Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 57201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57201 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
“We were both young, kids really,” she compromises.
“Katie? If Hazel had been able to take care of herself back then. Would you have gone on the road with me?”
“There was Lennon to consider,” she answers, and I nod. There’s a bitterness that threatens to well up inside of me. No matter how you look at it, I guess Katie and I were doomed back then. “But I would have gone, Jake. I would have fought like hell because I loved you and I missed you every single day.”
“You won’t believe me, Katie, but I missed you, too.”
“I know. At least you did. When you began dating the beauty queen that’s when I knew it was time to let go—”
“Jesus, Katie. You were dating Jeff—”
“I wasn’t, not really. That’s why we broke up. He wanted more and I just wasn’t ready. I knew I couldn’t love him the way he wanted. He kept pushing and I knew I was hurting him. That’s when I told him I wanted him to move on and find someone who could love him and didn’t have half a heart. That’s when I told him I was going to tell you the truth about Lennon and lay the past to rest. I knew I had to. It was the only way.”
“And that’s when my brother supposedly told me about Lennon.”
“Jake—”
I hold up my hand. “I’m not going to argue with you anymore, Katie.”
“Yeah right,” she mocks.
“About that at least, smart ass,” I grumble, shaking my head. “Someday I’m going to find a way to prove to you that I’m telling the truth, but for now I understand at least why you don’t believe me.”
“You do?”
“I’m going to have to rebuild the trust between us and you’re going to have to be open to letting me.”
“You make it sound so simple,” she laughs.
“Because it will be.”
“How do you figure that?” she questions, her eyebrow arching up.
“I miss that,” I respond without thinking.
“Huh?”
“I miss the look on your face when you’d get sassy. It made me itch to kiss you and take you to bed until you couldn’t do anything but moan my name.”
“What does it do now?” she asks nervously.
“The exact same,” I confess.
“Well, that’s crazy. You can’t do that now, obviously.”
“Why can’t I, sunshine?”
“Because I can’t even walk on my own. Any other physical activity is out of question.”
“I could always bury my head between your legs and eat out that sweet pussy of yours until you come all over my tongue. That wouldn’t require a lot of movement.”
“If you believe that, you have a very bad memory,” she counters, and I don’t think it’s my imagination that she sounds breathless.
“Maybe I need a refresher course to help me remember,” I suggest, my voice dropping down and vibrating with the hunger I feel for her.
“I don’t think that would be smart.”
“Sometimes it’s better to just do and not think, honey.”
“I’m pretty sure this is not one of those instances.”
“Just my luck. How about I just lay in the bed and hold you tonight? I’ll even keep my clothes on.”
Her brow crinkles and her eyes narrow as she stares at me. “How did we get to the point we were even negotiating this?”
“You have to keep up honey and not stare at my dick.”
“I…You…” I grin. “I wasn’t staring at your dick, Jake Ryan.”
“Too bad. Maybe you will next time.”
She opens her mouth and then slaps it shut, shaking her head. “You really are incorrigible.”
“It’s one of my biggest charms,” I agree. “So, what do you say? Are you going to be brave enough to let me lie in bed beside you tonight and hold you? I mean, I promise to be a good boy.”
“I don’t think you know what good means.”
“C’mon, Katie. Give me a chance to prove to you that you can trust me, and we can build a future. You can argue as much as you want to, but we both know you want me in your life as much as I want to be in yours.”
“You’re not going to like my answer, Jake, but I’m not really sure what I want where you are concerned.”
“I think you’re just afraid to admit what you want.”
“What kind of future could we ever have, Jake? Your life is on the road and my life is still here.”
“Let me show you. I promise you won’t regret it.”
“I’m positive I will.”
“Then let’s start with this. Old friends just holding each other through the night—nothing more and nothing less.”
“Why do I feel like the fly to your spider?” she mutters.
“I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Shit. My heart is beating like crazy. She’s going to let me sleep with her tonight. Sure, I’ve got to keep my clothes on, and sex is off the table, but she’s letting me in a little more and that’s everything.