Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
His hands were equally captivating—so strong and calloused. He could solve the world’s problems with those hands, and he could make me come undone while he was doing it. I could feel myself getting worked up, so I turned my attention away from him and back to Toby. He was curled up on one of the sofa pillows and part of my leg, and he was out.
I didn’t want to wake him up, so I carefully shifted to my side, trying to get in a position to move him. I didn’t get far before Sutton was up and standing over us. “Looks like our boy is out.”
Hearing him call Toby ‘our boy’ made my chest tighten. I knew he hadn’t meant it like it sounded, but it got to me just the same. I smiled as I sat up and inched to the edge of the sofa. “Yeah, I better get him to bed.”
“I’ve got him.”
He leaned down and slipped his strong hands underneath him, gently lifting him into his arms. He cradled him against his chest like it was the most natural thing in the world, and it made my chest tighten in a way I didn’t expect.
I followed as Sutton carried him down the hall to his room. He laid Toby down on the bed so gently it almost hurt to watch. It showed a tenderness you wouldn’t expect to see in a man like Sutton. He pulled the blankets up over him and waited for a moment, making sure that he was still asleep.
As usual, Sutton treated Toby like he wasn’t just some kid he was protecting but someone he truly cared about, and it meant the world to me. Once he was certain he was okay, Sutton turned and walked back over to me.
He closed the door, and for a moment, neither of us said anything.
I swallowed, feeling that lump in my throat I’d been pushing down for weeks now. “Why do you have to be so good?”
He didn’t respond.
He just stood there holding my gaze as I said, “You’re good to him, and you’re good to me, and you don’t expect anything in return. How is that? How do you make it all so easy?”
“You’re the one who makes it easy. It’s you. All you.”
There was a magnetic pull between us. It was so strong it made every nerve in my body tingle. I felt it any time we were close, but at that moment, it was stronger than ever. Before I knew what I was doing, I took a step closer and inched up on my toes, carefully pressing my lips to his. I thought he would push me away or tell me to stop, but he didn’t.
Instead, he kissed me back.
At first, it was soft and gentle, like we were both feeling it out. But then his hand came up, cupping the side of my face, and he pulled me closer. A light moan escaped my lips as he delved deeper into my mouth. I could feel everything in that moment—the safety, the comfort, the promise of something more.
My hands began to wander on their own, roaming over his chest as they explored the curves of his perfectly defined muscles. I was just starting to get lost in the moment when Sutton inched back, breaking our embrace. Confused, I looked up at him, and the second I saw his expression, I knew I wasn’t going to like what he was about to say.
“This isn’t a good idea.” His eyes never left mine as he said, “It’s too soon.”
“But...”
“It’s too soon. End of discussion.”
I longed for the moment when he would stop resisting and give into whatever this thing was between us. But that wasn’t going to happen tonight, and I feared it wouldn’t happen any time soon. I wondered how much longer I could wait.
Ghost
I hadn’t meant to kiss her—not like that, but when she inched up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine, I lost it. All my restraint broke, and I couldn’t resist her a second longer. I knew it wasn’t a good idea. I knew it was too soon, but I couldn’t stop myself. It felt too good to have her in my arms again.
I needed to feel her body next to mine, so I slipped my hand around her waist and pulled her closer. She gasped, opening her mouth long enough for me to delve deeper, to relish every single detail of her mouth.
Her taste.
Her scent.
The way her tongue tangled with mine. I wanted to stay right there in that moment—just the two of us, where nothing else mattered. But I couldn’t. It was clear that she was still dealing with some shit. Every bump or loud noise would have her jumping out of her skin, and I got it. She had been to hell and back with that crazy ex of hers, and it was going to take some time to move past it.