Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
“No. I stayed to be with you.”
“Well, here I am.”
“Fine. I stayed to kiss you.”
Oh my god. He’s a gentleman at heart, but I’m not sure he’s proud of it. Or maybe he’s not proud of the other part who wants to kiss me so badly.
It’s that part that wins.
His expression relaxes, and he cups my face again, pressing his lips to mine. Then he takes the deepest inhale through his nose. As he exhales, our lips move together, and his hands slide up the back of my shirt, unhooking my bra.
Dear God …
He’s such a good kisser.
His lips skate along my jaw to my neck while one of his hands cups my breast, teasingly pinching my nipple. Need explodes inside of me. My eyes close, and my lips part for an audible breath.
As my head begins to spin, there’s a knock at my door.
Koen releases my lips, but just barely. We breathe heavily together.
“Shh … maybe they’ll go away,” he whispers, circling the pad of his thumb over my nipple.
I grin against his lips. “I doubt it’s someone selling cookies.”
He drops his head in defeat to my shoulder while adjusting himself and grumbling something inaudible.
After hooking my bra and rubbing my lips together, I open the door.
Price cringes. “My car won’t start. And I don’t have a phone. Can I borrow your phone to call for a ride? Or do you have jumper cables?”
I nod, then quickly shake my head. “Yes. You can borrow my phone. No, I don’t have jumper cables.” When I step away from the door to grab my phone, Price follows me, stopping when he sees Koen.
This is a new level of awkwardness, even for me.
“Koen, Price. Price, Koen,” I make a speedy introduction while snagging my phone from the table. “Price’s car won’t start; he’s going to call for a ride.”
Koen buttons his shirt.
So awkward…
“I’ve got jumper cables in my truck,” Koen says.
God!
Why am I so embarrassed that Price knows exactly what we were getting ready to do? I feel like my parents caught me in the basement going to second base with my homecoming date.
There’s not enough room in here for the three of us, so I nudge Price toward the door with Koen behind me.
“I really appreciate it,” Price says.
“No problem.” Koen heads toward his truck while I hug myself to keep warm and look at anything but Price as the night air fills with a smoky smell like someone’s burning something not too far from here.
The two men try to jump-start Price’s car with no luck.
“You need a new battery,” Koen informs Price while disconnecting the cables.
“Thanks for trying. Sorry to have disturbed your date. I’ll make a quick call and wait for my ride.”
“I’ll drive you home,” Koen offers, storing the cables under his back seat.
“No. I’ll wait for a ride. But thanks.”
“It’s no problem. Get in.”
Price looks at me. What am I supposed to say?
With a tight smile, I shift my gaze to Koen. “Thanks.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Price echoes, climbing into Koen’s truck.
I give them a tiny wave. “Goodnight.”
Price returns a wave, but Koen just gives me a half smile that I can’t decipher. Is he mad? Relieved? Indifferent?
Thirty minutes later, I’m perched on my bed, working on a new bracelet, when I get a text from Koen.
I had a great night. I hope we can do it again
I laugh. Yes. Minus the interruption.
Thanks for taking Price home
UR welcome
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I DON’T NEED YOU TO BE MINE; I JUST NEED YOU.
Price
Sleep evaded me last night. I couldn’t shake the feeling I had when I saw Koen in Scottie’s camper, buttoning his shirt. There wasn’t enough time for them to have sex, but I walked in on something. It was all over her face.
Guilt.
I don’t want her to feel guilty, and it’s not my intention to interrupt her life. Last night's incident reminded me that I need to tread more lightly.
After drawing another picture (a bouquet of wildflowers), I take a much-needed nap. Then I grab a juice and return to my journal, determined to write actual words today.
When I decide to write about her, the words flow; my hand can’t keep up with them.
Her smile.
Her laughter.
The way she watched me work at my computer while sipping her wine. And when I wouldn’t acknowledge her, she’d stand behind me and tickle the nape of my neck before bending over to kiss my ear. She never played fairly. I’d turn in my swivel chair and plead my case for why I needed thirty more minutes to work. She’d unfasten my pants and straddle my lap with no underwear beneath her dress, making her case for why she only needed five minutes of my time. I never took for granted just how lucky I was to have someone who needed to be intimate with me before she could go to sleep.