Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 51530 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51530 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 206(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
Speechless, my mouth falls open. I was ready to commit wholly and completely to her. Fuck, I would put a ring on her finger if I thought she was ready. I thought we had a connection this weekend. I thought that we were building a future. I’ve never been more wrong about anything in my life. Fuck, I had no idea that she thought we would make love and that would be it.
How the hell am I supposed to work next to her day after day, knowing what it’s like to have her ride my dick, screaming my name but knowing I can’t touch her?
“Fuck,” I grunt with my hands on my hips. This is not going how I wanted it to, and right now, I’m afraid I’m going to say something that I will regret.
How the fuck do I even deal with this when all I want to do is bend her over the couch and take her? I want to feel her body unravel again. I want to hear my name on her lips in that husky tone that tells me she’s so close to the edge her pussy starts to vibrate.
I turn my back to her and look out the window at the distillery. Fuck, I can’t even focus on my job anymore.
“Fine, Lily. You can get back to work.”
She doesn’t move. It’s like I can feel her indecision running through her head. I don’t turn around and look at her. I can’t. If I do, there’s no holding me back. I’m already worried that I’ve pushed her too far.
She sighs behind me. Fuck, I hate this.
She gets as far as the door before I stop her. Without turning to look at her, I say her name. “Lily.”
She stops and she’s soft-spoken. “Yeah, Ford?”
“Don’t even think about quitting. I wasn’t lying to you. I won’t let you leave me… leave here.”
I would think that would make her happy, but it doesn’t. Her voice sounds almost pained in her reply. “Okay, Ford. I understand.”
It’s only when I hear the click of the door shutting behind her that I let out the breath I was holding. How the hell am I going to do this? I was ready to make this more permanent, and she wants to end it. I walk over to my desk and fall into my chair. This may be a setback, but I’m not giving her up without a fight.
Lilian
Ever since I walked out of Ford’s office earlier, I’ve had a pit in my stomach. It’s like even though I knew I was doing the right thing, it doesn’t feel good.
And Ford’s attitude hasn’t helped either.
He hasn’t said anything, but I can see in every look that he’s disappointed in me. I’m at the filing cabinet when he walks back in from lunch—well, what was supposed to be lunch—but he’s dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. His hair is wet, his shirt sticking to him, and I try not to let my gaze travel, but he’s hard to resist. My voice cracks as I ask him, “Did you have a good uh, lunch?”
He grunts in response. “I had to work off some steam at the gym.”
I nod in understanding because I know that feeling. Just looking at him makes me feel like I could run a mile or two. “Did it work?”
His gaze travels down my body and back up again, and I feel it as if it’s his hand on me instead of just his eyes. He frowns at me with a pained expression on his face. “Well, I thought it did, but obviously fuckin’ not. I’m going to take a shower. Hold my calls.”
I nod, and as he is about to walk away, he digs his phone out of the bag he’s carrying. “I’ve had some RSVPs for Ollie’s birthday. Can you work on those for me?”
I grab the phone he’s handing me, making sure not to touch his outstretched hand. He knows what I’m doing—or trying not to do—and gives me a knowing smirk.
I take his phone and sit down at my desk. I take three deep breaths before opening the messaging app. He wasn’t kidding. I keep scrolling, seeing all the new unopened messages. I pull up the invite list on my computer and start making my way through the list. The further I get, the more I’m wanting to toss his phone in the wastebasket in the corner.
Message after message of women RSVPing that their son or daughter will be at the party and they are looking forward to seeing Ford. They are filled with heart emojis, and one even has a blowing kiss emoji.
I try to ignore it and tell myself I have no right to be jealous, but when a new message pops up, I have no choice but to read it. Ford won’t care. Heck, he’d expect me to. He’s given me free rein over his phone plenty of times. The message is from Nancy Tazewell. She’s the mom of Ollie’s best friend. She was also married until earlier this year. I punch my finger onto the message to open it and read.