Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 46202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
It will begin casually or about work, but soon we’re lost in the frenzied lust of it.
He’s sent me more photos during the course of these eruptions, these freaking explosions of desire. My favorite is of him shirtless, his chest muscles bulging, his abs rock-hard and tense. He hasn’t sent me anything explicit, and I’ve kept my underwear on the whole time.
But we’re both desperate for more.
“How many times since?” Anna asks.
“Every night. Even though I said, I needed time to think. But I can’t think. Not about anything that doesn’t rhyme with Flamien.”
Anna laughs humorlessly, almost darkly. “That narrows it down somewhat.”
“What’s the matter?” I say, a snappish note in my voice.
She places her coffee down, shaking her head. “It’s the same old story, Dee.”
“You’re worried about me.”
She nods. “I know how much your relationship with your dad means to you.”
“That’s why I’ve held off on meeting in person,” I mutter. “Well, that and…the other thing.”
Anna doesn’t have to ask what I mean. I’ve spoken to her enough times about my insecurities when it comes to sex and doing the right thing in the bedroom…always thinking, as we had these talks, that I wanted to be ready for Damien.
Not just any random man.
Damien, my man.
“Don’t let that stop you,” Anna says.
“So you think I should meet with him?”
“I didn’t say that. I just hate the idea of something like that holding you back. But it doesn’t mean you should meet with him. I don’t know, honestly.”
“You never thought this would happen?” I laugh dryly. “Don’t worry. Neither did I. It doesn’t matter now, anyway. The choice has been removed for me.”
“How so?”
“Dad’s throwing Damien a surprise welcome home party on the weekend. Saturday, he’s going to be at our house, along with a bunch of their old friends. You’re invited if you’re not busy?”
She must be able to hear the note of worry in my voice. She leans over, softly placing her hand on top of mine. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
I smile gratefully. “I still can’t believe it. Monday, I was worried he’d hate my ideas. Now he’s got me building up the Facebook page. We’ve already got twenty-five thousand followers, but that’s his celebrity. I hope we can bring in more.”
“At least everything’s going okay with the work stuff.”
“Better than okay there,” I mutter. “It’s the…well, everything else that’s the problem.”
Anna stares patiently, not rushing me to go on.
I glance out the window at the busy city streets, the endless pedestrians flowing back and forth.
“It’s like we’re living in two different worlds. One second, we’re texting about work. Everything’s normal. Then it’s like this secret language. He’ll say something like, I don’t know, ask if I’m tired or whatever. Then I know because he’s hinting about the bed. We egg each other on.”
Anna sits up. “I’ve never seen you like this before. I just wish….”
“What?” I ask.
She sighs. “Damien was somebody else. I wish you could follow this without a bunch of baggage getting in the way.”
I look down at my coffee, nodding. “Me too. But it’s not so bad.”
As I think about last night, Damien’s words buzz through me, and a smile teases my lips.
He gets so possessive and intense sometimes.
I’m going to claim your body, he sent the words inscribed on my memory last night. Every inch of it. It’s mine. When you’re naked and with me, you BELONG to me. Do you understand?
What else was I supposed to say except for yes?
And yet, part of it troubled me.
When you’re naked, and you’re with me…
But I don’t want to be his just then. I want to always be his, for him to hold me, to love me one day, and for us to get married.
Still, this is more than I ever could’ve dreamed of.
“Have you talked about what you’re going to do on Saturday?” Anna asks.
“Do?”
“How you’re going to behave around each other. Or are you going to avoid each other? Have you got a plan?”
My plan is to take him by the hand and lead him upstairs into my bedroom. Then I’ll turn to him and say, “Do all that stuff you said you would do.”
He’d smirk as I tossed my head, sassy and confident, ready to erupt into lust with him. There would be no nerves or awkwardness or any of that. I’d know what to do because we’ve talked about it.
My body would take him, every inch of him.
But I’m not going to do that, am I, take him upstairs when the party’s happening downstairs? Sneak around behind Dad’s back, even more than I already am.
“No, we don’t,” I say after a long pause. “We haven’t spoken about it. How would we, anyway? It’s a surprise party.”
Anna touches her forehead. “Oh yeah, duh. Jeez. Don’t worry. I’ll be there to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”