Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 89170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Damn. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. I lifted my hand and softly ran my finger along her jawline.
“Rest easy, sleeping beauty.”
She opened her eyes and looked directly at me before smiling so big my breath caught in my throat. For a moment, I couldn’t remember how to breathe.
“Blayze.”
Smiling, I lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “Get some sleep, Georgie.”
Her eyes searched my face and it seemed like she was going to say something. Instead, she let her gaze drop to my mouth where I ran my tongue over my dry lips and watched as Georgie’s mouth opened ever so slightly before our eyes met once again.
“Do you kiss the same?” she asked.
Frowning, I asked, “What do you mean?”
“Do you still kiss how you did when we were younger?”
A small breath of air escaped my mouth as I softly laughed. “I hope I kiss better now.”
She grinned, then closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep. I wasn’t sure how long I sat there on the side of her bed and stared at her. Hell, I probably would have stayed there all night had someone not gently cleared their throat from the doorway.
Ryan.
I gave him a nod and carefully got up, quietly making my way out of Georgie’s room. After hearing the soft click of her door, I headed to the kitchen. Ryan was leaning against the counter with a beer in his hand and one held out for me.
“You texted for me to get here ASAP,” he said. “What’s the problem?”
I grabbed my beer and motioned for us to head out onto the covered back porch. If it got too cold, I could simply turn on the heat.
Ryan studied me. “You look really confused.”
“I am.” I sat down in a chair and pushed my fingers through my hair. “My mom seems to think Georgie…”
He waited for me to finish. Did I really want to tell him she thought Georgie was in love with me?
“She seems to think what?”
“That Georgie has feelings for me.”
Ryan leaned back in his chair. “And this surprises you?”
I snapped my head up to look at him. “It doesn’t surprise you?”
He laughed. “No. Come on, Blayze. The last time you saw the girl, you were caught just shy of having sex with her behind your dad’s barn. You said she was the one.”
“The one I wanted to lose my virginity to. I wanted it to happen with someone I cared about. Like you and Mindy.”
With a slight tilt of his head, he went on. “Come on. I think we both know Georgie has always meant more to you than that. When she never came back to the ranch, you were devastated.”
I sighed. “She’s doing an interview about Dad and the ranch. I think things need to stay professional between us.”
Ryan pressed his beer to his mouth in a sad attempt to cover a smile before he tipped it back and took a drink.
“You know why I can’t open myself up to her, Ryan.”
It was his turn to sigh. “Blayze, she isn’t Lindsay. She isn’t going to play you for a fool and use you like Lindsay did. It’s pretty clear to me that you have feelings for Georgie too. I see it anytime you’re near her.”
I stood and walked over to the door that led outside. I nearly pushed through it to breathe in a lungful of cold air.
“Blayze, you uprooted your entire life for a woman you didn’t even care about, so I get having a wall up.”
“Because she lied to me, Ryan. You would have done the same thing.”
“Probably, and yes, she lied. What in the world would Georgie lie to you about? Dude, you’ve got to let your guard down with someone. Why not let it be her? See where it goes.”
“She lives in Dallas.”
Ryan stood. “I’m not saying ask her to marry you. Just see where things go.”
Turning, I faced him. He smiled and said, “I see it written all over your face, Blayze. You’ve never looked at any woman the way you look at Georgiana Crenshaw. For someone who loves to take risks, you’re really fighting this. Take the wall down, dude. It’s time.”
I took a long pull from my beer and stepped outside. Before I shut the door, I looked back at Ryan.
“Lindsay destroyed my trust. Georgie has the power to destroy my heart and soul.”
Chapter Thirteen
GEORGIANA
I opened my eyes and sat up in bed. I looked at the side table to see that my phone was plugged in. When had I done that? When had we even gotten back to Blayze’s house?
Reaching for the phone, I gasped when I saw it was seven in the morning. One sweep of myself confirmed that I was still in the clothes that I’d worn yesterday to go over to…