Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 110273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 551(@200wpm)___ 441(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 551(@200wpm)___ 441(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
Lecturing would wait.
MULTIPLE WITNESSES FOR THE PROSECUTION MISSING
On Monday, the prosecution against Quinn Callas found themselves shorthanded when multiple witnesses did not show up for their testimony. The district attorney says investigations have been opened as to the whereabouts of each witness.
A GoFundMe page has been established to help support Quinn Callas’s defense team. Sources say she “didn’t fight her divorce to Peter Francis, leaving her with almost nothing.”
—Inside Daily Press
THIRTY-ONE
Bailey
“We need to talk,” he said as he came out of the bathroom.
God.
He was wearing track pants that fell low on his hips, and the rest of him was shirtless and barefoot. That body, those muscles. I could glide my hand over every dip and valley of his body and I’d never get enough. He had the V leading under his pants, and when he turned around, which he was doing as he was reaching for a shirt, I saw the back dimples, too.
Back dimples.
Time apart had made me an obsessed woman.
His words came to me, and I lay back down, closing my eyes. “I don’t want to talk.”
We had gone on a normal date, or normal for us, the last time I saw him.
I missed that. Making out in a movie theater. I wanted to do that again.
“Do you know anyone who had a normal childhood?” I sat up and scooted back to rest against the headboard.
Kash threw me a small frown. Henley in place, he was putting on socks and shoes. “Normal? Define ‘normal.’”
“Two parents. Middle class. A home.”
“That’s your problem. I don’t think we have normalcy anymore. I don’t know anyone who had that and only that. Why are you asking?” He stood, coming to stand beside me. I expected him to sit on the bed, but he didn’t. He remained standing, his head tilted to the side, and those eyes studying every angle of me.
I didn’t know how to say it so I just waved my hand at him.
He frowned. “What?”
“I don’t know.” I lied. I did know, so I started to scramble off the bed.
He caught my hand as I did and pulled me back to him. “Hey.”
God. I closed my eyes. He said that word so soft and quiet. It felt like a whole other caress from him, and he doubled down. His hand came up and he trailed a finger down the side of my face, lingering over my mouth, and then falling to my throat.
He murmured, so soft again. “What is it?”
I shook my head, coming out of my lusty daze. “You see everything.” I looked away, feeling exposed once again, but this time I was doing it. I was explaining myself. I was exposing myself. “I—you see all of me, and sometimes I don’t want to feel all of me. And I’m just having a moment, but it’ll pass, and right after, I’ll be flooded with appreciation because I know how amazing you are. I know how supportive, loving, caring, and I’m totally and completely aware of how utterly blessed I am to have you in it. But right now, I’m just having a moment.”
I looked away.
And waited.
And waited more.
He was silent, and then a soft sigh came from him. His hand touched my arm and he tugged me to him. Drawing me into him, he looked down at me, and yes, into me. “If I’m looking at you in a way that you don’t want to feel, then I get it, but I love you. I can’t stop that. It’s me trying to figure out what’s bothering you and if I can do anything to help eliminate it. And for everything you just said, it goes both ways you know. You see me, too.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his hand cupping and resting on the side of my face. “I’ll never stop seeing you.”
I moved into him, our bodies flush against each other.
My head went to his chest and I melted. I let go of tension that I hadn’t even known was there. His hand came up, rubbing the back of my neck, then my shoulder blades, and he moved further down on my back. Oh yeah. That was the spot. I was almost crooning and swooning here. Then his hand moved to my ass, and he grabbed a handful of one cheek.
My eyes darted up and he was watching me back, but his eyes were dark and lusty, too.
That was enough for me.
* * *
A few hours later, I got a whole lecture about being smart, and safe, but it was later.
Matt was called in, and he got the lecture, too.
Kash asked to see Matt alone afterward, and I’m pretty sure he got another lecture. I asked him at one point how bad it had been and Matt just grunted. “Let’s just say I’m not taking my ass for granted right now.”