Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 74256 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74256 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
For now.
I can’t wait.
I adjust the flowers in my hands nervously. I’ve never been more anxious in my entire life than I am to see Faith right now, and that’s saying something. When I got on that bus to head to boot camp, I was a ball of nerves. A mixture of fear and excitement. Now, it’s mostly anticipation, along with a root-deep desperation to see the one woman who consumes my every dream and most of my waking thoughts too.
My eyes keep scanning the crowd, especially when I see a large group making their way toward the luggage conveyor I’m standing near. I spot movement weaving in and out of the masses, politely excusing herself as she buzzes around them to get to the front of the pack. A huge smile spreads across my face moments before our eyes meet, and suddenly, she’s running, her slender legs eating up the space between us. I take two steps forward and hold out my arms, ready for what’s coming.
Faith leaps, dropping her carry-on bag in the process and slamming into my chest. I catch her easily, forgetting all about the bouquet in my hand, as my arms wrap around her body. I pull her close and just breathe her in. Her legs lock around my back, and I have to ignore the way my cock notices her nearness and focus just on her. On the smell of her shampoo and the way she molds perfectly against me.
As if we were made for each other.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” I mutter, inhaling her sweet scent.
Jasmine.
My favorite ever since the day we met.
“Me either,” she whispers, her warm breath tickling my neck.
Finally, she pulls back and gives me that familiar grin. The one that makes my heart pound in my chest and my dick get all sorts of excited. My lips move forward, pressing against her forehead hard. It takes everything I have not to kiss her lips.
I haven’t actually kissed her sweet mouth in over a year. Ever since that night we spent in a hotel and decided to press the pause button. That one amazing night where we made out like high schoolers. When I kissed her so much, my lips were raw and swollen for hours after I left her.
Since then, the few times we’ve actually seen each other, we’ve kept it PG. Friends don’t make out, even though I desperately long to do just that. Friends don’t also sport huge hard-ons and picture her sweet face when I’m alone in the shower, either, but we’re not talking about that right now.
“Welcome to California,” I say, slowly letting her slide off me, knowing she’s going to feel exactly how excited I am to see her when she reaches my groin.
“Thank you,” she replies, trying to contain her grin as she looks me up and down, taking in my jeans and Army T-shirt. She has yet to step back, to put any real distance between us, which I’m extremely grateful for. If it were up to me, she’d be in my arms and plastered against me the entire time she’s here.
I bend down and grab the flowers I dropped, along with her carry-on duffle bag. “What do you have in here?” I tease, feeling the weight of whatever’s in the bag.
“A small child,” she quips, reaching for the bag.
“I got it,” I tell her, extending my hand and holding out the bouquet. “These are for you.”
Faith smiles widely as she takes the flowers, bringing them to her nose and inhaling. “I love them. Thank you.”
Tossing my arm around her shoulder, we turn and head for the conveyor belt. Suitcases are already dropping as passengers shuffle and retrieve their baggage. I set her carry-on beside her feet and say, “Point out yours, and I’ll grab it.”
She looks up. “I can get it.”
Because I can’t help it, I lean down and press my lips to her forehead once more. “You’re my guest, Faith. I’ll get your luggage.”
She merely nods and returns her gaze back to the train of bags slowly moving around the belt. After a few minutes, she points. “That one. The black one with the green ribbon on the handle.”
I release my hold on her and step forward, ready to snatch the suitcase as it approaches. Within seconds, I’m wheeling her luggage away from the crowd and picking up the duffle at her feet. “Ready?”
“Yes,” she replies, bringing the flowers to her nose once more.
We walk together side by side through the exit and head for the parking garage. I don’t know why this feels so right, having her beside me, but it does. Anytime she’s near, my world just seems better, more at peace.
I slip a key fob out of my pocket and press the unlock button once we approach. “You have a car already?” she asks as the trunk pops open on the black Chevy Malibu.