Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 45284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
“Uh, hey,” she says.
I stop just short of her, almost leaning down and pressing my lips against hers, but something stops me. Maybe it’s the look of hurt in her eyes. The pain of me leaving her to wonder if I was interested after all.
I didn’t plan what I was going to say when I reached this point.
“I… I wanted to see you,” I say, my voice catching as emotion enters it.
“Oh,” she murmurs. “I wanted to see you, too.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to bite.”
She laughs, shaking her head, but there’s something forced about the laughter. It’s like she’s expecting me to snap at any second.
“We didn’t leave things on the best of terms,” I go on. “Could I give you a ride home?”
“My car’s just down there.”
“Come sit in my car,” I say. “Or we could go to a restaurant or something.”
“I told Dad I’d help him with some veteran stuff. We’re doing a fundraiser for a man who’s recently retired.”
My heart swells when I hear the kindness in her voice, when I see how seriously she’s taking it.
“But I’ve got a little time…”
I reach down, even as some self-protective impulse tells me not to. Tells me to keep this as distant as possible so I don’t get too close, but then my hand’s on hers, squeezing tightly. Her touch ignites the desire in me all over again, my manhood twitching, ready to get hard. I focus past the aching heat in my body, listen to the hunger in my heart instead.
We walk together toward my car. When I open the door for her, she brushes past me, her touch making my body swell, my need soar.
I drop into the driver’s seat and turn to her. She laughs as if to say, What now?
I can’t stop myself… not when I take in her cute smile, the expectation in her eyes. She leans toward me when I lean in, as hungry as I am. Our lips meet and we’re lost for what feels like minutes, kissing passionately. Being in public stops me from grabbing her thigh. I listen to the quality of her moans change.
Finally, I break it off, my breath shuddering.
“Is something wrong?” she asks.
“I just won’t be able to stop if I keep going,” I say passionately.
“Come on. Are you saying I’m irresistible?”
“Yes,” I say, looking at her flatly. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. In fact, I can’t think of a better word to describe you. Irresistible fits perfectly.”
She shifts in her seat, like my horny woman is as captured by lust as I am.
“Thanks. Seriously. When I first saw you…”
“What is it?” I ask, reaching over and touching her chin as tenderly as I’m capable, directing her gaze to mine.
“I just didn’t think you’d ever be interested.”
“Why?” I say, unable to hide the disbelief in my voice.
She looks at me as if the answer should be obvious.
But it’s not.
“Well…”
She waves a hand at me, then gestures at herself.
“Well…”
I wave a hand around the car, then point outside, then point to her, then the ceiling.
She laughs adorably. “Um, are you okay?”
“We can both play the pointing game,” I say. “It doesn’t change how beautiful you are. It doesn’t change how sexy, how hard to resist…”
“Thanks,” she mutters. “Really.”
After a pause, I say, “Has that jerk given you any more trouble?”
“No,” she replies, tone brightening. “He’s had plenty of chances to. You put the fear of God in him. If anything, he’s being too nice, but I’ll take that over the alternative.”
“Good,” I say, nodding.
There’s another pause. She looks at me expectantly, but I take a while to work up to what I want to say.
“You weren’t wrong, before.” I force the words out. “I’ve never really dealt with… stuff.” This is harder than I thought.
She reaches over and clasps onto my hand. The support her touch brings is almost unbelievable, especially when she holds me tightly, clutching like she wants to tell me wordlessly she’ll always be there.
Always.
I’ve got to slow down.
“It’s difficult to talk about,” I go on.
“It’s okay,” she rushes to say. “I shouldn’t have pushed too far too fast.”
“You pushed? I’m the one who—”
“We both wanted it. I know I freaked out, but it wasn’t because I didn’t want it. It was because… Well, there’s a reason.”
I study her and take in every detail—the quirk in her unsure lips, the affection in her eyes, the anxious redness in her cheeks. All of it tattooed into my mind forever… and it will never leave.
If this doesn’t work out, if I don’t marry this woman, I’ll be lost in this world.
“We both find it difficult to talk about certain things, clearly.”
“I won’t argue there,” she murmurs.
“I’d like to try… one day, but I’m not sure I can. I’m more interested in hearing what you want to say. I know it’s hypocritical, asking you to talk when I can’t.”