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)
But as I approached the garage apartment, I spotted Rhodes himself coming out of his house, this tight expression on his face that lasted about a second before he focused on my car. Then and only then did some of the tension ease off his features. Like relief. Was he relieved?
His flannel shirt was buttoned halfway up, his undershirt, as always, clinging to his chest. There were keys in his hand too, I realized as I parked my car in the usual spot and got out.
He was coming down the deck stairs as I circled around the front. That purple-gray gaze was on me. “You all right?” he called out, a frown coming over his mouth again.
But it didn’t stay there for long.
Because I said, “I’m great,” about a split second before I went for him the moment he was within reaching distance. Going up to the tips of my toes, my arms went around the back of his neck, my chest plastering itself against his, and I went for it.
I pressed my lips against Rhodes’s.
His body went rock solid for all of a second before his upper body relaxed and one of his arms wrapped around the middle of my back, the other forearm settling just above my butt. Rhodes crushed me against him, tilting his head to the side, a warm kiss his reply to mine.
And it was only a freaking miracle that I didn’t try to scale him like a wall and wrap my legs around his waist because his mouth was warm, his lips firm and soft at the same time, it was sweet and gentle… it was everything I had ever wanted and more.
His breath washed over my mouth, eyebrows knitting together. He licked his lips, looked right into my eyes for a single moment and then dipped for another kiss before he pulled back and focused down on me some more with his intense face. “And here I was worried you were coming back and telling me you were moving out.”
I shook my head, taking in the fine lines at his eyes, the ones across his forehead, the sharp color of his eyes, and all that incredible silver hair.
“Are you all right?” he murmured, kneading my hip with his big hand, still staring at me like if he looked away I would suddenly disappear.
“Yeah,” I answered. “I met up with my ex’s mom.”
“Am told me,” he breathed. “I was debating whether to go be your backup or let you handle it alone.”
I couldn’t help but smile at him, taking in his care and tucking it in deeply along my heart. “I’m fine,” I told him quietly. “She just riled me up, and all I wanted was to come back here.” I swallowed. “I want no part of them anymore. Not even a little bit.”
“I hope not,” he said, watching me carefully. “You sure you’re all right?”
“Yeah, but I’m even better now,” I admitted, because it was 100 percent the truth. And that was exactly when I realized what I’d done. What I’d started and where we were. “I’m sorry I jumped you like that. I know we just talked about taking our time and being sure, but all I could think about was how lucky I am to have you guys, and you’re so handsome, and you make me feel safe, and you always believe in me and—”
That full mouth cracked into the slowest smile I’d ever seen, his eyebrows going up at the same time. But it wasn’t words that cut me off. It was the sweet press of his lips against mine once more. Slow and tender, his lips only lingered over mine for a moment, but it might have been the greatest moment of my life.
If I liked kissing him this much with my mouth closed, how much would I like his tongue?
I needed to calm the hell down, that was what I needed to do.
Rhodes pulled back, that lingering soft smile still taking over his mouth as he said, “Whenever you’re ready, you’ll tell me?”
I nodded, and that was when I whispered, “I don’t kiss just anybody.”
The way he said “good” was probably going to be etched into my soul for the rest of my life.
“Ora!” a yell came from the house, surprising us both.
I peeked over Rhodes’s shoulder to find Amos standing at the doorway, still in his pajamas and looking even more sleepy.
“You okay?” he asked, confirming exactly why I’d come here.
Because it was a place where a sixteen-year-old and a forty-two-year-old who I’d only known for about six months worried about me more than people I had known for over a decade.
It was my place of comfort. The place where my mom had wanted me to be. Somewhere that lifted me up and kept me up, even on the crappy days.