Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
She smiled up at me, and her brown eyes filled with eagerness as she began lowering my jeans down my hips. She took me in her hand and wound her fingers tightly around my length before brushing her warm, wet tongue around the head of my cock. I closed my eyes and tried to relish the feeling as her hand began to slowly stroke up and down.
I was just starting to get into it when the girl from Smokey’s place drifted into my thoughts. The second her beautiful face slipped into my thoughts I was done for. All I could think about was that look of disgust on her face, and it made my stomach twist into a begrudging knot.
I was lost in my head when a wanton moan drew my attention back to Tenzleigh. I looked down at her, and frustration washed over me when I realized my cock wasn’t hard—not even a little. Hell, the damn thing was fucking limp and showed no sign of life. Anger surged through me, consuming me—making it impossible to get the reprieve I needed from Tenzleigh.
I took a step back from Tenzleigh, breaking her hold on me as I said, “Sorry, babe. I’ve gotta go.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I gotta get going.”
“Seriously?” she gasped, her hands falling to her sides. “We were just getting started.”
“Sorry, babe. We’ll catch up some other time.”
Without saying anything more, I pulled up my jeans and headed for the door. As I started down the hall, I couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt that was scratching at the back of my mind. I had no idea what I had to feel guilty about, so I decided to ignore it and headed straight to my room.
I was ready for this fucking day to end, so I took a shower and hit the sack. I was hoping I would pass out from exhaustion, but sadly, that didn't happen. Not by a long shot. Hell, I spent most of the night tossing and turning. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get Jules out of my head.
This chick really had gotten under my skin, and not in a good way.
She had me feeling off-center, and I didn’t like it.
I didn’t like it one fucking bit.
JULES
At night, when I’m lying alone in the dark and feel the walls closing in on me, it’s not my family that I miss.
It’s not my friends.
It’s me.
I miss the me I never got to be.
With every cruel word and excruciating blow, she was taken from me. I thought I’d lost her forever, but every now and then, I’d get a glimpse of her. It might’ve only been for a moment, but every time I saw her, I got a little stronger—a little less scared.
But more days than not my fear would take root, and I would be overcome by my insecurities—just like the day I met Q. I knew I had treated him terribly. I also knew he’d done nothing to deserve it, which had been weighing on me all week. To my surprise, my bad mood hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“What’s up with you?”
“Nothing.”
“No, there’s something.”
“No, there’s not. I’m fine.”
“I’m not stupid, Jules. Anyone can see that something’s got your thong in a twist.” Caroline cocked her eyebrow as she added, “You’ve been in a mood for days, so what’s the deal?”
“There is no deal.”
Even though it had been over a week since the festival, my stomach still sank when I thought back to my encounter with Q. I could still remember the way he looked at me when I was in my costume and churning butter. I’d liked the way he stared at me with that wanton look in his eyes, and I hated myself for it. I hated that he stirred something in me that I hadn’t felt in years. I didn’t want to feel those things.
Not now when I was finally starting to get my footing.
I knew Caroline would think I was crazy for feeling the way I did, so I told her, “I’m just tired.”
“There’s more to it than that, and you know it. Hell, you and that bad mood of yours are scaring the children.”
“What!”
“It’s true!” She stepped closer and pretended to cover her mouth as she whispered, “That poor child looked absolutely frantic.”
“What child?”
“Callie! The little girl who bolted when you were passing out the candied apples yesterday.”
“That wasn’t because of me!” I fussed. “She had to go to the bathroom, and you know it.”
“Um-hmm... If you say so.”
“Caroline!”
“Okay, fine. She had to go, but that still doesn’t explain why you’ve been in such a foul mood.” She crossed her arms and smirked. “If you ask me, I’d say it has something to do with a man. The question is... which one?”
I loved Caroline’s foul-mouth and boisterous attitude, but she would’ve just told me that I should go for it and have a fling with Q. So, I did the only thing I could. I lied. “I hate to break it to you, but you’re wrong. It has nothing to do with a man.”