Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 41243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 206(@200wpm)___ 165(@250wpm)___ 137(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 41243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 206(@200wpm)___ 165(@250wpm)___ 137(@300wpm)
“Sorry?” Carson offers an apology.
“I’m sure the big guy here can help you out with that problem.”
“I’m not around a lot of men, or whatever.” I should stop talking. Maybe glue my mouth shut so I can’t speak for a very long time. “Or people. You know, doing the whole ‘talking to people’ or ‘being with people’ or just, I mean, you know, ‘peopling,’ so I don’t, um, I haven’t … It’s not like a big thing. I’m not forty or anything yet, and it wouldn’t be a big deal if I were forty. Some people never do that, of course. Some people are happy by themselves, you know? It’s not–”
“May.” Carson takes my elbow, pulling me toward him. “As pretty as you are when you blush, there is no reason to be embarrassed.” He quickly puts me at ease as I stare into his eyes that have gone soft on me.
“Okay,” I whisper out. Did he just call me pretty? Is Mousey right? Would he want to help me with that? My mind is racing now. My eyes go to his mouth. I lick my lips. “I’ve never been kissed either.”
Oh my God. I need to keep my mouth closed. Why can’t I shut up? Carson smirks, leaning down toward me. Shutting my mouth for me.
9
CARSON
Before I can even think about what I’m doing, my mouth is on hers. Warm and soft and sweet. I press her tightly to me, kissing her harder, unable to do the right thing and back away. Something in her touch, in her taste, has sent me over my finely honed edge of control.
She’s never been kissed. This is her first. I want it for myself. I’m fucking greedy for it. I run the tip of my tongue along the seam of her mouth. She makes a high-pitched sound in her throat and opens for me. When I delve inside, I realize I’m in over my head. Because fuck, she’s soft and wet, her mouth a playground for my tongue and a springboard for my imagination. Gripping her hair gently, I angle her mouth, kissing her deeply as she melts, her body going lax as her tongue shyly prods mine.
Kissing me back. She’s kissing me back, and something inside my head pops like a balloon. I’m lost to her, to this mysterious woman who appeared in my life out of nowhere. Was it only hours ago that we met?
Pulling back, she takes in a breath and stares up at me, her eyes dazed. “That was …”
I keep her against me, her weight nothing in my arms.
“Unexpected.” She blinks, as if trying to clear her mind.
Fuck, did I overstep? Of course I did. We’re working together, and here I am pawing at her like some sex-crazed teen. Jesus, Carson, get it to-fucking-gether.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to–”
“Don’t be sorry.” She presses her swollen lips together, then smiles a little. “I’m not.” She cocks her head to the side. I’ve noticed she does that whenever she hears the cat. Her smile only grows.
I resist the urge to ask her what Mousey said. After all, some secrets are meant to stay between girls.
“Are you good?” I ask and force myself to release her from my grasp.
“All good.” She doesn’t wobble, but she still has that slightly dazed look on her face.
My heart is racing, my body on fire for more of her skin. I want to grab her again, to grab her by her ass and lift her up so I can kiss her more deeply, feel her against me.
“We should um–we should–” She points toward the woods.
“They’re long gone. We’ll have to go around to the estate wall and check the road, see if there’s any evidence. I have no doubt they scaled the wall somehow or another, then took off with the cat.”
“So someone definitely stole him?” May’s brows draw together.
“It certainly looks that way. Hey–” I tuck the stray strands of her hair behind her ear. “We’ll find him.”
She brightens at that. “I love how certain you sound.”
“Like I said, I excel at finding shit.”
May shakes her head. “No, Mousey, he’s not saying Fitzy is shit. It’s just a turn of phrase.” Silence for a few beats, then May rolls her eyes. “Why are you always messing with me? I thought you were being serious! You think it’s easy for me to detect sarcasm when I’m talking to a cat?”
Mousey, apparently pleased with herself, flounces away across the grass toward the front of the house.
“Come on.” I put my hand on the small of May’s back and lead her in the same direction. “Time to meet with Dudley.”
“You think he’s still standing in the same spot? We’ve been out here for a while.”
“I thought you said I was scary.” I look at her sidelong, the fading sun lighting her hair in tones of gold.