Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“Hide? From what?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugs, looks unsure, and stands. When she turns to walk back out again, I catch her elbow in my grip and turn her to me. “I don’t even know why I said that.”
“What do you hide from, London?”
Her eyes drop to my lips before lifting up to mine. “Life, I guess. Sometimes, when Caleb is tucked away in the game room, or even in bed, I come in here and just be. It’s quiet, and I like books, so it’s a good place to hide in. And no one bothers me when I’m in here.”
I reach up, brush a strand of her hair off her cheek, and take a tiny step toward her, closing the gap between us.
She licks her lower lip in anticipation. I haven’t kissed her since the night of the gala. I’ve wanted to, but there was always a reason that I shouldn’t.
There’s no reason not to now.
With my finger under her chin, I lift her lips to mine. Just like last time, the kiss starts soft and slow and then builds to hungry and all-consuming. My hands drift down her sides to her ass and then up under her shirt.
She’s not wearing a fucking bra.
I groan against her mouth, and she wiggles against me in invitation as I move us over to the wall and boost her up with my hands planted on her spectacular ass so she can wrap those long legs around me, and I can continue to feast on her mouth.
“God, you’re sweet,” I murmur against her as I kiss my way to her neck. She lets out a little moan, and then her hands suddenly stop moving.
She stops moving.
“Drew.”
“Okay.” I set her on her feet but keep my hands on her shoulders to steady her. “I’m sorry.”
“No, please, don’t apologize. It’s just, my son is upstairs, and if he came looking for me—”
“I get it.” I cup her face and lean my forehead against hers. “I understand.”
“Thanks.” She sighs and closes her eyes.
“But I have a question.”
That has her opening those pretty eyes once more and watching me warily. “Okay.”
“When can I take you on an overnight date? I like Caleb a lot, and I’m happy to do things with the three of us, but maybe I could take you somewhere overnight.”
Her lips tip up into a soft smile. “I’d like that. Let me get with Quinn, and we’ll figure out a time that works.”
“Thanks.” I kiss her again, but much more chastely this time, before pulling away. “Okay, there’s still a lot of house to see.”
“Let’s go see it.”
She licks her lips, and I see her take a long, slow breath as she leads me out of the hidden library, which makes me grin. It’s satisfying to know that I have the same effect on her as she has on me.
“You’ve seen the kitchen. There’s another big living space and dining area back here.”
I follow her through the rest of the first floor, and then we climb the stairs to the second floor.
“That’s Caleb’s room,” London whispers as we tiptoe past. “These are more guest rooms.”
Finally, at the end of the hallway, she opens a set of double doors that reveal her massive main suite.
“This is my room,” she says, gesturing. “I love it because I have a great view of Mount Rainier.”
The furniture is muted and pretty, the carpet plush.
And, I realize, the bathroom is the size of my condo.
“Holy shit, you could have a party in here.”
London laughs. “This tub is a lifesaver for my sore feet. Even Caleb still likes to take baths in here.”
“Who wouldn’t?” I catch a glimpse of her closet as I pass by and have to stop and back up for another look. “This might be the biggest closet I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying a lot, given how fashion-obsessed the women in my family are.”
She doesn’t laugh as she walks past me and runs her hand over the marble top of an island that rivals the one in the kitchen.
“This, aside from Caleb and the football team, is my pride and joy. I love fashion, as I’m sure you realized when I hounded you for weeks about the uniforms. The league approved them, by the way.”
“Congratulations.”
She walks past the racks and racks of hanging clothes and shelves loaded down with handbags and shoes, and she caresses everything as if it’s a treasured lover.
“I own a clothing boutique in New York,” she continues. “I’m a silent partner, but I love it. I go out there four times a year to look at what’s new and bring those new things home with me. I attend fashion week in both New York and Paris every fall, building that into my trip to the boutique. It’s one of the few times that I don’t feel guilty when I leave Caleb with Quinn for a little longer than normal. He wouldn’t want to go with me. It would be boring for him, and I want to soak everything in. It just feeds my soul in a way I can’t really describe.”