Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 73568 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73568 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
I roll my eyes but can’t help the smile tugging at my lips. “Hardly. This guy’s the brooding, silent type. I’m still working out how to write someone as obnoxious as you.”
Lex laughs, nudging my shoulder with his. “Brooding, silent, dangerous… I could pull that off.”
I glance up at him and raise an eyebrow. “You? Brooding?”
Chills run up my spine as he puts his nose into my neck and nuzzles me. “You never know, Posey. I’ve got layers.”
It feels too good. Too intimate and tender and loving, and my heart can’t develop a liking for it.
So I push him away. “Layers like a stinky onion?” I tease, finalizing the last post and closing the laptop with a satisfied sigh.
“A sexy onion,” he corrects, voice rich with mock seriousness. “Now, come on. I want to get on the road before midday traffic picks up. My parents will be expecting us.”
I take a deep breath, my nerves firing at the reminder I agreed to go to Lex’s parents’ house for the weekend. I remind myself that today is only another casual day—just friends with benefits, despite how my heart sometimes somersaults in my chest when I look at him.
“Give me five minutes,” I say, standing up and stretching, feeling the tightness in my back from sitting too long.
Lex taps his designer watch and stares at me pointedly. “You’ve got two.”
I stick out my tongue at him but hurry to finish packing. He’d told me to pack light since we’re only staying the night. When I step from the bedroom with my overnight bag slung over my shoulder, Lex is already waiting by the door, his own bag in hand, looking at me expectantly.
“You weren’t kidding about the two minutes,” I mutter, shaking my head as I follow him out of the door.
I freeze on the top step outside, my jaw dropping at the sight parked in the driveway. A sleek, low sports car glimmers in the morning sun, all aggressive curves and impossibly smooth lines. Its orange paint looks almost liquid, and my insides flips at the idea of riding in that thing.
“What is that?” I ask in awe.
“A McLaren 720S Spider.”
“And it’s yours?”
Lex flashes me a playful grin as he swings open the door. “Yeah. Thought we’d take something a bit more… fun.”
I glance around, see the Urus parked in its regular spot. “Where did it come from?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper, as if the magical sports car fairies made a special delivery overnight.
Lex takes my overnight bag and moves to the back of the Spider. “One of the Crown Velocity guys brought it over this morning. Thought you might want to take it for a spin.”
As he opens the tiny trunk that has no room for anything more than our two small bags—I understand why he told me to pack light—I ask, “You’re going to let me drive that?”
He shrugs, like it’s no big deal. “Why not? She’s a beauty, isn’t she? Seven hundred and twenty horsepower, zero to sixty in two point seven seconds. You’ll have fun.”
“I can’t drive something that powerful. I might wreck it and I can’t afford… well, whatever the hell this thing cost.”
“Around two hundred and fifty thousand pounds,” he says, as if commenting on nothing more than the price of an apple in the grocery store.
I nearly choke, my palms growing clammy at the mere thought of driving something so expensive and powerful. “Lex… I don’t know if I can.”
His smile softens but his tone is determined. “Of course you can. Come on, Posey. It’s a car, not a bomb. I’ll talk you through it.”
I hesitate, glancing at the McLaren and then back at him. “What if I crash it?”
“You won’t,” he says confidently. “And if you do, well… I’ll get another one.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m serious.”
“So am I. You’ll be fine. Come on, it’ll be fun.” He tosses me the keys, and instinctively I catch them, the weight of the moment sinking in.
I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. “Fine. But if we die, it’s on you.”
“Deal,” he says, clearly enjoying himself. He takes my elbow and marches me to the driver’s side.
“You’re insane,” I mutter, eyeing the car nervously as he opens the driver’s door.
I expect a confidence-boosting speech but instead, his hand goes to the back of my head and he kisses me deeply. I immediately sink into it, unable to even think about pushing him away. Flashes from last night assault me, the three times we had sex, as if we couldn’t get enough of each other. The last one… Lex pulling me into his arms, spooning me until we fell asleep, holding me all night. Another assault to my heart because these are not the actions of two people having a fling. Truthfully, he should have returned to his room. I should have made him.