Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
The PA system announced boarding for their train. Holly followed Christian and the line of people in front of them until they reached the platform. “We’re not going to get seats together,” she said to Christian.
“We will. I made sure of it.”
“What? How?” She wondered what he had up his sleeve. She wouldn’t put it past him to pay someone to give up their seats so they could sit together. Unfortunately for the both of them, there would be no hanky-panky on the train. There’d be too many people walking around, plus it was daylight.
When they came to the sleeper car, Holly froze. “Seriously?”
Christian shrugged. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve been up for over twenty-four hours. I need some sleep, especially if I’m going to drive later.” He stepped closer to her. “Besides, it gives us privacy.” His lips pressed to hers. She couldn’t deny that she was tired and would like some privacy.
Christian took her suitcase and set it off to the side, and then sat down near the window. She sat across from him and opened the bottled water that had been left for there. “Is there food on this train?”
Christian nodded. “I figured after we’ve slept, we can get some lunch.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
It didn’t take long for the train to move. Holly looked out the window and pointed out some sights to Christian until the scenery gave way to homes and more businesses. Nothing as exciting as the monument.
“Do you want to talk about what happened on the plane?” Christian asked her.
“Are you going to tell me it was wrong and that we shouldn’t have done it?”
He shook his head slowly. “If I thought it was wrong, I wouldn’t be wanting to kiss you every chance I could right now. I just . . . it’s been twelve years since we’ve seen each other. I don’t want you to think I’m using you or that I don’t feel the same right now, because I do. I hate that we’ve denied ourselves these moments because we were afraid of how the other might feel.”
“Ah, to go back in time would be nice.”
“What would you say to me if we could do that?”
Holly shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know.”
“Don’t lie,” he teased, and Holly smiled coyly.
“I would’ve begged you not to date Skye. I would’ve told you I was madly in love with you and had been for years.”
“I wish we could go back,” he said quietly. “I hate knowing I hurt you.”
There was a knock on their door, and the conductor asked for their tickets. Christian stood and went to the door, waited for the man to scan his phone, and then shut the door. Holly heard the lock slide into place and waited for Christian to turn around.
When he did, he worked the buttons on his shirt. He pulled it from his slacks and took it off, letting her see the man he had become. His chest was broad and dark hair lightly covered his pecs. His abdominal muscles stood out and led to a smattering of dark hair that disappeared into his pants. Holly's gaze moved from his torso to his hands and she swallowed as his fingers worked the button on his slacks. In her fantasies, Christian had grown up, but not like this. He was always an older version of the eighteen year old she remembered, just older. Christian was anything but that eighteen-year-old version. He was a man. He had filled out in all the right places. Holly licked her lips at the thought of tasting him.
Holly had a decision to make. She could tell him no, that sex right now would complicate everything, or she could give in to her dream of being with him. Holly went with the latter. When she first realized her feelings for Christian, all she ever wanted was to be with him. She’d be foolish to deny herself.
She closed the curtain, blocking the outside from seeing in. The last thing either of them needed was to pull into the next station and give passersby an eyeful. Besides, if she had her way, no one except her would ever see Christian like this from this point forward.
Holly stood. She shrugged off her blazer and then took her shirt off. She never took her eyes off Christian as she reached behind her back and removed the lace bra she wore and let it slide down her arms. Her nipples turned to pebbles at the blast of cold air, but she didn’t care. Christian gulped and he seemed to have trouble maintaining eye contact as his eyes kept dropping to her breasts.
“God, you’re beautiful.”
“So are you,” she told him.
Christian pushed his pants and boxers down, kicking them to the side along with his shoes and socks before standing upright for Holly to see him. Holly swallowed when she took in his naked form. Every dream she had about being with Christian was about to come to fruition. He was the boy, turned man, who haunted her at night. The same one she compared any of her past romances too. In her mind, Christian had everything she wanted. It didn’t matter to her that the version she had in her mind didn’t match—the real life Christian was ten times better, and he was there, with her, waiting for her. Nothing and no one would come between them now.