Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
“Are you done?” Cash asks.
“Let go of me!”
“Are you done?” he repeats.
“I’m done. I’m fucking done! Let go of me!
Cash lets go of Zane’s arm and pushes him forward as he takes a few steps back. Zane gets to his feet, rubbing his wrist, wincing with a pain that goes far beyond the physical discomfort. He looks from his father to me, his disgust only deepening, before turning his baleful gaze on Cash again.
“We’re done,” he spits. “We’re way fucking done.”
And with that, Zane dashes out of the bar, the hard bang of the front door slamming echoing out to the courtyard where we are. Cash looks down at the ground and shakes his head. He looks so sad and lost that all I want is to hold him and tell him everything will be okay. That Zane will come around. But I know it would be a lie before it ever crosses my lips. I don’t know if anything will be okay.
Cash’s face drains of emotion and grows stony. He seems to be taking a moment to gather himself, and when he turns to me, my heart nearly stops in my chest as I’m wracked with fear. With guilt. And I find myself dreading the words about to come out of his mouth.
“This was probably a mistake. We probably shouldn’t have gotten involved like that,” he says quietly. “Let’s go get ourselves cleaned up. We’ve got to open the bar soon.”
As I watch him turn and head up the stairs that lead to the apartment above the bar, my heart breaks with each step he takes away from me. This can’t be the end. Not before we ever really got started. And certainly not because of Zane. For the first time in my life, I found somebody I wanted. Somebody I’m comfortable with and somebody who treats me in a way that makes me feel safe. Cared for. Protected. And now, because of petty jealousy and spite, he’s being taken away from me.
It’s not fair. It’s just not fair.
After my first night in the bar, I’m beat. It’s harder than I expected it to be, but I managed to get through it all right. The customers seemed to like me, but Cash avoided me all night. He couldn’t even meet my eyes and seemed to use as few words as possible when talking to me. It made for an awkward night, especially when he was training me. To be honest, it kind of broke my heart. And I could see it was hurting him too.
After showering, I sit on the edge of the bed in my room wrapped in a towel, staring at the floor enveloped in a blanket of emotions so thick, they’re smothering me. What happened with Cash out in the courtyard was good. Natural. More than anything, it was right. It was more right than anything ever has in my life. To have Zane swoop in and take it away from me is infuriating. Beyond infuriating. He controlled too much of my life as it is, and now that we’re not even together, he shouldn’t get to have a say in who I choose to be with. And he sure as hell shouldn’t have a say in who his father wants to be with either.
Getting to my feet, I grit my teeth. My heart is fluttering wildly like there is a tempest in my stomach. I’ve never had to fight for somebody before—not that I’ve had a lot of experience with relationships. But the position I’m in is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. I’ve never wanted somebody the way I want Cash. And I know that Cash wants me the same way. I’ve seen it in his eyes. I’ll be damned if I let Zane ruin that.
Dropping the towel to the floor, I walk out of my room and down the hall. I can hear the shower still running, and the knot in my belly pulls so tight, it’s almost painful. Everything in me is telling me to turn around and go back to my room. Well, almost everything. Though my mind is trying to force me to stop, the heat between my thighs and the desperate need to finish what we started today fill me and push me onward.
Trembling with both fear and anticipation, I pad down the hall and walk into Cash’s bedroom. The bathroom door is cracked open and the sound of the water falling on the tile in the shower rings in my ears. Reaching out, I gently push the door open, letting the clouds of steam billow around me. Through the frosted glass doors of the stall, I see Cash’s broad, muscular form as he washes himself, and a tremor runs through my most intimate parts.
Licking my suddenly dry lips, I step forward and open the door. He spins around as I step in, his face registering his surprise. Cash can’t hide the desire in his eyes any more than he can hide the fact that this cock is already starting to grow as his gaze travels across my naked body.