Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 128260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 128260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 641(@200wpm)___ 513(@250wpm)___ 428(@300wpm)
I gazed into his eyes. Is that what we were? Friends? Friends who had sex for the weekend? I guess maybe that was better than strangers who had sex for the weekend. And really, how much harder was it going to be to walk away in thirty-six hours rather than right now? I couldn’t see things changing much by Monday morning. I would survive. It would suck because I liked him, but I would do it and it would be okay. By the time I’d touched down in DC, reality would be back in focus and I’d resume my life.
“Yes, I want that too.”
That heart-melting smile bloomed across his face, the dimple emerging. “Good,” he said, standing. “I’m going to go up to my room and get dressed for dinner, and then I’m taking you somewhere nice. Can you be ready in half an hour, buttercup?”
I cocked my head to the side. “Why do you call me buttercup?”
His smile gentled. “Maybe because you’re so small.”
“I’m not that small.”
“I forget. Come here.”
I breathed out a laugh, standing and walking into his open arms where he held me for a few moments and then kissed my forehead. Somewhere nice. He’d said it in reference to dinner, but this was somewhere nice. In his arms. Damn.
When I stepped back, I said, “Remember, I have that gift certificate.”
“Yeah, but I want to take you out so I’m not using your gift certificate.”
“Why? We both earned it for getting stuck in that elevator.”
“Because it’s important to me to treat you, that’s all. End of story.”
“Okay.” I paused, looking off to the side for a moment. I needed to say one final thing about what happened at the pool before I could put it to rest. “I hated seeing you touch her, Carson, and that scared me too,” I said quietly.
He closed his eyes for a beat, dropping his head. When he looked back up into my eyes, his own were filled with regret. “I used her to get back at you. It was wrong on so many levels.” He shook his head slightly. “I didn’t know what to do with it. I’ve never been…jealous before. It was unchartered waters.”
“You were jealous?” I asked. “Of Parker?”
“Yeah. I wanted to drown him in the pool.”
I laughed but quickly covered my mouth and shook my head. “That’s not nice.”
He smiled. “No, it’s not. It’s also illegal. So I held myself back and chose to be an asshole instead.” His expression turned serious. “I really am sorry.”
I smiled and said softly, “Me too.” I pulled in a breath. “Half an hour?”
“Yeah. Half an hour.” He brushed his lips across mine. “See you soon.”
When the door had clicked shut behind him, I fell back on the bed. “Life is wild,” I reminded myself quietly.
After a few minutes, I got up and hopped in the shower. When I got out, I felt better, more optimistic that things would be just fine. I spritzed on some perfume, just a little, and then blew my hair dry and used a curling iron until it fell down my back in soft curls. I applied a little more makeup than I usually did, including two coats of mascara to darken my light brown lashes. They wouldn’t be anywhere near as lush as Carson’s, but nature was cruel that way, giving long, dark lashes to boys who didn’t appreciate them. I kept my mind on mundane things while I got ready, turning on the radio and singing along to a few songs as I got dressed.
Not knowing if I’d go out to a nice dinner or not while I was here at the conference, I had only brought one cocktail dress, a little black number that I had borrowed from Abby that was hanging in the closet. It was short and strapless with an eyelet lace embellished waist and skirt that flared out. It was sexy yet demure. I loved it and I hoped Carson would too. His knock at my door sounded just as I was slipping on my black heels.
When I flung the door open, Carson was standing there in a pair of black dress slacks and a light, sage-green shirt that did all kinds of crazy things to the color of his hazel eyes. He had obviously done a little something with his hair, slicked it back slightly. He shook his head, giving me a pained expression as he looked me up and down. “Not nice, buttercup.”
I laughed. “What do you mean?”
“How am I supposed to sit through an entire meal when all I’m going to be thinking about is getting you back up to my room and fucking you senseless? That dress does crazy things to me.”
Sex. Yes. Let’s keep the focus on sex. I laughed and shook my head as I grabbed the small clutch and he took my arm and led me out the door.