Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
At least not when it comes to my feelings toward Sam.
“I, um, have a lot of writing to do before dinner.”
Sam looks…I’m not sure—hurt? Disappointed? “Right. That’s the whole reason you came here. Want me to pick you up later?”
“I can drive. I don’t want to make you go out of your way.”
“I’ll gladly go out of my way for you.” That cocky grin comes back to his face. “And get out of the house for a while. I forgot how chaotic it is with everyone there.”
“I miss that chaos.”
“It’s back with a vengeance with my nephew there.”
“He’s a cute baby.”
“Of course he is. He’s related to me.” And that’s the Sam I know. We laugh, locking eyes once again. “So…I’ll be back at five?”
“Yeah. I’ll be ready.” Without looking away from Sam, I bring my glass back to my lips and end up clinking it against my teeth. There’s a reason taking a drink on national TV gives me anxiety. I set the glass down and walk Sam to the door. “Thanks for, um, not letting me fall into the lake.”
“I’ll always catch you, Chloe.” He tucks my hair behind my ear and pulls his keys from his pocket. Please stop being so perfect. My heart—and libido—can’t take it. He grins and then turns, going outside and right to his car. He looks back at me before he gets in, and I close the door once he slips into the driver’s seat.
“Holy fuck,” I pant, leaning against the door. I grab my phone and call Farisha.
“Hey, lady,” she says when she answers. “You okay? You never call.”
“I haven’t figured out if I’m okay or not. Sam just left. I also haven’t listened to your messages yet.”
“Sam left your house?”
“Yeah,” I say and go into the living room. I don’t talk on the phone often, but when I do, I tend to walk around the entire time. “I need you to be honest with me.”
“I always am.”
“Should I have no-strings sex?”
“With Sam?” she asks incredulously. “You’re joking, right?”
“I thought you were all for sexual freedom.” I open the French doors that lead to the screened-in porch. It’s hotter than balls out here today. I switch on the fan and pace around the room.
“I am, but having so-called ‘no-strings’ sex only works when there are no strings. You’ve been in love with Sam since you met him. Where is this coming from?”
“We ran into each other again and he’s giving me major fuck-me vibes, plus he brought up that stupid pact we made when we were kids. But instead of getting hitched, he wants to fuck. I think. I’m still pretty confused.”
“All the more reason not to sleep with him, Chloe.”
“I know,” I sigh. “And I think he hooked up with Lauren Wallace last night. Gross, right?”
“Super gross. But why do you think that?”
“I got lucky and saw Lauren two days in a row and she said she took care of him. I don’t know. She’s always been a liar.”
“She has, and she’s still jealous of you. She’ll take any chance she can get to make you feel small. She’s a textbook bitch,” Farisha reminds me. “And that’s almost literal since I use her as an example of toxic women in my lectures. Now circle back to Sam. He brought up the pact and offered to sleep with you?”
“Not like that. He brought it up and was all flirty and then we came back here. He was rubbing my back and—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why in the world was Sam rubbing your back?” she asks.
“I was complaining about my back hurting and was going to take old muscle relaxers, but he said he’s help rub out the knot instead.”
“Rub out the knot…sure.”
I let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m so confused. I like him, obviously. He’s beyond gorgeous, and I know sleeping with him will be amazing. But…”
“But you’ll get your heart broken even more if you have meaningless sex with him, Chloe.”
“Well, send me leg-closing vibes tonight. He’s picking me up to have dinner with his family at five.”
“He’s picking you up? Don’t you have a car there?”
“Yeah, I have my dad’s. I thought it was nice of him to offer to pick me up.”
“So he can take you home, duh.”
“Shit. I didn’t think of that.” I open the screen door and go outside, walking down the stone path to the dock. “There were times, though, when I swore there was something more between us.”
“You guys have a long history, and honestly it used to surprise even me you two never got together. You know I liked Sam. He’s a good guy who was there for you whenever you needed him…until he wasn’t.”
“Yeah,” I sigh again. “It’ll be nice to see his family again. Rory is here with her baby.”
“Have fun over there but be smart. You probably shouldn’t drink. You get frisky when you’re drunk.”