Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
“I think I might have heard you mention that a time or two.” I wink at her.
“Thank you for coming back with me today. It was nice to know I wasn’t alone.”
“McKenna.” I stop what I’m doing and wait for her to set those big brown eyes on me. “As long as there’s breath in my lungs, you will never be alone. Never.”
She swallows hard, and tears once again mist her eyes. Dropping what I’m doing, I dry my hands and make my way around the counter to her.
“I don’t know why I’m so emotional,” she says as I wrap my arms around her.
“It’s been a long, hard day, baby. You have to give yourself some grace.”
“I’m sorry.” She snuggles into my chest.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. Why don’t you go stretch out on the couch? I’ll bring you a glass of wine and dinner when it’s ready.”
“Omelets and wine?”
“We make our own rules, McKenna.” I grin. “Go sit, and I’ll bring you a glass while I’m cooking dinner.”
“Thank you, Rip. For everything.”
“Anything for my girl.” I kiss her forehead and step away from her. I promised my girl a glass of wine, so that’s what I’m going to do.
A few hours later, we’re sitting on the couch. McKenna’s head is leaning on my shoulder, and it’s my idea of the perfect night. When she yawns, I know it’s time to call it quits. “You ready for bed?”
“Yes.” She sits up and stretches before standing from the couch.
“Go on upstairs. You know where my shirts are if you need something to sleep in. I’m going to lock up and turn out the lights.”
“I have clothes to sleep in.”
“Yeah, but I like you in mine.” I grin before turning and walking away to lock up. It would be too easy to get lost in her down here, and if and when I make love to her again, it’s going to be in a bed, and I’m going to memorize every fucking second of it.
“Bathroom’s all yours,” she says a few minutes later as I walk into my room.
“Nice shirt,” I comment.
“Thanks, this really nice guy said I could wear it.”
“Did he now?”
“He did. Something about liking me in his clothes.”
I take slow, gradual steps toward her, which takes effort. All I want to do is run to her and hold her close. “I do like you in my clothes. Do you know what else I like?”
“What’s that?” she whispers.
“I like that you’re here with me.” My hands land on her hips, and I move in, pressing her body to mine. “You know what else I like?”
“Tell me.”
“You in my bed, in my arms.” I kiss the tip of her nose and release her. “I’m going to change. I’ll be right back.” I disappear into the bathroom. After taking care of business, I strip down to my boxer briefs and brush my teeth. Turning out the light, I make my way blindly to the bed. I can see her form, lying on what I’ve come to refer to as her side. I waste no time sliding under the covers, moving over to the center, and wrapping my arms around her.
Her breathing evens out, and I think she’s fallen asleep. I let my eyes drift closed when I hear her soft voice.
“Rip?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Do you think we should talk about this? About last night?”
“Is that what you want? To talk about it?”
“I think we should,” she counters.
“I’m listening.”
“We had sex.”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember it?”
“Bits and pieces. I remember walking back to your suite and following you inside. I remember kisses. There were lots of kisses.”
“I remember asking you to stay.”
“Yeah, you asked me to stay.”
“I don’t remember the actual sex part,” she admits.
“Me either.”
“So, where do we go from here?”
“I’d say where we are is a damn good start.”
“Here? In your bed?”
“Yep.”
“What does that mean? How is me in your bed a good start?”
I’m quiet for a few minutes, processing how to handle this. She’s had a rough day, but I swore I wasn’t going to hide from this any longer. “The day you left for college tore me apart.”
“What do you mean?” She rolls over in my arms to face me. I can’t see her face, but I can feel her breath on my cheek. We’re so close.
“I’ve wanted you for so long, McKenna. I can’t tell you the exact day you stopped being my sister’s best friend and more to me. Hell, I think you’ve always been more to me. You were my first kiss.” I find her lips in the dark and give her a chaste kiss.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me that?”
“You had big dreams, Kenna. I was afraid if we started something, you wouldn’t go through with them. I wanted you to achieve everything in life you always dreamed of.”