Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Her eyes lift to meet mine, then slide over to Bain and Camden. “But your friends are leaving.”
I step in closer to her. “And I’m glad. I haven’t had any alone time with you.”
A dark eyebrow rises, and her lips twitch. “Alone time?”
“You know,” I say, nodding toward the pool table. “For us to have a one-on-one rematch.”
“Is that code for something else?” she asks with an amused smile. Her eyes sparkle, and I wonder how much of that is alcohol glitter.
One more step closer to her, and my hand goes to her hip. “I don’t speak in code. So, if you want honesty, at the very least, I want that kiss your dad screwed me out of the other night.”
“At the very least?” She’s the one who moves in now. “That implies you might want more.”
I bend my head, shrinking the distance between our faces. “I’ll let you in on a little secret… when it comes to you, I’m always going to want more. I’ll take whatever you want to give.”
Whoa, those were some strong words considering I’ve only known the woman for three days, but I evaluate the sincerity within me, and it’s not the beer talking.
And I’m not sure I’m talking about sex.
Okay, yes… I’m talking about sex, but if she only has time to give me another game of pool and we end the evening with that kiss, that’s okay too.
No fucking way is this a rebound. When I ended things with Tracy, I wasn’t left with any emptiness that needs filling. There wasn’t a single ache involved in that parting of ways.
Rather, whatever this is with Stevie is fresh and doesn’t have a damn thing to do with whatever happened in my life before meeting her. I have no clue what will come of it, and I don’t have any expectations. I’m not necessarily looking for a relationship, as I didn’t have the best experience committing myself to Tracy. All I know is that Stevie has my attention like it’s never been caught before.
“Tell your friends goodbye,” Stevie says, eyes dancing with deviltry and maybe a little challenge. Still no way to know how much alcohol is playing a part, but I don’t think Stevie needs a single drop of liquid courage to go after what she wants.
“You guys get out of here,” I say, loudly enough for them to hear but without taking my eyes off the woman before me.
They snicker and Bain calls out, “Good to meet you, Stevie.”
“Same to you,” she replies, eyes still locked on mine.
“Great bar,” Camden says. “We’ll be back.”
“Looking forward to it,” Stevie says dismissively, her eyes falling to my mouth.
And there’s no way in hell we’re playing another game of pool. There’s no way in hell I’m waiting another second to kiss her.
I lift my hand from her hip to slide it around the back of her slender neck. I feel her muscles jerk and then loosen under my touch, and she’s already rising onto her tiptoes. I don’t hesitate… don’t care if Bain or Camden have left or are gawking. I touch my mouth to hers where it hovers for just a brief second before fully claiming it.
Stevie sighs into my mouth. Capitulation? Pleasure? Both?
Regardless, the room spins, and everything melts away. The bar, my teammates, the old man sitting with his final beer of the night. All of it gone with nothing else mattering but the heat of Stevie’s mouth, which in turn sends an insane swell of lust rocketing through my body.
A kiss isn’t going to be enough for me.
Will it be enough for her?
My hands dive into her hair, and I press the kiss deeper. She accepts every bit of it, her fingers hooking through the belt loops of my jeans and tugging me closer. If she continues and pulls me all the way into her body, she’s going to feel exactly what this kiss is doing to me.
Stevie turns her face, breaking the kiss. My lips go to her temple as she sucks in a deep breath. I pull back slightly to look at her, and when her eyes meet mine, my knees weaken with the pure, unfiltered heat radiating in her gaze.
“What if I ask you to come home with me?” she whispers.
“Only one question… is your dad going to be there?”
She laughs, light and tinkling. “He’s at his own house tonight. It will be just us… and my fish, Shenanigans.”
“You have a fish named Shenanigans?”
“Yeah… I’ll introduce you. If you come home with me.”
My answer is a soft kiss. “Let’s get this place cleaned up, then, so we can get out of here.”
CHAPTER 7
Stevie
I know I should be second-guessing myself, but I’m not. I want Hendrix Bateman more than I think I’ve ever wanted a man in my life.
Not that there have been a lot in my relatively short sexual history, but there have been a few. Men I felt a connection with for sure, or else I’d have never been intimate. But I’ve never slept with someone I just met. It takes me time to warm up to people on a deeper level.