Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
And while I can totally appreciate his talent on the ice, his physical looks push every single one of my buttons. The first thing you notice is that he’s tall and well built. But up close, it’s a tie between his sexy hazel eyes and a pair of very full lips, which I can attest are highly skilled. His dark brown hair is longish, with a slight wave and cut into various layers that fall over his forehead and ears but don’t touch his collar.
Yes, I saw Luc, and the minute he started flirting with me, I was all in. It has been awhile for me…being with someone. Luc was my first step back into that arena, and while I would absolutely go back and change things if I could, I will never forget the soul-stripping orgasm he gave me. I’m not sure I’ll find another man who will ever screw me the way Luc did.
So bottom line, I’m not averse to getting to know him because I absolutely want to have a good parenting relationship with him.
But that’s all I want.
Okay, I want that amazing freaking sex as well. But that would totally muddy the waters and we have enough stress as it is.
“Okay then,” I say with a bright smile. “You interested in grabbing some lunch and maybe we can talk some more?”
“So we’re cool?” he asks.
“We’re cool,” I say with no hesitation. We are definitely cool, and that’s the way I want to keep it. “Let’s go. I’ll buy you lunch.”
Luc stands up with a returned smile. “I’ll buy you lunch.”
I stand up as well. “Then let’s go. I’m starving.”
Chapter 3
Lucas
“Dude,” I say nervously. “I need a beer.”
“Fridge,” is all Max says as he starts the grill, but his smile says he’s amused at me.
I head back into the house from the upstairs deck, through the formal living room, past the sunroom, where Jules does her painting, and into the kitchen. Jules is spreading pink icing on a cake.
She looks up at me briefly, smiles, and goes back to her task.
“Strawberry?” I ask as I walk to the refrigerator.
“What gave it away?” she asks drolly with her eyes pinned to the cake as she works.
“Smart ass,” I return affectionately.
“Big dumb caveman,” she quips back, also with affection.
There was a time just about five months ago where I’d offended the shit out of Jules and I didn’t think our relationship would ever recover. It was the first time I’d met her and later I questioned Max about her motives for being with him. Again, that whole gold digger complex I have going on. Sadly, Jules overheard me and it took a while for our relationship to thaw after that.
Now that I live here in Raleigh, and better yet, less than five miles away, I’m around.
A lot.
Jules practically had no choice but to start to like me. I like hanging with Jules’s kids: Levy, Rocco, and Annabelle. I also like hanging with my brother, and guess what…I also really like hanging with Jules. She’s perfect for my brother and a fucking amazing woman. He’s a lucky bastard for sure.
“Why aren’t the kids here?” I ask her as I twist the top off the beer.
“We thought it might be a little less intimidating to Stephanie if just the four of us had dinner together,” she says slyly. “They’re spending the evening over at Kate and Zack’s.”
This bums me out for two reasons. Mostly because I’ve come to love those little rug rats and I probably end up spending more time with them when I come over than I do with Max and Jules. But also because I thought they might be a bit of a buffer between Stephanie and me, because I find everything to be very awkward at this point.
I suppose there’s a reason we have one-night stands. You engage in the most intimate activity imaginable with a near stranger and then you go your separate ways. It doesn’t get any more awkward than impregnating that stranger.
Lunch with Stephanie earlier this week did nothing to enlighten me about who she is. While I still pretty much trust her when she says the baby is mine, I find her to be a little elusive, which is a glaring difference since I tend to be an open book. It’s so weird, though. Her outgoing personality is what attracted me to her after I got dazzled by her beauty. She’s funny, charming, sexy, and confident, all things that get my dick hard. She knew just what to say and when to say it, and is the type of person who would be the center of attention at any social gathering. A sexually liberated creature, she knew how to fuck like there was no tomorrow, and her dirty mouth rivals mine.
But at lunch she couldn’t have been more evasive about her life. I finally gave up and yielded to the million questions she asked me, from what it was like being raised in French Canada to playing in the NHL to my home life growing up. She has an insatiable curiosity and you can tell she’s a listener. She likes to hear what people have to say.