Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 97865 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97865 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
“You can have him. Beware, though, he has commitment issues.”
Mindy laughs. “So do I. He’d be perfect for me. But I’m not the one he wants.” I pull my eyes away from the tap. I hate the way my stomach tightens at the sight of him. The way he looks at me. Like I’m the only one he sees. “Man, he reminds me of a sad boy who lost his favorite toy. Maybe you should just go talk to him.”
“And say what?” I hand the beers off and shove the cash in the register.
“Hear him out. Clearly, he has something to say if he came all the way here.”
He’s yet to release his hold on me. Finally, I sigh. “Fine. Cover for me?”
“You bet! You know where I keep my smokes if you need one afterward.”
I slap her shoulder and walk down to the other side of the bar. “You have five minutes,” I say and walk past him, lifting the end of the bar. He gets up and follows me. I find an empty table in the corner and sit. “Whatever it is, it could have waited until Monday.”
“No, it couldn’t.” Frown lines form between his brows. “You didn’t let me explain.”
“No need. I’m pretty sure I understood exactly what you were getting at—”
“No, you jumped to your own conclusions.” Screw him. I stand up, but he grabs my arm. “Let me finish, please.” I want to tell him to go to hell, but the way he’s looking at me has me sitting back down. “I told you in the beginning that we had to keep our relationship private. I have my reasons, and those still stand.”
“Why? What are you hiding?”
“I can’t get into that—”
“Why? Then it’s true. You have a girlfriend—”
“Dammit, no.”
“Then what? Because all I can come up with is that this is just fun for you. But it’s turning into something more than a fling for me.” I hate that my emotions are so exposed. But I need to let him know where I stand. Because in the end, it will be me who gets hurt. And I should know better than to fall any deeper into whatever this is. God help me if it’s love. And because he’s taking so long to answer a simple question, I’m pretty sure I have my answer. I pull my arm out of his grip and stand. “We’re done—”
“Fay, I’m in love with you.”
My world spins. “Wh—what?”
He tugs me forward into his lap. “I have my reasons for keeping us quiet. I wish you would trust me. But for right now, that’s how it has to be. And yes, it’s unfair to you. But it’s this or nothing.” He presses his forehead to mine. “Please. Just trust me right now.”
“I don’t want to be this secret person in your life. I deserve—”
“You deserve everything. Please. Just give me time.” My heart skips a beat, and something settles in me at his declaration.
“How much time?”
“I wish I could give you that answer. But not too much longer. Please.”
I take in the strain around his eyes. “Okay.”
He cups the back of my head and kisses me. “Thank you.”
“Sure, but can we go back to the other part where you said—”
“I love you. Fuck, I love you.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and return his kiss. “I love you, too.” God, it is love. “Gah! This is kind of crazy. I used to totally hate you, you know.”
“You never hated me. I saw the way you would eye fuck me during the day.”
I laugh and slap him on the shoulder. “Yeah, more like murder you.”
“Well, ever since you started, I wondered how your mouth would feel around my cock. How slick your cunt would feel when I slid inside you. How sweet these lips would taste.”
“That’s a little aggressive, don’t you think, Mr. Monroe?”
“Not when it comes to you, Miss Evans. You have the power to bring a man to his knees. And let me tell you, it’s not a bad place to be.”
That may have been the sweetest and hottest thing someone has ever confessed to me. “Okay, fine. You win.”
He takes my lips quick and hard, but we’re interrupted by Harry yelling for me.
“Coming! Sorry, work calls. If you hurry, you can leave before all the roughnecks show up.”
He squeezes my ass. “Not a chance. I think I’m going to tough it out tonight. See what this whole cheap draft beer thing is all about.”
I smile, loving this laid-back side of him. “Okay. Your funeral.” I climb off his lap and get back to work, and he parks himself on the bar stool in front of me. I get the attention of the crowd and point to Theo. Then I yell, “Shots on the house! This guy’s buyin’!”
Chapter twenty-two
Fay
“You have got to be kidding me.”