Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 99434 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99434 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
“Still worth it, just for the chance at getting you alone for a few minutes. Plus, I’m going to have to win over your friend sooner or later.”
I loved that he was willing to work with anything I might give him. “I’ll tell you what—we’ll make it interesting. If you can get my goddaughter to give you a hug goodbye, and her mom to give you the thumbs up, I’ll let you feel me up in the car on the way home.”
Of course, he had no idea that my goddaughter pretty much hated men in general, and Quinn had considered visiting him in prison to chop his balls off at one point. But what fun would it be to fill him in on that?
“Sweetheart, you have no idea the lengths I would go to in order to win that bet.”
“Six o’clock Friday.”
“Can’t wait.”
***
The sound of my buzzer made me jump. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been this nervous for a date—if that was what you’d even call taking Gray with me to a kiddie birthday party at six o’clock on a Friday night. I pressed the intercom.
“You’re a half hour early. Why do I think you did that on purpose so I wouldn’t be ready, and I’d have to tell you to come up rather than coming down?”
“Because you’re smart.” His gruff voice and honesty made me laugh.
“Come on up.”
I waited at the door for the elevator. I’d come home a little early to shower and get ready, but I still needed another fifteen minutes or so to do my makeup. Gray stepped off the elevator and strutted toward me. He walked with confidence and purpose—which was a turn-on for me. Something about the way a man stands and walks has always spoken volumes in my mind. It could be small—standing in the open-legged, feet-apart position that’s a little wider than his shoulders, or the way he keeps his head up and looks straight head.
Gray ate up the distance to my door with his long, balanced strides. Even though it unnerved me, I stood my ground firm when he didn’t look like he was going to stop.
He got right into my personal space and wrapped one hand around my waist. “I looked up the definition of slow on the way over here.”
I perked one brow. “You did? What did you learn?”
“Moving or proceeding with less-than-usual speed or velocity.”
“Very good. You’ve learned the definition of slow. How about pulchritude? I memorized that one for the SAT years ago.”
Gray used the hand wrapped around my waist to press our bodies tighter. “Wise ass. I meant…slow doesn’t mean stop. It means keep progressing forward, just at a slower pace.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
I swear I saw a twinkle in his eye as a sly grin spread across his face. “Glad we’re in agreement. Now give me that mouth so we can keep progressing forward.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but his lips crashed down on mine before any words came out. I’d forgotten how soft his were, and how much they directly contradicted the hard need of his kiss. Gray wasted no time, his tongue dipping inside to taste me. I moaned into our joined mouths, and he responded with a growl that vibrated down to some interesting places.
Gray backed me against my apartment door, and then suddenly my legs were wrapping around his waist. I wasn’t sure if he’d lifted me and guided my actions or if I’d done it all on my own. The crazy speed of my heart thumping made everything so much more fevered. My fingers threaded through his hair, yanking him closer. Gray ground his hips against me, and my eyes rolled into the back of my head. He was so hard, and my open legs left me exposed to the abrasive friction. So decadently exposed.
I moaned into our mouths again, and Gray pushed even harder. He fisted a handful of the flesh on my ass and squeezed to the point of pain. But that little bit of pain only served to turn me on even more. I was absolutely screwed when it came to going slow with this man. Because in that moment, if he’d unzipped and pushed my panties to the side, I’d have let him fuck me right against my apartment door for all the neighbors to see.
Luckily, although he was pretty damn good at reading me, he couldn’t read my mind. So when he broke the kiss, I was breathless and panting, but at least I was still clothed.
I kept my eyes closed as I attempted to rein myself in, battling through my raging hormones to get back to some semblance of self-control. So I didn’t expect the loud smack of Gray’s hand connecting with my ass. My eyes flashed open.
“What the hell?”
“I owed you that for the other day on the phone—screwing with me about your lunch with Oliver and seeing other men.” Gray rubbed the sting on my ass away with his hand.