Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 77718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“Okay?” I frown.
“That’s what I said.”
“And what does okay mean?”
“I’m pretty sure it has a few definitions in the dictionary—”
“You’re hilarious.”
“I do try.”
“God, you’re an ass.”
“Well, what exactly do you want me to say?”
“Oh, I don’t know!” I throw a hand in the air. “Maybe, That’s great, Ari! I know how hard that must have been for you!”
“I’m more interested in knowing why you didn’t want to tell him in the first place—and don’t give me the bullshit about him coming between us because, if you had any faith in me…in us, then you would never have thought that in the first place.”
He’s right. But it’s not that I don’t have faith in him. I don’t have faith in myself.
“I…” I blow out a breath. “After the first conversation with my dad, about me getting a lift to work with you and how he wasn’t happy at the thought of you and me…and I interpreted it to be because of you—that I would bring negative press your way—I was afraid…”
I feel tears stinging my eyes, and I bite the inside of my cheek to stop them from coming.
But it doesn’t work, and they spill anyway.
A shaky breath escapes me. “But that was my own negative thoughts about myself coming through. It wasn’t actually my dad saying it. It was me drawing the worst conclusion because that’s what I already think about myself. That I’m not good enough for you. That I’m a mess. That you’d remember all of this and all the reasons you didn’t want to be with me in the first place, and you’d…leave me.” I press my palms to my cheeks, wiping away the tears.
“You’re not a mess, Ari.”
I finally lift my eyes to him. He’s staring at me with an unnamed emotion.
“I kind of am at the moment.”
“That’s true.” He purses his lips and bobs his head in agreement.
“Ass.” I chuckle tearfully.
“Also true.” He reaches out and takes my hand. His skin is wet and cool on mine. “What did your dad say when you told him?”
“He was pretty good about it. He told me that his concern was for me. With you being high-profile and me being his daughter, the press will be interested, especially because of what happened earlier this year. And he was worried about how the press getting into my personal life again might affect me.”
“That makes sense.” He nods. “But there are ways to protect you from that.”
“He’s going to speak to PR.”
“Good.” He runs his thumb over my wrist.
“I missed you,” I tell him softly.
“I missed you, too.” He slides his hand up my arm. “I hate sleeping without you.”
“I didn’t sleep,” I confess.
“Me either.” He chuckles quietly.
“So…what now?”
“You could kiss me,” he says, a smile lifting the corner of his lip.
“That I can do.” I rest on my knees, not caring about the water getting on my legs or the hem of my skirt, and I lean down and kiss him.
He takes my face in his hands, his tongue sliding into my mouth, sending a shiver running through my body.
“So, we’re okay then?” I murmur against his lips.
“We’re more than okay.”
The next thing I know, his arms are hooking underneath my arms, and I’m being pulled forward.
Into the pool.
Fully clothed.
“Ah!” I scream as my body collides with his when I hit the water. “What the hell?” I yell at him.
He’s grinning at me—the ass.
“I wanted you close.”
“And you couldn’t have gotten out of the pool?”
“This seemed like more fun.”
“Yeah, for you.” I slap a hand to his chest, but I’m smiling.
“It’ll be fun for you, too.”
Then, he takes my mouth in a deep kiss and pushes his body forward, thrusting me backward until my back hits the pool wall.
“Hold on.” He lifts my hands up and puts them on the pool edge.
Then, he’s gone under the water, and I’m wondering what the hell he’s doing. I quickly realize when he yanks the zip on my skirt down and starts to pull it down my legs.
I wriggle, trying to stop him because, you know, we’re kind of in a public place. There might not be anyone here aside from us at the moment, but that doesn’t mean someone couldn’t walk in at any moment.
He gives my ass a hard squeeze, stopping me from moving, and he takes the advantage and pulls my skirt off.
“What the hell are you doing?” I hiss when he breaks the surface.
He cleans his face of water with one hand and then throws my skirt on the poolside with the other. “I thought that was obvious.”
He moves in close to me, grabbing my hips with his hands and yanking me close. My hands go to his chest.
“Anyone could come in.”
“So?”
“So!” My eyes nearly bug out of my head. “I don’t want a stranger seeing me naked.”
“You’re not naked. Yet.”