Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85274 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85274 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
At his praises, I take him deeper, suck him harder, and I don’t stop until he’s cautioning me that he’s going to come. But I ignore his warning, wanting to swallow every last drop of him.
Once I’ve licked him clean, he pulls me up, so I’m tucked into his side, my head resting against his chest. We lie like this for several minutes in silence, and I start to wonder if he’s fallen asleep, but then he reaches up and tips my chin, forcing me to look at him.
“Ellie, I...” he begins, and I hold my breath, having no clue what he’s going to say. He doesn’t finish his thought for several seconds, but the turmoil in his eyes causes my stomach to roil, and I pray he doesn’t tell me this can’t happen again.
“Yeah?” I prompt, the suspense damn near giving me heartburn.
“We should shower.” He forces a fake smile and then slides out of bed and pads toward the bathroom. When I don’t follow, wondering what he really wanted to say but too scared to ask, he glances back. “C’mon, dirty girl. I need to clean you up.” He shoots a playful wink my way, and I tell myself it’s for the best because my heart might not be able to handle what he was about to say.
Ignorance is bliss, right?
CHAPTER NINETEEN
LINCOLN
Delicious curves.
Vanilla scent.
Plump lips that are parted slightly.
Soft snoring.
I can’t stop watching her sleep. Yesterday never should’ve happened. Eliza Bardot is not available for the taking—at least not by me. I knew that, but that didn’t stop me from taking her in my living room on the goddamned couch and then in my guest room and again in the shower.
I’ve thought about my mystery woman for the past several months, and if I were honest, I considered that maybe I’d just imagined the connection. That once I found her and was with her again, I’d realize that I had worked it up into something more than just your typical one-night-stand—something I’ve done many times and never thought twice about.
I was wrong, though. My memory of that night didn’t do the chemistry between us justice. It’s deeper, stronger, and I’m completely fucked because regardless of how many times I’ve already crossed that line with Ellie, I had promised Micah that his sister-in-law would always remain off-limits to me.
Ellie inhales a sharp breath and then releases a sigh, turning slightly onto her back. I slide my gaze down her perky breasts that are hidden by the tiny tank she’s wearing, her nipples poking through the material, and land on her swollen belly.
She’s pregnant with my baby. We heard his heartbeat yesterday, which was surreal. I’ve listened to Micah talk about Sienna’s pregnancies, but experiencing the ultrasound for myself, was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
My hand goes to her belly, gently laying my palm flat against the baby bump, just as Ellie’s eyes shoot open. She blinks several times before her gaze descends to where my hand is resting.
“Sorry,” I mutter, pulling back. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“I’m a light sleeper,” she murmurs groggily.
We stare at each other for several seconds, and there’s so much I want to say, but I’m confused by my feelings and wouldn’t even know where to start. In the world I live in, when you want something, you go for it. Our dad raised Micah and me to work hard, and while I’m a bit more carefree than Micah, I still bust my ass every day to create the life I want.
Yet, here I am, lying in bed with a woman whom I’m attracted to, who’s carrying my baby, who’s within touching distance, and no matter how badly I want to have her, I know I can’t. Last night, despite how amazing it was, never should’ve happened, and once we leave this bed, I need to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. And that is something I need Ellie to fully understand. But first, I need to apologize for giving in to my baser instincts. Beg her to forgive me for not being the responsible one when I unequivocally know better. She’s young and pregnant and vulnerable, and I took advantage of that.
“What are you thinking about?” Ellie asks, edging closer and palming the side of my face. Her touch causes me to flinch, and the corner of her lips turn down into a frown in response.
“I have a lot of work I need to do,” I answer lamely.
She nods in understanding and backs up. “I should probably go to the studio...” Her words trail off and she sighs, shaking her head. “Well, shit, I’m supposed to be taking it easy, huh?” She laughs humorlessly. “Guess no studio...And Sienna’s quarantined, so I can’t see her or my nieces.” She pouts, clearly getting more annoyed by the second. “Guess I’ll shower and start looking online for a place to live.” She shrugs and slides off the bed, leaving me lying here wondering how the hell we went from fucking all night and me holding her while we slept, to her looking for a place to live.