Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 69266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
“Come with me,” I commanded.
I thrust harder, the sounds of wet skin smacking together over and over. She shouted her orgasm into the mattress. With her pussy tight around me, I came hard, roaring into the bedroom. Heedless of who heard.
“Oh God, oh God, oh God,” she said. “Wow.”
I released her arms and rubbed an encouraging hand down her spine. “You were perfect.”
She shivered as I pulled out of her, collapsing into a heap on the bed. I discarded the condom into a trash bin. Then, I wrapped myself around her.
“West,” she whispered.
“Hmm?”
She yawned. “You probably can’t sleep here.”
“I won’t,” I told her.
“But I want you to.”
“I know.” I kissed her shoulder and banded my arm across her stomach to pull her in closer. “I don’t have to leave yet.”
She yawned again. “Okay.”
I held her in my arms as my mind began to drift. Tonight had been incredible. Easily one of the best nights of my life. I’d never thought I’d get to play that sort of venue where millions watched on. And then to end it here, like this. It was more than I could have dreamed. In fact, I imagined for a second what it would be like to have Nora with me all the time in LA.
Except it was a fantasy, not reality. Because Campbell would never be okay with this. And Nora couldn’t just leave Lubbock. Her entire life was there. We were lucky that she hadn’t already had a wedding this weekend.
And with that bout of disappointment, I circled back to what had been bugging me all night—my dad.
He’d called. He was proud of me. And yet…and yet…he was a supreme asshole. How could I reconcile wanting his approval and despising him for everything he’d done to me?
Nora’s breathing began to slow, and I could feel her slipping toward unconsciousness. “Nora?”
She startled at my voice. “Hmm?”
I didn’t know how to bring this up. I’d never talked about the complications with my dad with anyone but my siblings. People who understood. Even Jordan and Julian didn’t really understand. How could they?
“My dad called before the show.”
She slowly rolled over and looked up into my eyes. “I didn’t think y’all were talking.”
“We’re not. Well, Whitt told me that he wanted to congratulate me.”
“And did he?”
“Yeah, he did.” I sighed. “Which is all I ever wanted from him.”
“But?” she asked, as if hearing the hesitation in my voice.
“I don’t trust him. I don’t believe him. Is he really happy for me, or is he going to use it as an excuse to get back in and hurt me?”
“I don’t know,” she said softly. “I’m not sure you’d know without talking to him, but for what it’s worth, I think he is proud of you.”
“Yeah? Why is that?”
“Because look at you,” she said. “You’re taking over the world. You played The Tonight Show. It’s a lot. I’m proud of you.”
Her words had the desired effect of making my chest warm. Her approval made me nearly as happy as my father’s.
“Thank you.”
She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my lips. “What are you afraid of?”
I closed my eyes. “That I’m just like him.”
“You’re not…”
“You’re a secret,” I blurted out.
She put her hands on my face. “Look at me.”
I did as she’d asked. I hated comparing myself to him. But how could I not? Was I doing the same shit he had, so I could get what I wanted?
“It’s not the same,” she said.
“Isn’t it?”
She laughed and shook her head. “You’re not hiding me because you’re married to someone else. Wait, are you?”
I laughed and shook my head. “But…”
“We agreed to this.”
“My mom must have agreed, too.”
“West, you’re leaving after all of this. You’re going back to LA, permanently. This isn’t a way for you to have your cake and eat it too. If you were doing that, you’d string me along. You’d make me believe that this could work when you were gone. You’d get to have me when you could have me, and you’d have whoever you wanted in LA, too.”
I cringed at that thought. “I’d never do that,” I said with vehemence.
She smiled. “I know. That’s the point. You’re not like him.” She threaded our fingers together. “It’s hard. All of it is hard. I know all about hard. I lost my mom when I was fourteen. Then, Campbell left for LA the following year. Hollin was in college. It was just me and Dad, and he was grieving. So, it felt like it was I was all alone. We’re all close now, but we’re still recovering from the wound that her absence left behind.”
“Growing up like that must have been difficult,.”
“It was isolating. My brothers weren’t around much, but just enough to scare off any boys who might have shown interest. My dad was a shell for the first year, and by the time he started noticing me again, he became super protective as well. I wasn’t always close with my mom, but life would have been different with her still here. Sometimes, I feel guilty, thinking life would have been better. That I would have had some defense against everyone’s protective instincts.”