Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
I stopped and grabbed a couple of beers and my old boom box and headed outside. I handed Ava the beers and fiddled with the buttons until the sound of soft music began to play. I followed Ava to the edge of the bluff, looking over the water.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” she whispered.
I wasn’t looking at the view when I replied, “It is.”
“It’s my favorite. I find peace with the vast expanse. The separation.”
Her words made me frown. I turned to face her, tucking a long strand of hair behind her ear. “You don’t find your life peaceful?”
“Does anyone these days?” she replied. “Cell phones, laptops, watches that record your moves, all have the ability to reach you anywhere. Sometimes I just like to get lost, forget about the crazy world of ABC.” She smiled at me, but her eyes were sad. “That’s what drew my dad here. The peacefulness. The break away from Toronto. He spent more and more time here. He says it is what saved him.” She laughed quietly. “Well, this place and my mom.” Her eyes stared over the vista in front of us. “I love it here. I was so glad when we decided to move our headquarters here.”
“But you go into Toronto a lot?”
“Just finishing up some projects. I’ll be here all the time soon.”
One of my favorite songs began, and my foot started to tap. She glanced toward me.
“Joe Cocker?” she guessed.
“Yep,” I replied, oddly pleased that she recognized the song so quickly.
“You love 80’s music.”
“My mom was hooked on it. It was all I heard growing up. No matter where we were, what we were doing, or our circumstances, that boom box and her mixtapes came with us.” I swallowed then spoke again. “I don’t have a lot of good memories of the past, but this music is one of them.”
“Your mom—?” she asked, opening her mouth to keep talking. I cut her off, taking the beer bottle from her hand and spinning her toward me.
“Dance with me, Little Dragon.”
I held her close, and we moved under the dark sky. One 80’s love song bled into another, the tape showing its age at times, but we ignored it and kept dancing. I liked having her in my arms, twirling her away and pulling her back. We moved together well, and I knew that would work the same in the bedroom.
Cash lay on the porch, regarding us. Eventually, he nosed open the screen door and went inside, bored and out of sorts that he was being ignored.
“Careless Whisper” began to play, and I pulled her close, humming the song into her ear. She slid her arms around my neck, letting me tug her nearer so our bodies moved as one. Her breasts pressed into my chest, the softness melding into my tight muscles. Her nipples hardened as I ran my hands up and down her back, dropping my head to her neck and running my mouth over the elegant column. She tightened her grip on my shoulder with her fingers, while the other hand played with my hair. I trailed a line of gentle kisses over her cheek until I reached her mouth, hovering over it for a moment. Her breathing picked up, matching my short intakes of air. She sighed as I settled my mouth on hers, opening for me right away. Our tongues stroked together, teased, and explored. She whimpered, tightening her fists, yanking on my hair. I growled in return, fisting her thick strands and kissing her harder. Lifting her onto her toes as I deepened the kiss, the sensations rising within me powerful. I was intoxicated by the feel of her mouth. The softness of her tongue. The heat of her breath mingling with mine. My body was tight, my cock hard and pressing against my zipper. I wanted to feel her supple skin against mine. Know the curves of her body—learn them with my hands and mouth. Know how she tasted everywhere. The need to have her, make her mine, claim her, took hold, and I was powerless to stop it. I slid my hands under her spectacular ass and lifted her, walking toward the house.
She gasped into my mouth, and I stopped. I pulled back, already missing her mouth on mine.
“Do you want this?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“But…?” I asked, sensing reticence. I wanted her one hundred percent sure. I wanted her to want me as much as I wanted her. More than her next breath. More than anything else.
“It might rain, and your boom box…” she whispered, pointing behind me. “I don’t want you to lose that.”
Something akin to tenderness blossomed inside me. She was worried about my losing something she knew was special to me. I set her down carefully, cupping her face and kissing her in a gentle caress.