Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107204 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107204 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
“What? No.” I waved him off, shaking my head. “That’s not what I’m saying.”
“Then what are you saying?”
“I’m just saying that sometimes you turn off the unprofessional parts of my body and ignite the parts that haven’t been used in quite some time. That’s all I’m getting at.”
“That’s it, that’s all?”
I nodded. “That’s it, that’s all.”
“That’s too bad,” he mentioned. “Because truthfully, I’ve been wondering if you’ve felt what I felt.”
“What do you feel?”
He gave a shy smile and shrugged. “Everything. Which is odd and overwhelming for a person like me who’d spent a good period not feeling a thing.”
I placed his hands in mine, the clay against our fingers blending together. “Does that scare you?”
“Yes,” he confessed. “It terrifies me.”
“Why?”
“Because I have a history of caring for people who didn’t care for me back. Some might say I have an abandonment issue.”
“You’re afraid that if you get too close to someone, they will...?”
“Leave.”
“That can’t be true about everyone in your life, Alex.”
“It’s been true enough to create some scars. Plus, you build up some strong walls when your parents abandoned you as a kid and your girlfriend leaves you for someone who wronged you.”
“My dad said people should put up gates, not walls. It’s easier to let people in.”
“Which is exactly why I build walls. If it’s easy for them to come in, it’s easy for them to go, too.”
I looked down at his hands laced with mine. My heart pounded in my chest as I studied our closeness. How could he say those words when it felt like this, though? How could he not want to give this a real shot?
“You’re scared of this,” I whispered, placing his hand against my chest, over my heartbeats.
“Yes.”
“Because you think I’ll hurt you and leave?”
“Yes.” His mouth grazed mine so gently as he spoke so low. “I think fear is my default setting now.”
“Sounds to me like you just need a reprogramming with the right person.”
“Are you saying you’re that person?”
“I want to be. If you allow me.”
“I know this is supposed to be a fake relationship, but…” He brushed his mouth against mine and whispered, “This feels real to me.”
I kissed him gently, slowly, without hesitation. “This feels real to me.”
“Yara.” He moved his mouth to the edge of my ear and his hot breaths melted against my skin, sending tingles of desire down my spine. “Can I tell you a secret?”
“Yes?”
“You were never fake for me.”
I couldn’t hold it in any longer. My mouth found his, and I kissed him harder and deeper than ever before. My hands began roaming all over his chest as he kissed me back. His large hand wrapped around my neck, covering it in clay as my hips began to grind against his hardness.
“I want you,” I whimpered against him as his free hand wrapped around the hem of my shirt. “I want you so much, Alex.”
His hand moved up my shirt as I undid his apron. I pulled it over his head, along with his shirt, and tossed them on top of the pottery wheel. My hands caressed his abs as my mind tried to make sure I wasn’t daydreaming.
This was happening.
He was kissing me.
He was massaging me.
He was undressing me.
This was real. This was no longer make believe.
Alex fumbled with the button on my jeans as I glided my tongue to the curve of his neck and—
“Hey!” someone shouted as they walked into the pottery shop. “What the hell, man!”
We both paused and turned to find Pat standing in the doorway, staring at me and a half naked Alex, covered in clay.
“You said you were going to be making water dishes, not babies!” Pat called out, stunned.
My face instantly blushed over as Alex turned the color of a tomato. Pat walked over, picked up Alex’s shirt, and flung it toward him.
“You’re going to have to pay extra to bleach my chairs,” Pat ordered.
I nervously giggled as I buried my face into Alex’s neck from embarrassment. Alex snickered quietly and whispered. “Worth it.”
CHAPTER 40
Alex
After getting caught with my hand almost down Yara’s pants, we’d decided to keep any kissing activities within our apartments. Which was fine with me. I was just damn happy to be able to kiss her in the dark. I’d spent most of the following days replaying the night at Pat’s in my head. If there was ever a night filled with glimmers, it was that one.
Unfortunately, when I wasn’t daydreaming about Yara and her mouth, I was busy working nonstop at the restaurant.
Saturday evenings at Isla Iberia always buzzed with life. The staff hardly had any breathing room to make a mistake. Luckily for me, the team lived in a good solid fear of messing up, therefore most things ran smoothly. The chefs nailed the preparation of each dish. I knew after the glowing reviews we'd recently received we’d have more customers keeping us on our toes.