Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 199344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 997(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199344 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 997(@200wpm)___ 797(@250wpm)___ 664(@300wpm)
YOU’RE REALLY FUCKING LATE FOR SCHOOL
“WHAT?” I screech, my head whipping back toward my bedside table to look at the clock, seeing that I’m not just really late, I’m it’s just about lunchtime kind of late. “Oh shit.”
I grab the window and yank it down, Khia’s demands to lick her all over now muffled through the closed window, but it does nothing to muffle the barking laughter that quickly follows. Rolling my eyes, I ignore him and quickly scramble around my room, searching for something to wear before dashing into the bathroom and throwing my hair into a ponytail. I don’t bother with any makeup, and before I know it, I’m grabbing my things and hurrying downstairs.
Noah sits at the island counter, helping himself to the muffin Mom left out for me this morning, and I pluck it out of his hand before shoving it into my mouth and giving him a muffin-filled kiss. “You’re an ass,” I say around my muffin.
“Bullshit,” he says, taking my things out of my arms and leading me to the door. “You can’t honestly tell me that you’ve had a better wake-up call than that.”
“Maybe I have,” I challenge, knowing damn well he’s right.
Noah scoffs as we reach the door, and he grips my elbow before pulling me to a stop and turning me to look up into those dark eyes I love so much. He pauses just a moment, his gaze sailing over my face before gently brushing his fingers across my forehead and fixing my unruly hair. “Happy birthday, Zo,” he murmurs, his deep tone sending butterflies soaring through the pit of my stomach.
A soft smile spreads across my lips, and I press up on my tippy toes to give him a proper kiss. His arms curl around my waist and hold me to him, and my knees grow weak as I melt into him. My eyes flutter, and before I lose all sense of control, I pull back just an inch, meeting his dark gaze. “Thank you.”
“Come on, let me get your ass to school.”
I laugh and he drags me out of the house, knowing just how I feel about being late for things, and today, I really outdid myself. We get into his car, and before I know it, we’re pulling into the student parking lot of East View High. There are students everywhere, telling me that the lunch break has already started, and as Noah insists that I wait so he can open the door for me, I find myself gazing at him, my heart pounding in a way it never has before.
He’s so undeniably amazing. Every inch of him is chiseled from stone and sculpted to perfection, and for God knows what reason, he’s decided to love me.
He opens the door, holding out his hand for me to take, and as I lay mine into his, a jolt of electricity fires through me, only this is supercharged, and I quickly realize what this is. I’m ready to take our relationship to the next level, ready to open myself to him and truly be together.
I’m ready for sex.
The mere knowledge of that revelation has butterflies soaring through my stomach again, and as Noah leads me away from the car, I find myself blurting it out. “Noah,” I say, his gaze coming to mine. “I’m ready.”
His brows furrow, and a flash of confusion flickers in his dark eyes. “For what?” he asks. “Lunch?”
“No,” I groan, realizing I’m going to have to spell it out for him. Why now though? Every other time I have anything to say, he seems to pluck the words right out of my head. But he chooses this time not to be able to read my thoughts. “I’m ready . . . for it.”
“It?” he questions, confused before a flash of understanding dawns on him and his eyes widen. “Oooh, it.”
I nod, not really sure what I’m supposed to say now. Sex isn’t really something we’ve ever discussed. Things certainly get heated between us, but he’s never gone to make a move further than anything I haven’t already initiated, and I love that about him. Because up until now, we’ve been so clearly on the same page that sex hasn’t needed to be discussed. But this is uncharted waters for me, and I’m going to need him to take the lead.
“Shit, Zo. Way to catch a man off guard,” he says as we stop in the middle of the student parking lot, neither of us willing to have this conversation in front of anyone else. He steps right into me, his fingers lifting my chin. “Are you sure? Because my mom—”
I blink, trying to keep the smirk off my face but failing miserably. “Let me get this straight,” I say, cutting him off. “I tell you that I’m ready to get naked with you, and the first thing you think about is your mom? Wow! I was expecting a lot of things to come from this, but certainly not that.”