Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
He kissed me in the middle of the stream, tugging me close until I had to tilt my head back to look at him with only the dim light from the back porch illuminating his face. He gripped my waist and held me steady. The frogs and cicadas watched on as his hands moved up my sides, dipping shyly beneath my shirt as I tugged him even closer to me. I liked the feel of his warm calloused hands on my skin, manly in a way that made me burn for more.
We kissed until I thought my mouth might bruise, until every part of me felt like a live wire, too awake, too keen. I wanted to beg him to lay me down on the moist grass and cover me with his body. I wanted to know what it would feel like to have him touch me in places that ached.
That was before I slipped in the water and—just like I’d promised—took us both down. We walked back up to the house soaking wet and laughing.
Queenie met us at the back door with towels.
I eyed her skeptically. “How’d you know we fell into the creek?”
“Darlin’, hate to break it to you, but it’s a straight shot from the living room down to that creek. If you thought these ladies weren’t spying on y’all that whole time, you’re dead wrong. Sawyer, your grandma’s ready for you to take her home, waiting by the front door.”
Sawyer laughed and shook his head, bending to kiss my cheek and toss me a wink before he went to find Lolly.
Thursday, I expected to hear from him. It’s just become a pattern with us. Since I’ve been back in town, Sawyer has found a way to see me just about every day. Then yesterday, nothing, and today’s been the same.
I’ve tried to tell myself it doesn’t matter. I’ve been clear with him that I’m not ready to date, and though my warnings didn’t seem to act as a roadblock for him before Wednesday, since then, it’s been radio silent. I can’t help but feel like something’s off, but I can’t put my finger on what it would be.
“Madison, you in?” Queenie asks, drawing my attention away from my phone as she turns off her computer. “If we don’t leave soon, we won’t get a good table, and half the fun of happy hour at Armando’s is the people watching.”
I slip my phone back into my purse and shake off the ominous feeling. “Oh all right. Let’s see about these lethal mojitos…”
“I’m telling you, Madison,” Marge says as we walk out together, “whatever you do, keep your underwear on.”
CHAPTER 10
Sawyer and I are on the international space station, fooling around in zero gravity. As far as sexy dreams go, it’s a bit weird, but I can’t complain. We’re sort of aimlessly floating around while Sawyer tries to undo the Velcro straps on the front of my space suit. It’s really stuck together tight; NASA put their greatest minds to work on this damn Velcro.
Is this some repressed fetish of mine? Do I have a thing for astronauts?
My phone rings on my nightstand just as Sawyer succeeds in undressing me from the waist up. I ignore the ringing and try to delve back into my dream, but now my subconscious is having a field day with this setting. Loose packets of space food float past our heads.
I groan in annoyance and rip my phone off the side table.
David’s chipper voice grates on my nerves. “Morning, slugger. Rise and shine. Game’s in an hour.”
“Whatareyoutalkingabout?”
I don’t expect him to understand me since my face is pressed into my pillow, but he manages just fine.
“Softball. You think we’d let you go after your stellar performance last week? You were the MVP.”
“Hilarious. Now leave me alone. Mom and Marge got me drunk last night, kept me out until midnight. I have a hazy memory of Marge dancing on a table and taking off her bra through the arm hole of her shirt.”
“Well that will be burned in my brain forever. Appreciate it.”
“I’m going back to sleep now,” I groan.
“We need you!” he insists.
“No.” Then I hang up and toss my phone onto my bedside table.
It’s a few minutes later as I’m drifting in and out of sleep—trying and failing to recapture the magic of the space station from a few minutes ago—that I realize Sawyer will be at softball. He’s the captain of the team!
I sit up and toss my blankets off me.
Oh, this is perfect. Up until now, I’ve relied on Sawyer chasing me, but he’s fallen off the face of the planet in the last two days and I can’t reach out to him overtly because then I would have to admit to myself that I want to reach out to him. I’m supposed to be keeping my distance. That’s the plan, but going to softball doesn’t interfere with that. I’m going to the game because David really needs me. I can’t let the team down. I’m the MVP.