Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
I catch her eyes flare when her gaze skims my bare chest. “I know you are.”
As much as I love how she looks at me, I yank a T-shirt over my head. “Not everyone views me that way.”
A brush of her hand in the air is followed by a click of her tongue. “Those people can go straight to hell because I know the real you, and believe me when I say that I’ve been with enough assholes to know a gentleman when he’s standing right in front of me.”
Buttoning my jeans, I move in place so I’m facing her. “I hate that you’ve been with assholes.”
“Me too.” She manages a weak smile. “I even married one.”
“You what?” Surprise edges my tone because what the fuck?
Her hand jumps to her face to rub her forehead. “I got married when I was in law school. It didn’t even last two years. To say it was a monumental mistake is an understatement. Everything about it was messy.”
I’m relieved to know it’s part of her distant past but pissed that some guy obviously put her through the wringer.
“I’m sorry you went through that, Abby.”
“Me too.” She takes a breath. “Have you ever been…”
“Married?” I interrupt. “Fuck, no.”
“Good to know.” She smiles. “You obviously do honor your wisdom. I, on the other hand, gave in to my naivety and married a raging jerk.”
“What happened with him?” The question is out before I think it through.
“He cheated on me,” she says with her head held high. “I went away for a weekend with my dad to hike up north, but it rained buckets, so I came home early. I caught my ex red-handed with one of our classmates. Or rather, his dick was in her hand when I walked into our apartment and found them passed out in our bed.”
I stare at her, stunned that any man wouldn’t treasure the promise of a life with her. “Bastard.”
“He was.” She moves a step closer to me. “I didn’t know men like you existed until you swept me off my feet on that street corner.”
I wrap both hands around her waist, lifting and twirling her in a circle. “You deserve to be swept off your feet every fucking day.”
She lets out a high-pitched shriek followed by a bubble of laughter, and I swear to fuck, it’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard.
As I lower her to the floor, her eyes latch onto mine. “How do you make every night better than the last?”
I want to tell her we’re just getting started, and it’ll be even better a month from now. A year from now, I want her to feel so treasured that the cheating ex is not even a memory, but I don’t say a word. I can’t because I realize this strong, brilliant woman has been burned, and needs time to open up.
The sound of a phone’s chime fills the air. I close my eyes and let out an almost silent “fuck.”
“It’s Rygar, isn’t it?” she whispers as she looks to where my phone sits on the bench. “It’s time for me to go.”
I want nothing more than to get down on my knees and beg her to stay, but I kiss her lips instead. “I’ll walk you down.”
She agrees with a soft nod. “I’d like that a lot.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Abby
I wave at Nyssa as soon as I see her enter the coffee shop.
“There she is!” she calls out over the bustle of the early morning New Yorkers in search of their first hit of caffeine on this Monday morning. “Someone is getting some sweet loving!”
A few giggles fill the air around me, but I ignore them all to wag a finger at my friend. “Shush.”
I’m in her arms the instant she’s close enough to tug me into a hug. She smells as great as she looks. I know she’s wearing one of the scents that Carrie developed since my sister gave Nyssa a bottle to test out a few months ago before the fragrance hit store shelves.
The dark blue skirt and blazer she has on scream corporate executive. Nyssa is a district manager for Ella Kara. It’s a clothing brand that falls under the umbrella of the Foster Enterprises empire.
I applied for a job in their legal department when I was fresh out of law school, but before I could land an interview, I was offered a position at Thorsen & Associates.
Nyssa was disappointed that we wouldn’t be working for the same organization, but I was secretly relieved since our friendship is solid the way it is.
I turn toward the growing line of people waiting to place their orders. “Do you know what you want?”
“All the details.” She nudges my side with her elbow. “What’s his name?”
“What are you talking about?” I play dumb. “Is it my dress? You should recognize it as an Ella Kara original. I’m pretty sure Sophia Wolf designed this number.”