Total pages in book: 196
Estimated words: 186555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 933(@200wpm)___ 746(@250wpm)___ 622(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 186555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 933(@200wpm)___ 746(@250wpm)___ 622(@300wpm)
I was breathing through my mouth loudly.
“Don’t mistake me giving you space as me not being interested. It’s not every woman I let into my bed, much less into my life, and even more into Amos’s life. Before you, it’d been nobody. So just because I don’t know what your mouth tastes like yet doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about it. Doesn’t mean I’m not going to. But Sofie would tell you I’ve got a big, fragile heart, and I think I do, so I need you to know what you want for my sake too, Buddy. Does that make it clear?”
I was having a heart attack. Maybe even melting. As tired as I was, I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to sleep next to that all night. He might as well have pinned me down and licked down my body, because I’d never heard anything more erotic or amazing in my life.
And I was sure he knew something was going on within me because I was panting and all I could get out was a breathy “Okay.” Real eloquent. Me who couldn’t shut up ever, who had basically asked for this, had no idea what to say other than “okay.”
Because… I knew how I felt too. And I might be more than a little halfway in love with him, I was pretty sure, but… he was right. It didn’t feel right yet. Some part of it. Maybe it was all just the physical aspect, but maybe I needed to be certain too. A part of me needed to tread with some caution. I didn’t want to get my heart broken again.
The truth was, I liked him even more for saying those words. For thinking that deeply. I liked him so much in so many ways.
And if we were both on the same page, then that was more important than anything else.
One day I’d know how his lips felt, but it didn’t have to be right at that moment, and that filled me with so much joy and playfulness I couldn’t help but smile, inside and outside. It renewed a need inside of me to win him over. To make him more than my friend.
I wasn’t sure if he could see my face or not, but I still raised my eyebrows and told him in a voice that was way too cheery for how tired I was—and turned on, “Well, if you want to sleep naked, I’m okay with it.”
The burst of his laughter surprised the shit out of me, and I couldn’t help but laugh too.
This was so right, there was no reason to rush anything.
“No thanks,” he said once his laugh slowed.
I’d made a lot of people laugh in my life, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt this triumphant. “If you change your mind, go for it,” I told him, totally serious. “My body is too tired, but my eyeballs aren’t.”
He laughed some more, the sounds slow and subtle and raspy. If I could’ve bottled it up, I would have, because all I could do when I heard it was smile.
“I don’t sleep naked either, if you’re wondering,” I told him, wanting to lighten the mood.
He laughed again, but it was totally different. Husky. Loaded. Nice.
Take it easy. We were both tired, and we were going to sleep. Right.
I pulled the sheets up to my chin and rolled over, facing the door as Rhodes headed into the bathroom, flipping on the light but leaving the door open. The tap ran briefly; then I heard him brushing his teeth. The water ran again, there was some splashing, and just as I started to get sleepy once more, tucking the pillow in close under my neck, I made sure I wasn’t too far over in either direction.
The light flipped off, and I didn’t bother pretending like I was asleep, but I tried to steady my breathing, thinking of just how sexy my tank top and baggy pajama pants with reindeers on them were.
The bed dipped and there were more sounds of something heavy being set on the nightstand before the familiar beep of his phone being plugged in.
“‘Night, Rhodes,” I said.
The bed dipped a little more as the covers were pulled taut at my back, and after a moment, I felt him settle in.
He stretched. He sighed so deeply, I felt bad for how tired he had to be. He’d been gone a lot longer than I’d bet he’d expected.
“Goodnight, Aurora,” I muttered to myself when he didn’t reply.
His chuckle made me smile right before he whispered right back, “Goodnight.”
I rolled over.
He was lying facing me. I strained to see his features. His eyes were already drooping, but there was the faintest little hint of a smile on his incredible mouth.
“Can I ask you something and you won’t get mad?”