re together.”
“Sexually or in general?”
Her answer came as a whisper. “Both.”
It gave me some satisfaction but I’d already suspected that much. “You still haven’t answered my question.”
“Why does it matter what I think?”
“It matters because I’m a vain motherfucker and I want to know if you find me attractive,” I said impatiently. “Would you say I’m sexy and handsome?”
Hard-pressed, she finally whispered, “No.”
“No?” I took a step back.
She placed her hands on her cheeks. “I think it’s the beard. It’s too much.”
My hands flew to my beard. I was proud of it. I’d been one of the first among my peers to grow a decent one and now she was saying she didn’t like it.
“And your hair, it’s… well, uncombed.”
Before I could react, she added. “But I like your eyes, they’re full of life and the bright gray color is unique.”
When I walked away from her she called out. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
I had always considered myself handsome but apparently Momsies had a different taste in men than what I represented. I knew a few men who didn’t have a beard but they looked boyish to me, and in the wintertime it was practical wearing a warm beard.
It annoyed the hell out of me that she didn’t find me handsome because I wanted her to fall in love with me and stay. She loved my house, and she had already allowed me to claim her sexually. I was getting in too deep to let her go, but the only way I could truly keep her was if she chose to stay.
“Boulder,” her voice rang softly and I felt her hand on my shoulder.
Turning slowly, I spoke, “So you prefer pretty men, huh?”
Her brows drew closer together. “I didn’t say that. You know I don’t think of men that way.”
“That’s right,” I grumped. “You think the notion of a man bringing out arousal in a woman is a myth, isn’t that what you said?”
She didn’t answer, but the hunter in me wanted this kill and with a hand around her waist I drew her close to me. “So you’re saying that I’m not attractive and I can’t arouse you.” It wasn’t a question but a statement.
Christina watched me carefully.
I leaned in and kept my lips hovering just in front of hers when I spoke in a low and raspy voice. “I’ll bet I could make you scream out my name and have you beg me to fuck you if I wanted to.”
Her hands pushed gently at my chest but there was no resolve behind it and I didn’t pull back. Instead I placed both hands under her behind and lifted her onto my hip. We were eye to eye now and I smiled when she held on to my neck.
“Your men might be pretty as women but they don’t know how to fuck like we do,” I growled, low.
