Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 80893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80893 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“Yes,” she says, covering another yawn.
“Come on, sleepyhead.” Holding her hand, I lead her to my bedroom. “I’ll get you something to sleep in.” Digging through my drawers, I find an old Riggins Enterprises T-shirt and hand it to her. “Bathroom.” I point to the door on the right-hand wall. “There are toothbrushes I get from the dentist in the bottom drawer. Make yourself at home.” She nods and disappears into the bathroom.
As soon as the door closes, I begin to pace. She’s in my bathroom, stripping down. I’m a gentleman, but I’m a man—a man who is insanely attracted to his girlfriend. I’ve been giving her time. I know that she’s been hurt in the past, and I don’t know what he did to her. She said he didn’t hit her, but still, she’s skittish, and she’s getting naked.
In. My. Bathroom.
The door opens, and she appears looking like the fucking goddess that she is, in nothing but my T-shirt. “Thanks.” She looks down at the shirt that comes to just above her knees.
“I’m going to change. Make yourself at home. If you’re hungry or thirsty, you know where the kitchen is. You can put your clothes wherever. Wait.” I stalk to my dresser and pull out a stack of shorts and toss them in the chair in the corner. “Use this drawer. I’ll clean out more so you can leave stuff here or whatever,” I say, rambling like a nervous teenager.
“Thank you, Grant.”
I nod in response, grabbing some sleep pants and disappearing into the bathroom.
I brush my teeth and change into a pair of pajama pants. I usually sleep in nothing but boxer briefs, but I’m not sure how comfortable she’ll be if I do that. So, pajama pants it is. I can look past it knowing that I get to sleep next to her.
Turning off the light, I open the bathroom door to find my sexy girlfriend standing next to my bed, staring down at it. “Everything okay?” I ask, stopping to stand next to her. I place my hand on the small of her back, just above her ass. I itch to slide my hand under her shirt. To feel her skin under my fingertips.
“Do you have a side?” She points to the bed.
“Whatever side you’re on.” A smile tilts her lips. “Climb in, baby. I’ll get the light.” I force myself to walk away from her to the other side of the room to hit the light switch. My legs carry me back to the bed, navigating my bedroom in complete darkness. I go to the side of the bed where she was just standing and feel around tapping her legs, her thigh, working my way over her chest and her face, ending on her head.
“Grant.” She laughs.
“What? It’s dark in here.”
“Get in bed, crazy.” She chuckles.
The tension eases from the room as I carefully climb over her body. I don’t bother moving to the other side of the bed. Instead, I settle in close, wrapping my arms around her. We’re both quiet for several minutes. I don’t know what she’s thinking, but for me, I’m in awe of how good this feels. To have her lying next to me. This is a giant step forward for us, one I’ve been craving, and deep down, I know that she has been too.
I need more of her. I just need to feel her skin. Taking the risk, I slide my hand under my shirt that she’s wearing and rest my palm on her belly. She immediately freezes in my arms. “Rory?” I whisper. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” Her reply is short, and her tone is laced with worry.
“Talk to me,” I say, gently drawing circles with my thumb against her soft skin.
She sighs loudly, and when she opens her mouth to speak, I never could have guessed where this conversation was headed. “I’m waiting for you to freak out.”
“What? Why would I freak out?”
“No man, especially not a man that looks like you, wants the chubby girl.”
Anger, red hot anger like nothing I’ve ever felt before crashes through me. I’m not mad at her, but whoever made her feel this way. “Aurora.” My voice is strong and firm as I try to rein in my anger. I don’t want to scare her, and the last thing she needs is to feel worse about herself. I roll out of bed and turn on the lamp that sits on the bedside table, on what I guess is now my side.
I walk around to her side and drop to my knees. “Look at me, baby.” I wait patiently as she forces herself to open her eyes and look at me. I can see the shimmer of tears. “I don’t know who hurt you, but I want to kill him. You are not chubby.” I toss back the covers and, with my eyes on hers, pull up my T-shirt. My hand goes to her belly once more. “You’re perfect.”