Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“You think about me?” he rumbled, but it was laced with thick insecurity.
I nuzzled my cheek against his nose again and raked my fingernails across the back of his neck. “I don’t know. You think about me?”
My lungs seized as his hand glided up my stomach, his thumb stopping so close to the bottom of my breast that it caused an ache between my legs.
He licked his lips. “When I’m in the shower, you’re fucking beautiful on your knees, Thea.”
I moaned, arching my back to add more pressure against his hard-on, and smiled. “Good, because when I’m in my bed at night, you’re fucking beautiful between my thighs, Ramsey.”
A deep groan vibrated against my back. “Dammit, this can’t happen.”
“We’re two consenting adults. It can definitely happen.” I covered his hand and guided it to my breast.
His entire body stiffened at the contact, but his hand kneaded like it’d found its way home. “Fuck,” he groaned, plucking at my nipple through the fabric of my thin bra.
Throwing my head back to rest on his shoulder, I sagged against him.
His arm hooked around my hips, holding me up as he continued his delicious assault on my breast.
“I don’t want you,” he snarled, but his teeth nipped at my neck.
I thrust a hand between us and gave his hard length a pointed rub. “You’re a liar.”
His hand left my breast and traced up my throat, squeezing my jaw as his thumb dipped inside my mouth. “We’re not fucking doing this.”
“Ramsey, please.”
“No,” he growled before biting me again, harder this time, sending sparks to my clit.
One touch and I would unravel.
I tugged at his wrist, desperate to shift his frenzied attention into my panties, and I thought I was successful until he roughly shoved his hand into the front of my shirt.
Palm to breast. Skin to skin. Reckless and wild.
It was fucking magical.
My lids fell shut, and his mouth opened and I could taste the watermelon on his breath as he hovered out of my reach. “Kiss me.”
The rocking of his hips intensified. “No.”
“Then let me touch you.” I twisted in his arms, going for the button of his jeans, but I never made it.
In less than a second, he had me off my feet and I hit the floor hard. I was face down and his hand beside my head was the only thing to soften the blow. He came down on top of me, his heavy weight pinning me to the carpet.
“I can’t do this with you,” he choked out, emotion overflowing in his voice. It was such a stark dichotomy to the relentless rhythm of his hips as he ground into me. “You’re going to kill me. I can’t handle this, Thea. I can’t do it. I can’t.”
I reached back, trying to hold him.
He pinned my hands out to my sides. “I’m not strong enough for this.”
“Ramsey, stop,” I urged, turning my head, trying to get a read on his face. The only progress I made was carpet burn on the tip of my chin.
He suddenly stopped moving over me, but his heavy weight slumped on top of me, head to foot, making it difficult to breathe.
“Stop,” I coughed.
As if he’d been propelled by a greater force, he flew off me all at once.
That day had been one of the biggest roller coasters of my life.
It’d started with nightmares.
Then elation after our conversation on the way to work.
Giddiness as I’d waited for that friendship to start.
Heartbreak when I’d realized he was already moving on.
Red-hot desire as his hands had traveled over my body.
But as I sat up, finding him on his knees across the room, I’d never seen such soul-crushing devastation in my entire life.
“Ramsey,” I whispered.
His chest heaved, and his wild eyes scanned my face before landing on my neck. I hadn’t looked in the mirror, but I was positive there was a bite mark. I could all but see the reflection of it in the agony twisting his face.
“No,” I breathed, slapping a hand over the side of my neck. “I’m okay. I promise.”
I knew what he was thinking. Who he was comparing himself to. It wasn’t true, but there would be no convincing Ramsey of that.
“I didn’t tell you to stop because you were hurting me. You aren’t like him.”
It sounded like the words traveled over broken glass before escaping his throat. “Oh, God, Sparrow. I’m so sorry.”
Sparrow.
Sparrow.
Sparrow.
The dimensions folded in on themselves, like thin sheets of paper forming one whole. In that moment, it hadn’t been twelve years. It hadn’t even been twelve minutes.
In that moment, he was hiding in the branches of our tree and I was sitting at the base, waiting for him to finally find me. The ground shook and the few remaining shards of my heart began rattling.
He was in there. I was his Sparrow, and my Ramsey was in there.