Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 36999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 185(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
I haven't had that since my mom died.
Of course I fell in love with Coby. How could I not when he makes my world softer and brighter just because he's in it? I had to tell him. He deserved to know just how much he means to me.
Because of him, I feel like I'm finally whole. I've never felt that way before. Not ever.
Chapter Nine
Coby
"No way," Elodie says, backing away from me as I stalk her across the lobby. "You stay on that side of the lobby, Coby Kaiser."
"Can't. Sorry." I smirk, pacing toward her.
She growls, trying to duck behind the counter, but she's in four-inch heels. I'm not. I catch her before she even makes it two steps. I drag her into my arms, wrapping them around her.
"Keegan is right down the hall," she hisses, exasperated with me. She's fucking cute when she's annoyed. And I've been annoying the hell out of her for the last two days straight. Every time I can get my hands on her, I do.
Ever since she told me she loves me, I've been trying ever harder to get us caught. I've been careful to make sure that we aren't caught doing anything wildly inappropriate. I don't want to traumatize her brother. I just want him to know the truth so we can be done with this hiding bullshit. But somehow, despite all my efforts, he still hasn't caught us.
It's starting to piss me off.
"Kiss me, and I'll let you go."
"You are such a liar. If I kiss you, you're going to find another reason to try to hold onto me. You always do, Coby."
"Do not."
"Yes, you do," she laughs, poking me in the chest. "If we're in the same room, you find some excuse to touch me."
"If you don't want me touching you, you shouldn't look so fucking perfect every day, Elodie," I growl, grabbing her ass. When she opens her mouth to protest, I swoop, kissing the shit out of her.
Like usual, she forgets that she's annoyed with me as soon as I've got my mouth on her. She melts like a popsicle, pressing up against me. My dick reacts, nestling against her stomach.
Fuck. I can't wait until I'm inside her again.
"You're staying the night with me tonight," I mutter against her lips.
"Obviously."
I chuckle, resting my forehead against hers. "You need to figure out how to tell your brother about us, Elodie. This hiding shit is getting old."
She bites her lip, worry filling her eyes. "Maybe we should wait."
"We've waited long enough."
"It hasn't been that long."
"It's been long enough," I say firmly. "He needs to know."
She paces away from me, pressing her fingertips to her forehead. "I know," she whispers. "I just…" She heaves a sigh. "I'm just scared, okay?"
"I know you are, but the longer we put it off, the harder it's going to get." And the longer we hide it, the more pissed he's going to be. But I don't tell her that part. She's worried enough about it as it is. I don't want to give her something else to worry about. She may never tell him if I do.
I'm not entirely convinced she's going to tell him as it is. She's terrified of how he's going to take it. I just don't fully understand why. There's something I'm missing, but she isn't filling in the blanks. I wish like hell she would, but when I ask, she just tells me that she doesn't want to ruin our friendship as if that's a foregone conclusion.
Something tells me there's more to it than that, but I don't fucking know what. I can't exactly ask Keegan to fill me in, either. All I can do is wait her out. Sooner or later, she'll cave and tell him, or I'll get lucky, and he'll catch us. Either way, the truth will come out, and we can sort this shit once and for all.
In the meantime, I'm spending every free second I have with her in my arms. I don't care who sees us. I don't care who knows. She's mine. I feel like I've been waiting a lifetime for her to come along and wake me up.
I'm awake now. The world is bright and shining for the first time in my life. I feel like one of those goddamn cartoon princesses singing with the damn birds. I didn't even know it was possible to feel like this. But here I am, hearts in my eyes, my heart beating out of my chest every single time I look at her.
"I know," she mumbles. "Just give me a little more time, please?"
I stride toward her, pulling her back into my arms. "I won't tell him," I murmur, resting my lips against her forehead. "I already promised you that I wouldn't. But we can't keep this hidden forever, princess. I won't hide it forever."