Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
After our first date, it took another two months before she let me have her body. Every sound she made, every time she arched, it was almost enough to bring me to my knees. By the time we finished, I was so far gone I knew I’d never come back. If I’d died right then, I would’ve gone out a happy man.
She didn’t just give me her innocence that night; she gave me something I never realized I wanted until it was mine, her trust. I’d be damned if I ever let her go. I couldn’t lose the very thing that made my heart beat. Autumn was it. My future. My everything.
I expelled a sharp breath.
I’d been patient for long enough. I had given her space, as pointless as it was, because I knew what was coming next. Pulling out my phone, I called the one person who was helping everything come together. The line rang twice before Lucian’s voice came through.
“How did it go?” he asked, no urgency, no concern, just a quiet confidence.
“Exactly as expected,” I could still feel her defiance, the way she’d glared at me, her stubborn refusal to let me back in. “Are you all ready for our field trip?”
Lucian chuckled, the sound dark and laced with amusement. “We can’t wait.”
CHAPTER SIX
The suitcases were neatly packed in the hatch of my sister’s SUV, along with groceries, board games, and plenty of liquor. I checked that I had grabbed the tin of dog food for Moose. My big boy had already claimed his spot in the backseat, his stubby tail wagging with excitement.
“Liza and Naija are following us, right?” I asked, adjusting the string of my hoodie.
“Yeah,” Daniella replied, lounging against the side of the car. Her pale green eyes were hidden behind a pair of cat-eye sunglasses, and her jet-black hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail, framing her sharp, striking features. She had a way of standing out, her effortless confidence making her the center of attention wherever she went. It was also why she had stuck with bartending for so long. Her tips were abundant even on slow nights.
Cherish emerged from the house, carrying a box of snacks in one hand and the last of our small coolers in the other.
Her long, wavy black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, her eyes hidden behind a pair of shades too. “Alright, this is the last of everything.” She placed the snacks and cooler in the back of her SUV. “How long till the other two get here?”
As if on cue, the familiar rumble of Liza’s ruby-red Jeep cut through the air, and I turned to see it pulling into the driveway behind us. The windows were rolled down, and Liza was behind the wheel with Naija in the passenger seat. What I didn’t expect was the sight of three guys in the back seat. I knew all of them in one way or another.
I frowned, my stomach sinking as I caught sight of Jason Montgomery, his light brown hair styled in that casual, cocky way he’d perfected in high school.
Beside him was Gabe—broad, quiet, with dark curls that caught the sunlight.
And lastly, there was Ryan Alvarez, the former rival college football player with a sharp jawline and a wide, friendly smile on his face.
My sister looked from us to them then called out loudly, “I thought this was a girls-only trip.”
Liza grinned as she leaned over to reply through the passenger window, clearly unfazed. “It’ll still be just as fun!”
Jason edged forward, resting his arms on the back of Naija’s seat. “I promise we’ll show you all a good time.”
Cherish rolled her eyes. “Hard pass.”
I stifled a laugh, though it wasn’t hard to imagine what my sister was thinking. Cherish was unapologetically a maneater, and Jason’s smirking confidence was probably lighting her internal do not engage alarms.
My amusement didn’t last long.
As I watched them banter, my thoughts drifted to Wilder. I couldn’t help it. The thought of how he’d react to me going away for the weekend with three guys in tow twisted something in my chest. He’d lose his goddamn mind.
It wasn’t jealousy. Wilder didn’t get jealous. No, it was something deeper and darker than that. He was possessive to a fault and territorial. As much as it frustrated me at times, it also turned me on more than I cared to admit. There had been more than one occasion when that raw, unfiltered intensity had bled into the way he fucked me, leaving me craving more.
Now that same possessiveness felt like a chain around my neck, heavy and suffocating. It shouldn’t have mattered anymore. We were over. I’d reminded myself of that a thousand times since I blocked him. Cumming all over his hand the other day aside.
Unfortunately, that didn’t stop my heart from aching anyway. Seeing him yesterday had done me more harm than good. I lay awake half the night thinking of his mouth on mine and simply being in his arms.