Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 104766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
“One is a nanny for a professor, and the other one works in a diner. Second shift when all the bars close.”
“Ryann was a server at a place like that. Pretty much how she met my brother.”
“Oh?” I can feel my brows rise with interest. “I don’t think I know the story.”
“You know how Dallas is. Kind of a hardass, never dated.”
“Um, sounds like literally all you Colter boys.”
He nods. “Yeah, so. There was this dumbass on his team—can’t remember the guy’s name, but he was datin Ryann and wanted to dump her. So he paid my brother to do the dumpin’—and Dallas showed up at her job and ambushed her after her shift or something like that.”
“Showed up at her job?”
“Yup. Like I said, he’s a dumbass.”
“No, you called the guy on his team a dumbass.”
“Oh, well. Dallas is a dumbass too, but it all worked out ’cause now they’re in love and all that shit. Movin’ in together as soon as she graduates, which is why she’s so busy and tryin’ to get done with school.” He rolls his eyes. “You should hear them carryin’ on.”
I bet it’s nice. “Well, I’m happy for them, even if you’re disgusted by it.”
Drew shakes his head. “No, no, I’m not disgusted by it.” He clears his throat. “’It’s what made me want to date. Them and Duke—he’s livin’ with his girlfriend too. That whole story is a doozy too. Makes me feel like the sane one.”
Ha.
“I think I read about Duke and his girlfriend—wasn’t she his roommate or something?”
He nods. “He needed a place to crash and rented her place, but she was there the whole time, and well, now they’re living in Dallas and shit.”
“So that makes what, three out of four?”
“Yup.” Drew pops the “P” when he says the word, intense eyes studying me through the camera. “You know, Tess, I wanna apologize.”
“For what?”
“For…not seein’ you.”
I blink, replaying the words in my brain. For not seeing you.
“What do you mean?”
Drew shifts on the bed, taking his arm out from behind his head. My eyes can’t stay off the biceps that bulge slightly, flexing.
“I don’t know how to put this without soundin’ like a complete douche, but you know.” He looks uncomfortable as he struggles to find the words. “I’m sorry I didn’t see you for you, and that I was seein’ you as Grady’s sister. And not as a woman.”
A woman.
Literally no one has ever called me a woman.
Young lady, sure, but that’s strange too.
Woman?
That’s a term I would categorize to my mother, but I understand what he’s trying to tell me. He’s telling me that he sees me as my own person—someone sexual, with her own mind and own opinions and not just a girl who’s in the background to be ignored and passed over.
He sees me.
“I don’t blame you.” Everyone my brother hangs around used to look through me, and it didn’t help that my mother would say things like, “Tess, leave your brother and his friends alone,” as if I were a pest and not around their same age. “My brother always acted like I was in the way.” I snort. “He’s only three years older, not thirty.”
There is no reason I couldn’t have hung out with them as friends. Other girls were around, so why wasn’t I good enough to be among them?
“Well, anyway. I’m sorry and…I’m glad I got to know you over the weekend.”
“Got to know me?” I giggle. “I’d say you more than got to know me.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Are you blushin’?” I pull the phone closer to my face as if I’d be able to see him closer. “Drew Colter. Are you blushin’?”
“I don’t know. My face feels hot. Does that count?”
“Oh my god, you are too cute.”
“Cute.” He scoffs. “No one has ever called me that.”
“Um. Pretty sure I have.”
“Speakin’ of pretty, did I tell you how pretty I think you are?”
I…
Um…
He thinks I’m pretty?
“Stop. Now you’re going to make me blush.”
“I’ve already seen you blush.”
He has?
“When?”
“When you got naked and came into the bedroom. You had a red rash on your chest right here.” He swipes his hand over his pec muscles, indicating the spot on my body where I’d been blushing.
“Yes, I tend to get a rash across my chest when I’m dying of embarrassment.”
“You were embarrassed?” He looks surprised. “Couldn’t tell.”
“Do you think I seduce guys on a regular basis? Please, give me some credit. I wanted to pee my pants I was so nervous.” Pee my pants, throw up, toss my cookies. Barf.
You name it.
“That’s not what I was getting at.” He smiles. “You’re cute when you get riled up.”
“Am I riled up?” Or just embarrassed again ’cause he’s calling me out on seducing him? “And that was my very first seduction, okay?”
“I personally thought it went pretty well. Ten out of ten would recommend.”