Total pages in book: 41
Estimated words: 39424 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 131(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39424 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 197(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 131(@300wpm)
I’m holding my breath as I walk up the path to my porch. I don’t stop until I’m standing next to my door. When I turn, he’s standing at the bottom of my steps already planning his escape. “Can you come in for a minute?”
He’s looking out at me from under the hood of his sweatshirt, and his wide dark eyes don’t give away anything of what he’s thinking. Almost panicked, I walk to the edge of the porch. “Please?”
He finally nods, and I walk back to the door and unlock it. As soon as I walk in, I flip on the lamp instead of the big overhead light and then stop next to the couch. He follows me in, and once inside, he looks around the house. He’s looking everywhere but at me, and it’s like I can feel his anxiety coming off him in waves.
“Can I see your wallet?”
I’m holding my breath, waiting for him to respond. I’m sure he thinks I’m crazy, but since Abby mentioned the picture in his wallet, I have to know if it’s me or not. I might end up looking like a fool, but at least I’ll know.
He’s frozen as he looks at me, and the longer we stand here with nothing being said, the more unsure I get. I have my hand out to him, and I just wait.
Finally, he puts his hand in his back pocket and brings out his wallet. He hands it over to me. My heart is racing, and I feel dizzy and off balance, but I pull myself together and hold it in both of my hands. “Can I open it?”
He grunts in the affirmative, and I open the worn leather. I don’t have to look long because as soon as I get the trifold open, there it is. A picture of me. My body physically jerks at seeing the picture of myself. I bring it closer. It’s not a good picture. It was taken while I was sleeping. I’m lying on my side, completely covered. My hair is a mess and all over the place. I have mascara smudges on my cheek, and it’s not flattering at all. But he obviously took this picture after our night together, printed it, and carried it all this time in his wallet. I’m the woman that Abby heard about. I’m not sure what happened these last five years, but he didn’t forget about me.
I pull back my shoulders, lift my head, and look at Elias. In the span of five seconds, I’ve made a decision. I may regret it, and I may get hurt again, but I’m living for tonight.
He’s searching my face, looking at me worriedly. I suck in a breath and try to calm my nerves because I know what I need to do… what I want to do.
I slowly swipe my tongue across my lip, and the fact that his eyes follow it gives me a little encouragement. I close his wallet and hand it back to him. “Can I ask you something?”
He nods, and I start to ramble. “So… for five years, I have not felt arms around me. No intimacy. No sex. Nothing.”
His eyes widen, and I take a few slow steps toward him. God, I can’t believe I’m doing this.
“It’s like I’m numb, and I need to feel something again. I need to feel alive, Elias. I’m not asking for promises, explanations, or anything. I want one night.”
His chest rises and falls in rapid succession. “How much did you have to drink tonight?”
I roll my eyes. “You know how much I had to drink.”
He juts his chin. “You had a glass sitting in front of you, but I didn’t see you drink it.”
I take another step toward him. “That’s the only drink I had.”
He huffs out a breath. “That’s the only one you had?”
I move closer. He still has that damn hood on, but I’m not going to reach for it. Instead, I put my hands at his waist, and he sucks in a breath at contact. “That’s the only drink I had tonight. Promise.”
He looks as if he’s about to spontaneously combust, so I take a step backward. I’m trying not to get all up in my head about this. He wants me. The proof is in the fact that he has my picture in his wallet and the way he’s followed me around since he got back into town.
Once I get to the back of the couch, I lean against it and raise my right foot and remove my boot. Then I do the same on the other side. I remove my socks and then stand up. He’s watching me, that broodiness even more intense now.
I pull at the button on my jeans, undo the zipper, and then peel the tight material down my hips, thighs, and legs. When I have them off, I toss them onto the couch.