Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 113996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 570(@200wpm)___ 456(@250wpm)___ 380(@300wpm)
“A simple hello would suffice,” I said, suddenly shy, my heart taking up a violent drumbeat in my chest.
Amusement twitched on his lips. He leaned in. “Or perhaps you’d prefer if I went over there and told them how much I want you in my bed? How I lie in bed at night fantasizing about you.” He leaned even closer; his face close, his breath tickling my cheek. “About making you scream.”
I almost dropped the tray of cupcakes in my hand.
He stepped back and grinned. “Too much?”
“Yes.” My voice was tiny. I had to get away from this man before I made a huge mistake. Because every nerve and fiber was screaming at me to give in to him, and I was afraid if I moved an inch, I’d reach for him and slam my mouth to his. Take that, Audrey Scotsdale. I cleared my throat, my mouth dry. “I have to put these cupcakes in the refrigerator.”
I walked away, desperate to escape. But he followed me into the home economics kitchen, which was only a few yards away.
“I see I was correct about the stalking scenario,” I said, placing the tray of cupcakes on one of the countertops.
“I didn’t realize we’d finished talking.”
“I think Audrey and her two cronies got the picture.”
I had expected the kitchen to be busy. But there were only two other people inside, and once they’d finished filling a pitcher with orange juice, they disappeared outside, leaving me alone with Bull.
“You expect me to believe you came over to me to make a point?” His eyebrow was raised. “So the fact that you went as red as a beet and speechless as a stone has nothing to do with liking what I said, and everything to do with you wanting to show those women that they were wrong.”
“Yes, I was only using you to get back at those bitches. It means nothing.”
His brilliant blue eyes sparkled with amusement. “I see.”
But he knew better. I could see it on his face. The slight raise of his eyebrow. The flash of knowing in those magnetic eyes. The hint of a smile tugging at his lips. He fucking knew I was barely holding onto my fight. That I was hanging off the cliff, my fingertips bleeding as they held onto the last of my resistance.
I turned away because I was seconds away from crashing my lips to his. Because I knew how they tasted. How soft yet commanding they were. How it felt when his tongue slid up against mine.
I busied myself with repositioning the cupcakes on the plate.
But he came up behind me and caged me between the hardness of his body and the counter, his breath whispering along the nape of my neck.
“This. You and me. It’s going to happen. Whenever you’re ready. I’m a patient man. And I’m tenacious as fuck. But you need to accept that you’ve already lost the fight, darlin’.” His lips brushed my ear. “And it’s only a matter of time before you lose the war.”
His words sent an exhilarating thrill down my spine and I shivered against him. Wanting him. Craving him. So fucking ready for him.
I turned in his arms to face him. He was right. I had lost the fight the moment I’d accepted this job. But what he wanted, I couldn’t give him. I had to think about Noah.
The war raged within me.
Because being this close and feeling the heat of all that muscle surrounding me was making me dizzy with lust. All and everything outside of this moment was forgotten. I couldn’t think straight. My pulse roared in my ears, and my heart was pounding so hard I thought it’d break free and burst from my chest. When my mouth parted, Bull’s brilliant blue gaze dropped to it, a look of raw hunger taking over his face as I dragged my tongue along my lips.
Hell yeah, I had lost the fight and was about to raise the white flag in surrender just to feel everything this man had to offer.
Everything else be damned.
I wanted this.
Fucking needed this.
But in that moment, Noah’s teacher walked into the kitchen with two of her students, and the spell was broken. I quickly moved away from Bull, immediately feeling the loss of heat from his body. Goose bumps tightened along my skin and the cold ache of disappointment swelled in my chest.
Damn, that was close.
I would have to be smarter in the future.
Because my attraction to Bull was off the charts, and I was quickly losing power over it.
I would have to pretend.
Pretend I didn’t want to touch him as much as I did.
Pretend I wasn’t yearning to give in to a longing I couldn’t shake.
And I knew I could do it if I had to.
Because I was really good at faking it.