Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 109102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
He pulls away to whisper, “You own me so completely, it’s kind of pathetic.”
“I won’t hold it against you,” I tease, playfully smacking his ass with the paddle. “Hey, does this thing actually mean I get a night out with a hunky hero?”
He chuckles. “It does. If you still want it.”
I twist my lips in a mock grimace. “I don’t know. I heard you guys don’t put out.”
Thirty-Two
June 2021
* * *
I toss the dandelion into the yard waste bag and move on to the next. I don’t remember so many weeds riddling this garden when the Rutshacks owned the place, but I was young and focused on the flowers.
The front door creaks open next door, drawing my attention to the tall, handsome man strolling out in his running gear, his arms stretched over his head.
“Took you long enough,” I holler, tossing my gloves and trowel to the dirt and easing up. I warmed up twenty minutes ago.
“Someone kept me up late last night playing video games.”
“You didn’t have to stay up. Cody and I were fine on our own.” We meet halfway by the white picket fence that forms what now seems like an arbitrary line between our properties. The two houses may as well be joined for all the shuffling back and forth.
“Good morning.” He leans in to steal a tender kiss but slides in a hint of tongue that he knows will always get a soft moan out of me.
“Is he still sleeping?”
“Yup. Let’s get going so we have time to go back to your place for a quick shower.”
I smirk. Our showers are never quick. “Justine will bitch that we used all the hot water,” I warn.
“I don’t care. I needed you this morning and you weren’t there.” He emphasizes that point by pulling me into his body so I can feel his erection against my stomach.
“You didn’t deal with that before you came out?” I scold.
“I did. And then I saw you in these pants.” He kisses me again. “Five more days.”
I chuckle. He’s been counting down the days like a kid at Christmas, until I’m officially not Cody’s teacher anymore, even though we reconciled the night of the auction and have been together ever since. There really was no point not to be, with that calendar stunt Shane pulled. Nobody would believe otherwise. And with Penelope backing off, I found myself no longer caring what the Karen Faros and Heidi Muellers and Madame Botts of the world thought.
I only care about what Cody thinks, and he has been all smiles.
But I’ve still refused to stay over at Shane’s when Cody’s there, not wanting to risk him hearing something late at night that no student of mine should hear. I’ve also set strict boundaries when his innocent—but not so innocent anymore—eyes are on us. Basically, Shane’s been relegated to holding my hand.
And I’ve since learned that putting physical restrictions on Shane makes him especially horny. Case in point.
“We don’t have time for that,” I remind Shane, tugging on his arm. “Remember? We’re meeting my mom and Griffin at the Patty Shack.” Pigs never started flying and fire and brimstone did not rain down from the sky, and yet the infamous Dottie Reed seems to have found herself in a committed relationship with a decent, respectable man. Mike, the bartender at Route Sixty-Six, actually pulled me aside to ask if she was okay since they hadn’t seen her in weeks.
“Just what I want to do on my day off. Breakfast with my boss,” Shane says with a grimace.
“Shut up. You love it.” I give his hard ass a slap and then take off.
Knowing he’ll give chase.