Total pages in book: 19
Estimated words: 17129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 86(@200wpm)___ 69(@250wpm)___ 57(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17129 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 86(@200wpm)___ 69(@250wpm)___ 57(@300wpm)
She blew out a soft breath. “I’m freaking out a little bit,” she confessed. “I thought I was ready, but—”
Christ, my balls were going to hurt after this. But I wouldn’t push her. I might be a little bit of a womanizing asshole, but I would never push a woman into something she wasn’t ready for, no matter how badly I wanted it.
I pressed my finger to her lips. “If you’re not ready, then you’re not ready,” I told her, my voice a bit firm. “I would never push you to do anything you’re not ready for, goldie.” Leaning down, I brushed my lips with hers, this kiss tender and sweet. “We can just watch a show and cuddle. I don’t need more from you than that.”
Well, I did, but I wouldn’t tell her that. I could rub one out later.
Her eyes fluttered up to meet mine, surprise lingering in their depths. “Really?” she asked.
I nodded and brushed a kiss to her warm cheek. “Really, goldie.” Though it pained me to do so, I released her, reducing myself to a night of blue balls. But I didn’t want her doing anything with me before she was ready to. I respected her decision to wait. No big deal. My hand really did work just fine.
She rested her forehead on my chest. I wound one of my arms around her waist and cradled the back of her head with my other hand. My heart was beating erratically in my chest; I refused to look into the reason why. “Thank you for understanding,” she murmured, her voice muffled by my shirt.
I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Never have to thank me for being a decent human being, goldie.” I released her and nodded toward the bed. “Go ahead and get comfy. I’ll go toss our dinner.”
She leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed a short, quick kiss to my lips. And somehow, it was more intimate than the hot, heated kiss we’d shared moments ago.
My dick was achingly hard between my legs, begging to be freed from my jeans and slide between her warm thighs, but I ignored it. I could do something about it later after she was asleep if I really wanted to.
I took my time throwing our food and garbage away to give her time to get herself together, change clothes, and get ready for bed. Surprising me, she appeared at the entrance to her kitchen a few minutes later, a pretty pout on her soft, pink lips.
“You coming to bed anytime soon, handsome?”
I rinsed the coffee cup I figured she’d used this morning before setting it on the drying rack and turning off the water. After grabbing a handtowel, I dried my hands, unable to help eyeing her slim legs. She seemed to only be wearing an oversized t-shirt, and her nipples were threatening to rip through the shirt, which meant she wasn’t wearing a bra.
She sure as fuck didn’t make this easy on a man.
“Pretty sure you’re trying to kill me,” I rasped.
“I-I can put on a pair of shorts,” she stammered, tugging at the hem of her shirt.
I prowled toward her and backed her up against the kitchen counter, planting my hands on either side of her. “I’ll deal, goldie.” I brushed my lips to her jaw, inhaling the sweet scent of her. She’d taken the time to get a quick shower, and fuck, she smelled divine—like warm sugar and vanilla. It made me want to eat her. Devour her until every part of her was beneath my skin.
“It’s hard for me to resist you, too,” she whispered, her words a bit breathy. I ran my eyes over her face, drinking in her honesty. “But I can’t just sleep with someone so easily.”
I cupped the side of her neck, and using my thumb, I tilted her chin back so her head was angled up more toward me. “What’d I say about explaining yourself to me?” I skimmed my nose along her cheek. “Don’t do it,” I reminded her. I released her and stepped back. “I’ll join you in bed in a few minutes.”
She shifted nervously from foot to foot for a moment before blurting, “I understand if you want to walk away.”
I sighed. “Goldie, I’m not fucking going anywhere. Stop thinking so much, you hear me? Go on to bed. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
She smiled at me—a smile so full of happiness that it fucking blew a hole straight through my chest. My heart flopped out and rolled toward her feet until it could sink into her body.
It was official. She owned every fucking part of me. Walking away would never be an option for me after tonight.
“I think I’m falling in love with you,” she blurted.
Ah, fuck. How was it possible for me to feel my heart aching for her when it was no longer inside my chest cavity? I was in too deep. I couldn’t escape. And Christ, I couldn’t let her down. Couldn’t handle her sadness and her pain.