Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71679 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71679 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
“What the actual fuck?” Darby hisses.
“I wasn’t letting him near my ass. He was drunk out of his mind. He wanted to brand me there like cattle, but who the fuck knows what he would have done. And my face? That was a no-brainer. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get away from him, so I wrapped my hand around the hot metal and held it there.”
“No! No, why? You should have…I don’t know. Run or something? No, I’m sorry. That’s stupid. It’s easy for me to say that now. Because where would you have gone? He would have caught you. Or done worse, I’m sure. When…when you wrapped your hand around it, you were taking back your power from him. Beating him at his own shit?”
“That’s what I thought. I thought I was telling him that he couldn’t break me. That I was strong enough to make that trade, me for my mom and sister, and take whatever else he had to hand the hell out. I wish I would have taken it and beat him with it instead, but I was still way smaller than he was.”
“You were just a kid. No parent should ever…god. I hate him. I know people say all that shit about talking badly about the dead, but you name the curse word, and I’ll say it. I’ll find his grave, and I’ll stomp on it. I’ll save up bottles of urine because one sprinkling won’t do.”
I can’t believe it, but I’m holding back a smile. “Jesus, Darby.” I rake my good hand through my hair. “That’s crazy.” Her eyes burn through mine. She’s waiting for me to tell her the rest. “I had never been to the hospital before. That was the first time. I was sick and in pain, but somehow, I still got there. I rode my bike all the way, delirious and out of my mind with the pain. I said it was an accident. I was a twelve-year-old boy. Twelve-year-old boys tend to be reckless, and they hurt themselves. There was no history of violence, so no one questioned me. I had a few surgeries after that. The healing was the worst thing I’ve ever gone through, but they did a good job and fixed most of the damage, and as I said, it doesn’t hurt now.” I swallow hard and tell her everything because I can’t stand that she’s hurting over my old wounds. “I had broken ribs before. Twice. Cuts and bruises most times. There are scars all over my body, but nothing more than what most guys who play contact sports would have. I guess that’s why we thought of it. The whole rugby thing. I said it once as a joke, and Kitty, when she’s had to defend me, uses it too.”
She’s quiet. So, so quiet. But I know why. Because words are so pathetically inadequate.
I have to ask her. I don’t want to, but I know I have to. “Does it disgust you?”
Darby doesn’t drop my hand. Rather, she folds it gently into my lap and lets her fingers linger there like her touch has the power to heal me. Like she wishes that it could. I wish it could too.
She stands up and strips her tank top away, revealing a black bathing suit top that covers most of her breasts but also defines how perfect they are. Her pale skin shimmers in the moonlight, and her body is all curves and soft, soft, creamy skin. She’s flawless. My mouth goes dry just looking at her, and my body reacts viscerally, my hand entirely forgotten. I’m transfixed by this goddess of the night. The dark is kind to her, but she doesn’t need it. Her hair is a gossamer curtain around her shoulders. It hides her face as she bends and shimmies out of her cut-off shorts. Her bikini bottoms have knotted ties on the sides, and it does little to hide the peach round ass that is also absolutely perfect.
I am rock fucking hard watching her, even if all the old guilt and warnings about being her boss come flooding back. The result is that I’m trying to tone down my body’s reaction with my mind, but my dick is trying to dial it up with its dick brain. And the dick brain, also probably referred to as the lizard brain, is winning the battle. My shorts are a poor shield against my asshole lizard dick brain hard on, and when Darby turns back to me, her eyes are glimmering like she obviously sees it, and she’s not at all worried about the boss work fake marriage relationship at the moment. Her gentle smile is an invitation. Come with me. Come swim with me. I want you. I want to hold you. I want you close to me.