Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 73324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“It’s not that.” Daniel paused and chewed on his bottom lip in thought and Edward remained silent, watching him. “I mean, when we met on the beach in Bermuda, I went into it with this idea that we were going to have this fun, no-strings vacation hookup. And then, when the vacation was over, we’d go our separate ways and just enjoy the good memories.”
Edward fought the urge to argue that a week spent having vacation fun with Daniel probably would have left him wanting a few strings with Daniel, but that thought only complicated things for them, so he kept his mouth shut.
“And people who go into hookups like that tell all kinds of little white lies because you never really expect to see the person again. No big deal.”
“True,” Edward murmured, still not sure where Daniel was going with his line of thought.
“But you got caught in your lies because they were a hell of a lot more complicated than just little white lies. And the only reason you wanted to kill me was because you thought I was this traitor to our country. It wasn’t personal.”
“No. Definitely not.” Okay, that he felt good about.
“And I think that maybe I’ve been angry all this time because I felt like this huge fool for believing that you might actually be interested in me. But in truth, the only reason you hit on me was because you thought I was someone else.”
“Whoa!” Edward jumped to his feet as his brain put the last puzzle piece in place in his mind. “Time out!” He put his hands together to form a T while standing over the foot of the bed. “Are you telling me that you think that if I hadn’t mistaken you for this other agent, I would never have hit on you?”
Daniel looked at Edward for a second, then rolled his eyes and groaned. “Come on, Edward—”
“Just a yes or no answer needed,” he said sharply.
“Yes!”
Edward flashed him a wicked grin as he crawled onto the bed. Daniel attempted to roll away to freedom, but Edward grabbed him and wrestled him back down onto the bed, holding his wrists above his head.
“I know you probably won’t believe me, but what I’m about to tell you is the most honest thing I’ve uttered in years. If I had been on vacation in Bermuda and I saw you stretched out on that lounge chair with your margarita and book, I would have hit on you. I would have hit on you and flirted with you until you finally invited me up to your room. And once I got to your room, we wouldn’t have left until you had to catch your flight. No boat rides or candlelight dinners. Just you and me…naked…for days.”
“Edward,” Daniel breathed.
“You’re sexy. I can’t imagine how you got it in your head that you’re not.”
“You haven’t seen the guys that I work with.”
Edward shook his head, still smiling. “I don’t need to. You have the most captivating smile I’ve ever seen. I watch you talk just to see those sexy lips move. And the way your glasses frame your face. You’ve got that perfect bookish look. That perfect dichotomy of reserved outside while I know you’ve got this sexy, kinky side that you don’t let anyone see. You roll those hips when we fuck, and I know that you’re holding back on me. I want to be the person you unleash all that restrained need and desire on.”
Shifting where he was straddling Daniel’s hips, Edward couldn’t help but press his hard-on against Daniel’s stomach. Blood had rushed straight to his cock as he talked, but then he seemed to be turned-on whenever he was around Daniel and not fighting for their lives. He leaned down and brushed a chaste kiss across Daniel’s parted lips.
“I want you. I’m sorry it got tangled up in all the shit that’s happening, but that’s just how it goes sometimes.” Edward released Daniel, rolled off the bed, and to his feet.
“Edward.” Daniel sat up in bed and swung his feet over the side. “Thank you. And I believe you.”
Edward grunted and took a couple of steps backward, shoving his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. If he didn’t, he was going to reach for Daniel, and he’d already stepped all over the man’s space. His cock was still trying to deflate, and his self-control was stretched too thin.
“Oh, and Edward?”
“Yeah?”
“I still want to explore Toulouse.”
Edward threw up his hands in defeat. He wasn’t going to maintain his sanity if he stayed locked in the hotel room with Daniel and wasn’t allowed to explore the man’s body with his hands and mouth. “Grab your cell phone and room key.”
Daniel let out a celebratory “Whoop!” Before rushing over to the dresser where he’d placed his cell phone as it charged.