Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 147415 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 737(@200wpm)___ 590(@250wpm)___ 491(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147415 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 737(@200wpm)___ 590(@250wpm)___ 491(@300wpm)
At first, there’s an easy resistance in her arms, but it soon melts away and she’s gliding with me.
Her back knocks against my chest.
By some miracle, my dick doesn’t go off like dynamite when her ass brushes me.
“Like this?” she whispers, so focused on the task.
“Better. Swing lower next time.”
We try it again. This time, I stop leading and she picks up the slack.
“Good,” I say.
To my surprise, she doesn’t toss the praise away like a rotten apple.
She just nods, and when I glance at the side of her face, I see how severely focused she is.
Holy fuck, why does she have to be so unbearably cute when she’s on a mission?
It’s like all her energy flows into this one thing with laser intensity.
That’s too familiar and too close to home, something that’s served me well.
I can practically see the way she zeroes in on what she’s doing, every iota of her being aligned with this.
I can feel the innate power of her body.
Her movements are fluid, yet strong.
If I ever thought she only posed for pretty, calculated photos without any real effort in the field behind them, I was wrong.
This girl works out.
Her core is strong enough to make the journey without breaking her, if we take it slow, even if she’ll be working new muscle groups I will myself not to imagine.
“This is good. Keep it up,” I tell her.
It’s anything but good.
I should move the hell back now, knowing she’s making progress.
We’re still too close, practically touching.
The reason I can feel her strength is because her back is fully pressed against my chest.
When did she move closer?
Or was it me?
Regardless, I feel the way her chest swells with low, steady breaths. The pinch of her shoulder blades, their movements, the softness of her hair skimming across my hand.
Her fingers brush mine again, but she doesn’t seem to notice anymore.
Me?
I can’t stop noticing, and though I’m supposed to be the responsible one, I don’t shift my position.
She’s a tall woman, even if she still has nothing on my height, but here in my arms, she feels so delicate. Small and fragile and unbearably precious.
“I think I’m getting the hang of it,” she says warmly.
The unexpected delight in her voice catches me off guard.
My body catches up with my sex-drunk brain, and I drop my hands, stepping back.
“If you think you’re ready to head out, we can make some decent time.” My voice is tight, but if she notices, she doesn’t comment.
“Yeah, I think I’m ready for the kayak now.”
I talk her through a few more basic safety tips as we prep, like not letting go of her paddle, and how to get in and out of the kayak safely without tipping over.
Basic stuff, everything she needs to know.
“Do you usually teach kids? Is this your spiel?” she asks when I’m done.
“What?”
“Do you think I’m just clueless?”
“What?”
She strides over to the kayak and eyes it for a second before climbing in, hands braced on the sides and feet sliding inside. She bends her knees, finds the right position, and glances up at me.
I didn’t need to know that in the sunlight, her eyes almost look more turquoise than true blue, like the sea above the sand.
“Sorry, that was harsh, but... I think you’ve seen my pictures. Did you notice I spent three weeks in the Boundary Waters canoeing and again in Montana last year?” she asks dryly. “But thanks for the lecture about how to get in a boat.”
“Safety first,” I mutter. “This is technically a corporate outing. You’d better believe I cover all my bases.”
“Fair enough. It’s not safe if I wind up dying of boredom over super basic stuff, though.” Her grin eases the sting, and she points at the water. “Okay, Captain. Onward.”
Miserable little dork.
It’s infuriatingly adorable.
“We’ll practice in the shallows until I’m sure you’ve gotten the hang of it,” I warn her.
“Ugh, fine. I guess if it doesn’t take all day...”
“That’s completely up to you, Miss Lancaster,” I throw back.
Her jaw drops before she realizes I’m joking.
Then she smiles, bright and unrestrained.
Fuck, I didn’t need to know how beautiful that is.
Especially not today.
We push on fully away from the shore and the shallows.
For a second, she looks unsteady before relaxing, just breathing and dipping the edge of her paddle into the water. It’s calm today, so the waves don’t offer much resistance.
“Don’t hunch your back so much,” I say.
She straightens, and immediately her technique improves.
“There. Now just follow me.”
She glances over with a grin like she wants to bust my balls again but doesn’t commit.
We practice close to shore first, getting her accustomed to paddling as efficiently as possible without overexerting herself too early. Pacing is critical.
She picks up everything quickly, and soon we’re moving down my personal checklist.
“One last thing,” I say.
“There’s more?” Destiny groans.