Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
She stopped, her expression going blank again. “I know what you’re doing, but it can’t work. Nate, I know this whole sex thing is hot, but it wears off.”
He didn’t like the space between them, but he had to be careful. He moved toward her. “It won’t with me. It’s more than sex.”
Sure enough she stepped back, but her eyes were on him, and he could see the longing plain in her gaze. “You can’t know that.”
He wasn’t even sure she realized he was herding her to the back of the lounge, where there would be nowhere for her to go. He could feel his body heating up. This sensation was completely new for him. He’d certainly wanted sex before, but it had never been this crazed need for one woman. “Is it all about sex for you? Was that the only connection?”
“How would I even know? The truth is it was the best sex I’ve ever had. If you want me to stroke your ego, I can certainly do that.”
His ego wasn’t what he wanted her to stroke, but he had a point to make. “It was the best sex of my life, too.”
“It’s not enough to build something real on.”
She was forgetting they had a past. “Daisy, we were friends once. It’s not like we don’t know each other and this is all coming out of nowhere.”
She’d left her phone behind, and all her attention was now where he wanted it. On him. “I was Aidan’s sister.”
“Then how do I remember what soda you like? How would I know that when you were ten, your greatest ambition in life was to be a teacher? Back then you were afraid of the dark because your cousins once played a prank where they hid in your closet and pretended to be monsters.” He wasn’t going to let her be afraid of what they felt for each other. Another step and he had her where he wanted her. “Here’s what you don’t know. Before I came here, I think I was in some kind of depression. Not clinical, but I was definitely at a low place in my life because I was numb. I got out of the military because it wasn’t filling my soul the way I thought it would. I thought since my father served, following in his footsteps would be the right thing to do, but I really went in because I didn’t have any other plans. Funny thing is, I think I am going to follow in his footsteps. My father didn’t have some grand career. His job was loving my mum. That was his place in the world, and last night I found mine.”
She was backed up against the bar. “Nate, you can’t know that.”
“I can, and I think you know it, too.” He wanted to kiss her and blow past all her walls, but she was in a delicate state. Still, he could feel the heat building between them. “One of the reasons I came here was because most of my favorite memories revolve around you and Aidan. I was going to meet with you, and a part of me hoped you would still be that girl following me around, looking up to me.”
“You knew I had a crush on you?” The question came out breathy, as though she was trying to force herself to concentrate.
It was so easy to be honest with this woman. He wasn’t the kind of man who prevaricated, but he also didn’t open up easily. But with her, being honest was like breathing. “Of course. I hoped you still did because I thought that awkward girl would be perfect for me. I thought she would be a balm to my soul. I even entertained the idea of seeing if there was a spark between us. I needed something in my life to work. Something easy.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not easy, Nate.”
He reached up and stroked back her hair, giving in to the undeniable need to touch her. “No, you’re not. I was looking for an ember to keep me warm and I got the bloody volcano, and I won’t go back for anything. If you’re scared I’m going to get fed up with the chaos that seems to follow you, I won’t. If you’re scared I’ll back out, let’s settle it. We can get married.”
“What?” She tried to move away from him, but there was nowhere to go.
It felt good to throw her off. He got the feeling he would be chasing after her for the rest of his life, so he would take these moments when he surprised her. “I can cause some chaos, too, baby. Think about it. It solves the problem with your da. We can tell him we were joking and I took your virginity on our wedding night, and you can be pregnant by the end of the year. I’ve heard pumping out a few adorable kiddos softens up the mad dads pretty quick.”