Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 80892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
I nodded, sort of amazed. Living in Castle Falls before had always felt like more of a curse than a blessing, and the thought of everyone knowing my business had been the exact reason I’d wanted to leave in the first place.
But now, it was at least a little easier to start to wonder how things could be if I did want to settle down in Castle Falls again.
“I’m sure it helps that you’re pretty easy to talk to,” I said, grinning a little when my statement was rewarded with a slight flush in Joanne’s cheeks. “I think you probably put people at ease pretty quickly.”
“I hope so. I mean, it was really important to your—to Henry—that we make those kinds of personal connections with people, to make them feel like we know them, and they know us. Sort of like family.”
I turned my head to keep from wincing at the words.
Why had it been so important for Dad to make those kinds of connections with strangers, when he’d never been able to do it at home? The only time I had felt like I’d been heard or understood or even listened to when I was growing up had been back when my mom had still been alive. After we’d lost her, though, everything had just… stopped.
And while I’d eventually found a different kind of acceptance and understanding and connection in the NFL, it had still ended up a poor substitute to what I’d been missing.
But whatever.
Joanne didn’t know that. And she didn’t need to, either.
“Okay, so,” I said, turning my attention back to the flowers. “If we’re going to do this, we should do it right. I need to learn, and I need you to teach me.”
“I can do that,” she said, resting her hand lightly on my arm for a moment as she spoke. “I’m actually really surprised—and really happy—that you’ve decided to do this.”
My heart did a little somersault at the touch, but I made the mistake of looking down at Joanne’s hand, and she pulled it away so quickly it was as if she’d been burned.
“Sorry, I—”
“No, it’s okay,” I said.
I opened my mouth to say something else—anything else—to let Joanne know that I didn’t mind, that I actually liked it, but nothing came out.
We simply looked into each other’s eyes for several long, silent, uncertain seconds.
It had been a nice moment—another reminder that Joanne’s good attitude wasn’t just for show. She truly enjoyed every minute she spent at the shop, and her enthusiasm for the work had been slowly rubbing off on me.
Well, that and the fact that no matter how hard I tried to think of other things when we were together, I couldn’t ever seem to focus on anything but Joanne. And even though it was a new feeling to feel so drawn to another person in every way—to her heart and her mind just as much as to her cute face and sexy body—I had to admit that I liked the feeling.
I liked all the feelings that being around Joanne brought out in me.
The phone next to us rang, causing us both to jump. Joanne let out a little squeak as she hurried to answer it.
And just like that, the moment passed.
I was left standing there, flowers in one hand, the other one braced against the table, just the same as it had been when Joanne had touched me.
It had been so simple and light and meaningless, but it had been enough to make my cock take notice, and enough to make every part of me want it to happen again.
There was no point in pretending that I didn’t want more. That I didn’t want Joanne.
Chapter Twenty-Four - Brady
My eyelids fluttered but didn’t open. I turned over on the too-soft hotel mattress, and even through my half-asleep haze, I was painfully aware of my erection—currently pinned between the mattress and my stomach.
Just ignore it. Just go back to sleep. Try to remember that dream…
I kept my eyes shut tightly, willing myself to get back to the dream that had felt so real just a few moments before.
It had been about Joanne, of course.
Maybe because we’d worked the entire day practically side by side, or maybe because of the cute—almost secretive—looks she had shot me throughout the day. Meaningless looks, really. Just little glances. But the connection had felt very real.
Or maybe it had been that touch. That touch that had been so brief and innocent but had immediately caught my attention—and the attention of my still-rock-hard cock.
In my dream, there had been another touch, similar to the one before, but so much more.
In my dream, I had known what to say to make it okay, to make Joanne want to go further, lower, touching and groping and stroking until her soft, cool hand had wrapped around the hard, hot length of my shaft.