Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 86878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
When Colby returns with another round, we all take them.
“Guess there’s no chance we’ll end up married for a second time, is there?” Britt jokes.
Colby winks at her. “Interested in hopping a flight to Vegas and having a do over?”
Her shoulders shake with laughter. “It’ll certainly be one hell of a story to share with our kids one day.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Firecracker,” he says before they clink their glasses.
Colby McNichols was one of the biggest players on campus.
Until Britt came along.
Now he couldn’t be more domesticated.
They both seem happy.
Content.
It’s nice to see, and it gives me hope for the future.
My gaze unconsciously settles on Hayes, and a zip of electricity sizzles through my veins when I find him watching me.
We tap the tiny glasses together before throwing back the shots. Our gazes stay locked the entire time. Much like the first one, the liquor sends a fiery trail down the back of my throat before settling at the bottom of my belly.
Just as Hayes plucks the glass from me, Britt locks her fingers around my wrist and drags me to the dance floor, Willow leading the way. It doesn’t take long before I lose sight of Hayes.
The three of us shove our way through the crush of bodies before carving out a small space. With the alcohol rushing through my system, I forget about everything else and lose myself in the heavy beat of the music. My eyelids feather closed as I tip my face upward, enjoying the sensation of letting go and allowing my mind to wander.
How long has it been since I was able to cut loose and feel free?
My mind tumbles back over the years.
Maybe never.
It’s a jarring realization.
Ever since I was twelve years old, and started working with Nathan, skating has been my entire world. There was never time for fun or fooling around. There were always competitions to train for.
I glance at the two girls I’m with. I’m so grateful for their friendship. Without it, I probably wouldn’t be experiencing any of this, and that would be a real shame.
Plus, now there’s Hayes.
I have no idea if we’ll actually fit into each other’s lives, but for the first time ever, I can have fun trying to figure it out.
I let those thoughts go as one song bleeds into the next. Laughter falls from my lips as Britt grabs my hand and twirls me around before doing the same with Willow. Smiles light up our faces as we shake our asses. It feels good to do nothing more than live in the moment as the mass of writhing bodies presses in on us from all sides.
The club is a sprawling space, but there are so many people on the dance floor, it’s impossible to tell whose limbs belong to who. The music echoes off the walls before gradually seeping into my bones as alcohol rushes through my veins, making me feel alive and free.
If only this feeling could last forever.
My eyelids fly open when strong hands wrap around my hips and drag me against a steely body. I don’t have to twist around to know who’s snuck up on me. Already I’ve come to recognize the beachy scent of Hayes’s cologne as it invades my senses, reminding me of sunshine and lazy summer days.
I just want to inhale a big breath of him and keep it trapped in my lungs forever.
His arms tighten around me as my spine presses against his front. Everything about this guy is hard and sculpted. There’s nothing soft about him. He’s a wall of muscle.
I never thought I’d find myself attracted to a guy like him, but that’s exactly what I am.
Even though it’s scary and I’m unsure of myself, I love it.
Love these new feelings that rush through me when he’s near.
All I have to do is think about the hot hockey player, and my belly swoops.
And when he lays his hands on me?
I forget about the past and all the pain tied to it.
“You’re so damn sexy, know that?”
I shake my head. I’ve never felt sexy before, and it boggles my mind that Hayes Van Doren thinks that about me.
“With all these guys checking you out, I knew I’d better stake my claim before anyone worked up the courage to shoot their shot. No way I could let that happen, Tink.”
I twist my head enough to meet his gaze. Even in the darkness of the club, possessiveness shines brightly from his eyes.
My pulse thrums an unsteady beat as his face looms closer until his lips can brush across mine. We stay locked together as the music pulses around us. With his arms wrapped protectively around me, I feel safe and insulated. His grip tightens as he pulls me close enough to feel the hard length of his erection pressing against my lower back.