Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 46695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 233(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 233(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
I can feel Ethan as well as nuzzle into him, and he feels like home.
“I shoulda just gone right after you when you left,” he says, and I look up at him again.
“I ruined your night, didn’t I?” I ask, putting myself down out of habit, knowing that’s not true at all.
Slowly becoming aware of the familiar, thick heat pressing up against my belly as Ethan’s body lets me know it’s happy to see me too.
“Could you go out sometime? I mean with an older guy,” he asks, looking like he has to ask permission or something.
“With you, or just any older guy?” I ask back, trying to be funny but coming off sounding flat.
The shiver in my breath as he flexes his erection under his clothes literally presses his point.
He moves back from me just enough to lean down, which is quite a way for a guy his size to reach a girl my height.
I feel his hands take mine and keeping my eyes open, I watch him draw closer.
“Krissy…,” he murmurs, tilting his head as our faces almost touch.
The warmth from his breath on my lips causes me to make a mewing sound.
A sound that’s drowned out by the rattling of my front door, then loud knocking which makes me jump out of my skin.
“Mr. Silverthorne? You in there? Ethan!?”
Gripping Ethan like some life preserver, I’m scared but also annoyed by whoever it is interrupting us, especially when Ethan’s about to kiss me.
“Bannon?” Ethan growls, whispering in my ear to hold that thought about what we were just about to do, and he takes a single step and unbolts the door.
My landlord is peering up at him while he makes sure he blocks the doorway with his body.
“Ah, Ethan! I thought you might’ve come up here. I can’t find the eviction papers I was gonna file after all. Must’ve lost them, I guess. At my age… I get so….”
“Forgetful?” Ethan offers, finishing his sentence.
“Yeah, forgetful,” old Mr. Bannon groans. “Say? Did you find out where Krissy is? I’ve been a little worried about her. Maybe we could keep the whole eviction thing to ourselves, eh?” he asks sheepishly.
Ethan’s quick to agree and lets him know I’m fine.
“She’s working a double shift at the casino,” he fibs. “I only came up to take that notice down…and to lock up. Left her door wide open,” he exclaims.
“Well, be sure to lock up when you go. Not the kind of area you wanna have doors left unlocked if you catch my meaning.”
“I’ll be sure to,” Ethan assures him.
It’s a side I’ve never seen or heard from my landlord, and I’m touched in a weird way that he seems to care so much.
I wonder if he feels the same about all his tenants. But wait…he never mentioned the rent I still owe.
Ethan says his goodbyes, and closing the door again, he turns to face me.
Instantly dissolving the thought. Erasing all my day-to-day concerns with a single look in my direction.
I feel a little shaky still. The shock of my landlord turning up just when Ethan was about to kiss me, but mainly exhaustion.
“You’ve had a big day,” Ethan observes, and I feel myself brushing the idea aside, not wanting him to go.
Never wanting him to go, but still cringing that he’s here. Seeing how I live when I’m not on my feet all day and night working.
“You did tell me to hold that thought,” I tease him, gnawing at my lower lip, reminding him what he was about to do before we were interrupted.
“Do you want that?” Ethan asks his face suddenly without emotion.
I feel a stab of hurt and wonder if maybe I got my wires crossed somewhere along the line.
But the man has come here late at night, and apart from almost laying one on me, he hasn’t given any other reasons for being here.
I feel my face reddening, and Ethan moves back to me, hooking his big hands around my waist.
“What I mean is…do you want an older guy who thinks you’re the most incredibly beautiful thing he’s ever seen in his whole life?” he asks, making me flush harder.
“Think hard, Krissy,” he cautions me in a serious tone, “Because once I start…once I start kissing you. Once I show you how I really feel, I’ll never stop.”
Hearing him say it and feeling the intensity of his words. It’s not something I have to think about for long.
He’s everything any girl spends their whole life waiting for. And he’s right here in front of me, asking me if he’s what I want.
“Of course, I want you, Ethan…I just….”
His brow knots and his eyes become a question.
“I mean… Am I what you want? I’m not exactly high roller material,” I point out to him, glancing down at my own body. Then, opening my hands wide to highlight my best attempt at ‘a home.’