Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 117201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Being connected to Tallulah in any way that included the word “parents” made him feel weirdly giddy. And he didn’t do giddy. In fact, this might have been the first time. And last. “They haven’t even set a wedding date yet and you’re mentally checking them into a delivery room.”
“I know.” She uncrossed her legs and slumped back in the leather seat. “I know.”
Don’t look at her thighs. Distract yourself with something. Anything.
Burgess cleared his throat hard. “So. Skinny dipping, huh?”
Perfect, man. Nailed it.
Now he was thinking of her naked.
“Would you ever skinny dip?” Tallulah asked. “Or does that fall into the same category as small talk? As in, there is no point.”
“There really isn’t.”
“Spoken like a person who has never done it before. It’s exhilarating. The excitement of getting caught alone is worth it.” She stayed quiet for a few beats. “Or it used to be, anyway. I don’t know that I have the courage anymore. To take risks or be adventurous. To do new things without knowing the outcome. It’s all different now.”
That hard object lodged in his throat was expanding by the moment. He didn’t like this. He didn’t like her scared to do the things she loved. Strangling the person who’d done this to her might have helped temporarily, but what he really wanted was her to be fulfilled. Not hiding. That man who’d hurt her wasn’t available for punching now or ever. What Burgess could do, however, was beat down the fear that monster had put inside of her.
“What if you had someone there to protect you?” Shit. First giddy, now vulnerable. All in one night. What was going on with him? She could so easily turn him down. “While you . . . did these batshit things you believe are entertaining?”
Without taking his eyes off the road, he sensed her head turning in his direction, felt the surprise and curiosity radiating from her. “What do you mean?”
“I mean me. I mean, I’ll come along and make sure nothing bad happens to you.” Already the potential privilege was becoming something he wanted. Needed. “I’m a defenseman, that’s kind of my specialty.”
“Yeah, but . . . you would do that?”
Burgess grunted.
Tallulah sat forward abruptly, gasped. “I have an even better idea.”
Chapter Ten
To clarify, she had a terrible idea.
Just terrible.
Or was it freaking genius?
Tallulah was tipsy to begin with, but then. Oh then. Her brain had been flipped upside down and punted like a football by this man’s kiss. Who knew Burgess had that kind of . . . passion lurking inside of that big warlord body? She’d never been kissed so soundly in her life, especially not while fully clothed. Like, the man had serious skills. And the part she was having the hardest time forgetting was that he seemed to understand sensuality.
Though her memories of men were growing foggy, she remembered how they usually went straight for the ass during a kiss. Their hands were drawn there like homing pigeons returning to their lofts. Inevitably, a girl ended up with a tongue tickling her tonsils and greedy hands exploring her crack without permission.
But Burgess.
Their kiss was only supposed to be a tactic to divert Finn’s interest, but she’d gotten a lot more than she bargained for. He’d massaged her hips with those big hands, dragged his knuckles up the curve of her waist, licked her. She might have teased him about having his foot on the accelerator, but the big guy obviously knew what he was doing. Maybe because he’d been married? Why did that correlation make her mouth taste like bad milk?
Must be the alcohol.
Bottom line, he was her boss. They couldn’t have a replay.
However, all sorts of plans were weaving themselves together in her brain, despite the amaretto sour fog. She could help this man get back out into the world, right? As a tradeoff for watching her back while she found her footing?
Burgess put an arm across her seat back and leaned over. Thinking he was going to kiss her again, Tallulah opened her mouth to scold him. Just kidding, she moistened her lips and prepared to have her mind blown. But although he watched her tongue skate across the seam of her mouth, he continued to twist his thick body, one hand on the steering wheel—and she realized he was parallel parking in front of the building. They were home.
Cool. She really needed to sober up.
“What’s your idea?” Burgess asked while straightening out the SUV.
Now would be the time to say “never mind” and forget the whole thing. Maybe it was a really bad idea to spend more time with this man, considering she found him troublingly attractive. She definitely wasn’t looking for a relationship, so what could the fascination amount to? Living with her hookup? No. What a grand disaster that would be. Especially with Burgess who was old-fashioned. He’d probably expect her to stay home and cook, even on her nights off. She’d be locked down by a grumpy, set-in-his-ways hockey player before she could blink—and that wasn’t the life full of freedom and new experiences that she wanted.