Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 108974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
“Why do you have to be so damn perfect, Deputy Major? Be like other men. Be an asshole. Be selfish.”
“Oh, I assure you I’m not perfect.” If she got to know him, that would be clear. “I can be stubborn and shut down. I can be needy. My father is very sick, and I think I might be looking at you like some respite from worrying every second of the day.”
He shouldn’t be so honest with her, but it felt like he could be. Maybe it was precisely because she would be leaving that he could open up. He had friends and he knew they would listen, but the words wouldn’t come out. He was surrounded by people who would help, but he couldn’t ask. He knew damn well he could go have dinner with Armie and Lila or Roxie and Zep for the holidays, but they weren’t his family. They weren’t his. He would always be secondary, that friend they invited so he wouldn’t have to be alone.
The women he dated weren’t his either. She was the only one who’d made him feel some modicum of peace, and he was suddenly a little desperate to hold on to it. It didn’t make a bit of sense. He knew he would get hurt. He should look for someone who would stick around, someone he could try to build something with, but he couldn’t force himself to think logically around her.
He wanted her, and if heartache was the price, he would pay it.
Her whole expression had softened, and she was suddenly closing the distance between them, putting her hands on his shoulders. “I’m so sorry about your dad. I’m here if you want to talk about it. But I’m also here if you don’t. If you want to, I wouldn’t mind if you kissed me and touched me and we forgot about everything else for a couple of hours.”
He didn’t need her to say it again. He’d let her take control the first time. Now he meant to show her how well he could take care of her.
For once in his life, he was going to let go and live in the moment. He was going to enjoy something without knowing if it would last forever. Not everyone got what his parents had.
And that hadn’t been forever, either. He was starting to think there was no such thing.
The woman in his arms was real, and she was here for now. He wouldn’t make the mistake of missing out on this chance.
He kissed her, his mouth covering hers, his body warming up as she went soft for him.
He thrust his hands into her hair, loving the silky feel of it. Brynn moved with him, her palms smoothing down his back to his waist, where she pulled his shirt free and laid warm hands on his skin.
He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue along hers.
He wasn’t going to push her. Despite the fact that they were on a timeline, she was already important to him, and he didn’t want some one-night stand.
She’d said she wanted to forget for a little while. He could absolutely give her that. He could take care of her, and then they would take the time to figure out how far they wanted to go.
He broke off the kiss and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping one arm around her waist and bringing her close. “What do you want from me, Brynn? I want to hear you say it. Do you want a few kisses? Or do you want me to touch you? I promise nothing more than my hands on you tonight.”
Her head fell back against his shoulder. “Please, Major.”
His heart rate ticked up and he held her close, ready to show her some of what he could offer her.
* * *
* * *
Brynn let all of her worries fly away. Major was an adult with a good head on his shoulders, and he knew what would happen. She would have to leave, have to eventually take the next job that would keep her family afloat and that would take her away from this magical place she was starting to love.
But did it have to be forever?
She let that question float out of her head, too. She was sitting on Major’s lap, hugged tight against his body. One of those big hands of his was flat on her torso just under her breasts, and she had to force herself to breathe.
“How long has it been, baby?” Major asked, his breath warm against her ear. His voice had deepened, taking on a sexy growling quality that did something to her.
“I haven’t had a boyfriend in over a year.” She’d dated another actor for a while. He’d been a nice guy, but time apart had ensured they couldn’t work.
It was precisely why she and Stephen had an agreement to attend red-carpet events together when they weren’t in a relationship.