Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 75720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75720 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“I love you, Noah.”
He beat me to it, nearly knocking me over in surprise. I blinked a couple of times, just to make sure he didn’t fade away into a dreamy mist.
“I love everything about you,” he continued, smiling. “I love your heart, your brain. I love how courageous you are and how loyal you are and how funny you are. I love every little thing about you. I’m in love with you, Noah, and I never want to let you go. Ever.”
“I love you, too, Jake.” I was surprised I was able to get the words out past the swelling knot of emotion lodged in my throat. For the first time since this day had started, I felt like myself again. Happy and carefree and light as a damn feather. I drank in this feeling, knowing it would be fleeting once our serene little bubble was popped and the real world came back into focus.
But for now, all I cared about was the dreamy man pressing his lips against mine, whispers of “I love you” crossing between us, and my head floating directly up into the cloud.
This moment was huge. Monumental. It cemented something between us. It verified every single feeling I had, and it made them all the more stronger. My body flooded with a serene sense of warmth and calm. I thought back to being scared at even thinking those three words, and here we were, saying them out loud, smiles on our lips as we kissed over and over again. It was beautiful.
“Come on,” I said through one of the breaks in the kissing. “I think this place has champagne in the fridge. Let’s pop one open.”
“Let’s,” Jake said, kissing me one last time, a gentle hand on my cheek as he looked into my eyes. This was as close to the top of the world as I was getting.
“God, I’m so glad we didn’t stay just friends,” I said, standing up and brushing some dirt off my pants.
Jake laughed, his hand finding mine. “Yeah, that would have sucked. Not that being your friend is a bad thing, but I’d much rather be able to do this,” he leaned in for another kiss, this one feeling even more passionate than the rest, “whenever I want.”
We walked the short way back to the cabin, every step lighter than the last. Laughter and smiles and flirty comments filled the air. I almost forgot about the circumstances that lead us to this cabin in the first place.
Almost.
30
JAKE PEREZ
Noah lay down in bed, Just Beneath Her Bones open on his chest as he shook his head, jaw slightly dropped open. He looked up at me as I came into the room, towel wrapped around my waist.
“You finished it, right?”
I nodded. He must have gotten to the reveal. “It was Archie the whole time? And he was speaking to the killer and jewelry maker because he was having a psychotic break? Twisted. Damn.” He shut the book and sat up a little higher on the bed. “He was obsessed with her from the start, and that divorce broke him. He knew what kind of jewelry she’d buy and went to work. What a fucked-up story.”
“Plus, how Gabrielle finds out is pretty messed up, too.”
“Oh yeah! That was wild. Archie doesn’t kidnap her, does he?”
I shrugged. “No spoilers from me.”
“Damn, I want to know what happens, but suddenly, my mind keeps going elsewhere.” His eyes traveled up and down my still-damp body. I walked across the freshly polished wooden floor, leaving wet footprints in my wake. The bedroom was toward the back of the cabin and featured a queen-sized bed with a tall black headboard. A long rectangular window looked out to the yard, where that stone path disappeared into the trees and led to one of the most scenic spots I’d ever been to. Noah had taken me there again to watch the sunset from our perch, from the spot where I’d spilled my heart out to him.
That wasn’t always easy for me. I had trouble sharing my truest emotions, and some of that probably came from being broken up with by Ashley while I was down on one knee. It didn’t ruin me, but it certainly did affect my willingness to be vulnerable.
Not with Noah, though. He made me feel safe and protected. I could trust that he wouldn’t hurt me, same way as I’d never hurt him. That mutual comfort made every moment I spent with Noah a special one.
And I was determined to make these next few moments some of the most special.
“Come here,” I said, dropping my towel and getting on the bed, grabbing his legs and pulling him toward me. He chuckled as I pressed my lips to his, stealing his breath away. His hands immediately started to roam around my body, focusing on my ass, his fingers kneading into the firm globes of muscle. I moaned into his kiss. I could feel him getting hard in his boxers, his cock battling for space with mine.