Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“Sometimes going all in is scary.”
I reach over and place my hand on her bare thigh. “Are you scared?”
“I was.”
“And now?”
“You’re hard to resist, Declan Kincaid.”
“I don’t want you to resist me.”
“I’m not. Not anymore,” she says softly as we pull up to the traffic light. I hit my blinker to turn right. “I don’t want to go home.”
“Okay. What did you have in mind?”
She rolls her head to the side to look at me. “More kissing.”
“How drunk are you?”
“Buzzed.”
I hesitate, checking the rearview mirror to make sure I’m not holding up traffic, but Willow River is quiet this time of night. She must sense my hesitation.
“If you don’t want to, you can take me home.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to. I don’t want you to regret me.”
“Never.”
“It’s been a long damn time since I’ve had a woman in my bed.”
“Let’s not talk about you and other women.” She scrunches up her nose.
“I kind of have to. I have a little girl to think about.”
“You can take me home.”
“I don’t want to take you home. I want to take you to my house and take all those kisses you’re offering.” I want more than that, but it’s been a long damn time for me. Not just that, but I refuse to fuck her after she’s been drinking. When that happens, we’ll both be sober.
“Let’s do that,” she says, making me chuckle.
“You want to stay at my place? I can bring you back tomorrow to get your car?”
“Hmm, depends?”
“On what?” I’m not sure there’s much I won’t agree to in order to get her to spend the night in my arms.
“What is your stance on cuddling?”
“Cuddling?” I ask, not hiding my smile.
“Yeah.” She reaches over and squeezes my bicep. “I like when these are wrapped around me.”
“Done.”
“That easy?”
“Yeah, Kens. It’s that easy.” Changing my blinker to turn left, I check my surroundings and head toward home. When we make it to my place, she’s passed out. She wakes when I lift her into my arms.
“A girl could get used to this.” She smiles sleepily.
“That’s the plan,” I tell her.
“What? You want to carry me everywhere?”
“I could, but no, I want you to get used to it. To get used to me. To us.”
“That will make it hurt worse when I leave,” she says, her brow furrowing.
“Maybe you can stay.” I let the words hang between us as I carry her to my room.
“My life is in Florida.”
I swallow hard. I know what she’s saying is true, but she doesn’t realize that I can see her here. With my daughter and me, building our life together. Of course I don’t tell her that. This thing between us has barely started, and scaring her away is not at the top of my to-do list.
Instead of talking about it like I know that we need to, I place her on my bed and lean over her. My lips find hers, and I try to put all the words I’m not saying into this kiss. When my lips trail down her neck, she groans.
“I’m all sweaty,” she complains.
Lifting my lips from her neck, I peck her lips once more before pushing off the bed and standing. I take a minute to memorize her lying on my bed. Her hair is mussed, her lips are pink and swollen, and she’s sexy as hell. I never want to forget this moment.
I blink hard before telling her, “Bathroom.” I point at the door to my master bath. “Towels are in the closet. I’ll grab you a T-shirt to sleep in.”
She moves toward the bathroom but stops to look at me over her shoulder. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
A lump forms in the back of my throat. What about this woman has me wanting to beg her to let me take care of her forever? “It’s my pleasure, Kens.”
“Not yet.” She winks and disappears into the bathroom, my laughter following along behind her.
Pulling open my drawer, I dig until I find the shirt I’m looking for. It’s one with my shop’s logo on the chest and on the back. If she’s wearing my clothes, I want my name on her. It’s ridiculous, but I pull it from the bottom of the drawer and slam it closed anyway. Opening another drawer, I find a pair of my boxer briefs. They’re going to fall off her, but she can roll them up or forgo them altogether. My shirt will hang off her, so she’ll be covered. Besides, it’s just the two of us.
Grabbing a pair of boxer briefs for myself, I rush down the hall to shower in Blakely’s bathroom. By the time I get back to my room, Kennedy is standing in nothing but one of my towels wrapped around her. Her wet hair hangs down her back.