Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
As he carried me into the shallow end, he assured me, “Hey, easy. You’re okay.”
“Of course, I’m...” I coughed and hacked for several seconds, then snapped, “I can’t believe you did that.”
“Yeah, well...”
His words trailed off, and he looked at me in a way that made my heart break. I didn’t have to ask. I knew what he was thinking. I thought it every time we were close. It was knowing that what you’d always wanted was right there in front of you, but you couldn’t have it. It was the ultimate slap in the face.
Without saying a word, he lowered my feet to the ground, then turned and started for the steps. He remained silent as he grabbed his towel and started inside. I started after him as I called out, “Wes, wait!”
“What did you think was going to happen here?” He turned to face me. “You come out here looking like a fucking wet dream, and I’m supposed to pretend that I don’t want to take you into that house and do things to you that would make the devil blush. Fuck. It’s ridiculous. I can’t keep playing this game. I’m over it.”
“Do you think I like this?” I snapped. “I finally found someone who makes me feel something, like I’m not cold and dead inside. Someone that I’m not only attracted to but actually like and want to spend time with, and I’m supposed to be happy about the fact that he’s my stepbrother and I can’t be with him? Well, I’m not! I’m not happy about it at all.”
“Then, stop with the bullshit and do something about it.” He leaned in closer, his lips just inches from mine, then whispered, “Or are you too scared?”
His lips hovered there for a moment, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. He wanted to kiss me, and the feeling was completely mutual. But there was a window right next to us and behind it was a house full of people. I couldn’t take a chance on us being seen, so I stepped back and whispered, “Weston, don’t. They’ll see us.”
“Pfft. Coward.”
“You really think me kissing you is going to change anything?”
“No guts, no glory.”
“You’re an asshole.” I shook my head as I stormed past him and rushed for the door. Just as I was about to step inside, I heard Weston call out to me, “Toni!”
I didn’t stop.
I couldn’t.
I knew if I did, I would end up doing something I would regret, so I went back to my room, towel-dried my hair, and started to change my clothes. I tried to keep it together, but I kept hearing Weston call me a coward over and over again in my head. He was right. I was a coward. I wanted him just as much as he wanted me, but I was too scared to do anything about it.
It frustrated the hell out of me—to the point I was in literal tears.
I sat on the edge of the bed and tried to collect myself. It wasn’t easy. It killed me that things between Weston and I had gotten to such a bad place, especially when it wasn’t that long ago that things were very, very different.
The thought led me to thinking about that night and how easy things had felt with him. We talked and talked, and when it came time for us to say goodnight, I just couldn’t—especially after that kiss.
There was something about it that had me reaching my hand out and grasping his arm. That’s all it took for him to step back over to me.
He didn’t say a word. He simply took my key from my hand and unlocked the door. He walked in ahead of me, quickly vanishing into the darkness, and I didn’t hesitate to follow right behind him. I didn’t normally do this sort of thing. I’d always followed the three months or more rule, but there was something about Weston that had me throwing caution to the wind.
It was hard to explain. Maybe it was his calm, self-assured demeanor or the fact that he’d had no problem opening up to me, but I felt closer to him than I had any of the other men I’d been with.
I felt the heat of his breath against my ear as he whispered, “Need you to be sure.”
Hearing the hunger in his voice made the hairs on the back of my neck prickle against my skin. I didn’t think it was possible for him to be any more turned on than I was. I eased up on my tiptoes, placing my mouth close to his ear as I whispered, “I’m sure.”
There was no hesitation in his movements. He touched me like he owned me, and I’d never felt so desirable. The heat of his breath tickled against my skin as he whispered, “You have no idea how much I want you right now.”