Total pages in book: 122
Estimated words: 115706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115706 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
“Caleb?” Aubrey says, her head tilted and her eyes boring into me. “You okay?”
My mind made up, I force a casual smile. “Yeah, I’m great. I think I’ll head straight into a shower and to bed. It’s been a long, exciting day.”
“Sounds good to me,” Aubrey says. “I’m in the middle of a good book.”
As we start walking toward the house, my skin is buzzing and my heart pounding. I shouldn’t do it. My brain knows that. But the plan is foolproof, really. And I’ll be more relaxed tomorrow, if I do this, which will be better for everyone.
“You were great with Rainey today,” Aubrey says. “I’m really proud of you.”
Guilt rips through me. Adrenaline. Doubt. Maybe I shouldn’t go, after all.
“Thanks. Couldn’t have done it without you.”
I open the front door for Aubrey, and she steps inside the house.
“Keep it up,” she says. “As long as you remain committed to Raine and to your sobriety, I have complete faith everything will go your way at the hearing in a month.”
Fuck. Can she read my mind, or was it sheer coincidence Aubrey mentioned my sobriety at this precise moment?
“Well, goodnight, Caleb,” Aubrey says. As she says it, my gaze drifts to her lips. To the curve of her neck. To her tits. Frankly, I’d much rather stay here and fuck Aubrey all night, than embark on some kind of nefarious field trip. But I feel like I’ve got no choice, given the situation. I need to do something to let off steam, and I’m gonna jerk my dick raw at this rate.
“Goodnight,” I manage, as tingles shoot through me. Again. It’s a constant occurrence by now. Unfortunately, it happens pretty much every time I think about kissing or fucking Aubrey, which I do constantly. Countless times per day, as a matter of fact.
Aubrey begins walking down the hallway ahead of me, but she abruptly stops and faces me before reaching her room. “Almost forgot.” She puts out her hand. “Car keys, please.”
Fucking hell. She’s relentless. And also, quite possibly, psychic.
“Aubrey, come on,” I say with a smile. “What am I gonna do? Sneak away under the cover of darkness and drive into town? Everything in Prairie Springs is closed by eight.”
“True, but everything stays open till much later in Billings, especially on a Saturday night.”
Jesus Christ. She’s scary.
I force a fake chuckle of indignation. “You think I’d risk all the progress I’ve made today and at rehab by secretly driving all the way to Billings for a stupid, fucking drink?” I chuckle again at the craziness of the thought. “I know full well someone might post a video of me, Aubrey. I’m not dumb.” I am dumb, though. Saying this shit out loud is making me realize just how fucking dumb.
“I don’t know what you might do, Caleb,” Aubrey shoots back calmly. “But if I have your keys tonight, then I won’t have to wonder.”
I’ve never felt more attracted to her or more grateful for her presence. Her intuition. Her smarts. I imagine myself marching over to her, taking her into my arms, and kissing that sassy, infuriating, brilliant mouth of hers, and then dragging her into my bed and fucking her to within an inch of her life, all night long.
That’s all I want. The chance to fuck this gorgeous woman. I’d take that over whiskey and weed, a hundred times out of a hundred. Why doesn’t she want that, too? It’s killing me to know my fierce attraction to her is one-sided. That never happens to me. When I want someone, I get them. Easily. So why the fuck isn’t Aubrey falling at my feet, like everyone else?
Aubrey waggles the fingers of her extended hand. “Keys, Caleb. Come on. Don’t make me come over there and grab them out of your pocket.”
The thought makes my dick begin to harden, against my will. Suddenly, that’s all I want: the feel of her hand in my pocket, brushing against my growing hard-on. But, of course, I can’t force her to do that. She already told me no, clearly, when I tried to kiss her in the middle of her parents’ street yesterday.
With a sigh, I pull out the keys from my pocket and hand them to her. And then, mostly to keep Aubrey from seeing the bulge that’s now pressing against my jeans like a motherfucker, I turn and stomp down the rest of the hallway to my bedroom.
With each step I take, I feel more and more pissed off about the situation. More restless and rejected. Which is why, when I get to my door, I swing it open fiercely and barrel into the room in a huff, fully intending to slam the door behind me to communicate my displeasure. But when I’m just about to release the door, I hear Aubrey’s words from yesterday and stop myself.