Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 123435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 617(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123435 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 617(@200wpm)___ 494(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
“I decided to come early,” she replies. “Mother mentioned on the phone the other day that you two haven’t even started going through the house to decide what she’ll be shipping to the city next month. Clearly my presence is needed here more than in Boston, which, frankly, has been sweltering this summer. It will be nice to spend a month by the ocean.” She takes another sip, then sets down the wineglass and rises from her chair. “Is that a problem?”
“No, of course not!” My voice sounds high, squeaky.
“Wonderful. Then come here and give your mother a hug.”
I walk over and obediently step into her embrace.
“Ah, it’s so good to see you,” Mom says, planting a kiss on the top of my head. The reception is more genuine than I expect, her hug infused with more warmth than I’m accustomed to. “I missed you, sweetie.”
“Oh. I missed you too.” My guard drops a couple of feet. I seem to have caught her in a good mood tonight.
She squeezes me tighter. “I’m hoping we get a chance to spend a lot of time together this month.”
Her brown eyes shine with what seems like sincerity as she releases me. Then they fix on my yoga pants and tight white tank, flicking briefly to the black bra straps peeking out of my top.
A frown twists her lips. “Is that what you wore out tonight?”
And so it begins.
CHAPTER 17
TATE
I don’t know … I’ve never had a dick inside me before …
I thought I was cured of spontaneous boner syndrome once I turned fourteen. Turns out, my dick still has a mind of his own. Only, this time, I’m not in front of the class delivering a presentation on the founding fathers when I pitch a tent. I’m at the bar, standing up to greet Evan, whose gaze doesn’t miss what’s happening down below.
“Do you have a boner?” he demands.
“Say it louder for the people in the back,” I grumble.
Luckily, I revert to a state of non-arousal the moment I’m presented with a distraction. Before Evan arrived, I was sitting alone with far too much time on my hands to ruminate over what happened with Cassie. Since the night of the charity gala, I’ve been playing it off like it’s no big deal. Friends always masturbate in front of windows together. Like, come on, bro. It’s just a cool thing platonic people do. But it’s not working. She’s not dumb and neither am I. A line had definitely been crossed. And every time I hear her breathy voice in my head, whispering those words—I’ve never had a dick inside me before—I get harder than granite.
“Seriously. Is that for me?” Evan sounds amused.
“You wish.” I push the beer I ordered for him across the booth. “Here.”
“Thanks.”
It’s Sunday night and I dragged Evan out for drinks because both Danny and Luke bailed on me after work. Pleading exhaustion after a long day on the water with a group of disastrous, albeit enthusiastic, would-be sailors. Me, I desperately need the diversion, so I pried Evan out of Gen’s bed. At least that’s what I assume he was doing when I called.
Evan raises the pint glass to his lips. “And you’re still not answering the question. Clue me in already. I want to solve the case. The case of the mysterious boner.”
“I have a sex problem,” I confess.
His amusement grows. “Oh, I can’t wait to hear this. Hold that thought.” He waves at one of the waitresses, whose hips sway deliberately as she saunters over to us.
Her name is Nicole, and I’m pretty sure Evan hooked up with her during Genevieve’s year in Charleston when she went radio silent on him. Dude attempted to cure his broken heart by sleeping his way through the Bay, hitting on any cute chick that crossed his path. Fortunately, like me, he’s on good terms with most of his hookups.
“Hi, boys,” Nicole chirps. She eyes me. “You look … flushed.”
Evan snickers. “Could I grab an order of chicken wings? Hottest sauce you’ve got.” He winks at her. “Please and thank you.”
“Coming right up.”
Once she’s gone, Evan takes another swig of his beer. “Okay, what’s the problem?”
“I think maybe I have a virgin fetish I didn’t know about.”
He almost chokes on his beer. “I’m sorry, what?” He coughs a few times.
“You know that chick Cassie who was at your place a couple weeks ago? Her grandmother used to own the Beacon?”
“Yes …” He shakes his head, sighing. “You stupid bastard. You took her virginity?”
“No, no. I mean, she did sort of proposition me. Asked if I was interested in a summer fling. But I said no.”
Evan lifts a brow. “Since when do you turn down propositions like that?”
“Mac talked some sense into me,” I admit. “And when I took a step back to really think about it, I realized it wouldn’t be a smart idea. Cassie didn’t strike me as the type who could keep things strictly physical. I don’t want to hurt her.”