Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 65944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
“Not really.” Her nose scrunches, making her look way too fucking cute.
“You sure?” I turn her toward me and cup her jaw before moving my hand to the back of her neck.
“Yes.” She licks her lips and meets my gaze. “But can I show you something?”
“Yeah,” I say, and she stands and holds out her hand to me. I take it, and she leads me back through the gate and party, then a moment later, we are entering the house and going through the kitchen, bypassing the men and women who are still working away.
We head up a dark staircase, then down a dimly lit hall, and she pushes open the door at the end and flips on the light. When we enter, I look around, a white iron-framed bed is set up in the middle of the room with fancy side tables and lamps on either side. Posters of boy bands from years past are mixed with framed quotes from authors. When she closes the door behind us, I turn to find her leaning against it. “This was my bedroom growing up.”
“I guessed that,” I say as she steps toward me. “Your parents kept it like it was when you lived here.”
“There’s about twenty rooms in this house. They didn’t keep it like this for sentimental reasons. It’s just a room they don’t need and have probably forgotten about.”
“Baby.” My chest aches from the pain and disappointment I hear in her voice.
“This is just a house, a place where people live. It’s not like the home you grew up in, a home filled with love and memories, most happy, some sad, all important.” She looks around. “I try to remember the good times here, but there aren’t many. Growing up, there was never a day I wasn’t expected to be perfect. Every memory I have here is filled with expectations.” She drags in a breath, shaking her head. “You’re the first person in my life who hasn’t ever expected anything from me.” Her hands land on my chest, and I grab hold of her hips. “You like me for me.”
“Baby.” The word sounds gruff over the tightness in my throat, and I lift my hand to cup her jaw. “You’re perfect just the way you are.”
“I know you believe that.” She leans up on her tiptoes so she can place her lips against mine, and I pull back just out of reach and lock my eyes on hers.
“It’s true, Aria.” I slide my fingers through her hair and palm the back of her head. “You’re everything, baby, and I swear to God that one day you’ll see what everyone else does and realize the only thing I want from you is you.”
“Tide.” Her eyes get wet, and I tip my head to the side so I can kiss her like she should be kissed. When I pull away, her fingers are grasping the front of my tux, my arms are around her, and we’re both panting. Shaking her head, she slides her hands up my chest, then wraps her arms around the back of my neck and drops her forehead to my chin. “I love you.”
Hearing those words from her, my arms get tight and my chest gets warm. Fuck… I never expected her, never dreamed I could be this happy. Then again, everything good in my life has come when I’ve least expected it. “I love you too, baby.”
“You love me?” she whispers, looking surprised, and I grin.
“Baby, I said it to you first. You just weren’t paying attention.” I move my hand up her back to slide it through her hair.
“I thought that was sex talk,” she says quietly, and I toss my head back and laugh. “It’s not funny.” She smacks my shoulder, and I shake my head and dip it to look at her, still chuckling.
“Baby, men say a lot of shit when they are in bed with a beautiful woman, but I don’t know any who say I love you unless they mean that shit.”
“How was I to know you were being serious?”
“You should have known, because I show you every fucking day exactly what you mean to me,” I say, and her expression softens.
“You’re right,” she agrees, and I spin her around and start walking her backward, moving my hands to her hips.
“What are you doing?” she asks, and I glance around her bedroom.
“You said you don’t have a lot of good memories here, but I figure it’s not too late to make some good ones, starting with making out with you on your bed,” I reply, and she smiles a smile that lights me up from the inside, then she giggles as I push her back onto her bed, coming down on top of her, the two of us bouncing. As I settle with my leg between hers, I cup her breast over her dress and listen to her whimper as I cover her mouth with mine. Then I make out with my woman on her childhood bed, with her parents and her ex downstairs.