Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
“You’re trouble, Zane. Always have been.”
“You wound me.” I place my hand over my heart and pretend to weep.
Alma points two of her fingers at her eyes and then at me. “Don’t forget it.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I love how protective she is of Evangeline, and Alma’s right to warn me. I can’t mess this up. Not that I want to. These past five years have been a mistake. A costly one at that. Making it up to Evangeline is my priority.
After Alma helps me finish my bow, I pick up my package along with the slip of paper of who it belongs to, and take it over to Santa’s helper.
“Hey,” Eve says when I approach her table.
“Another one down.”
“Thank you.” She takes the slip and writes the child’s name in very elegant script; it’s reminiscent of what Santa himself would do.
“I need to use the restroom.”
She doesn’t even look at me when she speaks. “You’re a big boy, Zane. And you’ve been here before, you know where it is.”
“Eve,” I say her name quietly as I rest my hands on the table and wait for her to look at me. “Can you show me where the restrooms are?” I suspect I’m irritating her, but it’s all for a cause. Well, it’s all for me, and I hope it’s something she will appreciate.
She puts her fancy pen down and pushes back from the table. “Follow me,” she mutters. I do so, smiling like the Cheshire Cat. I know this building like the back of my hand. As a kid, I ran the halls, causing as much chaos as possible. Which means I know where all the hidey holes are.
I follow her for a moment and then grab her hand and steer her down another hall. Evangeline doesn’t tug her hand away and I get the feeling she knows where we’re going. This isn’t our first rodeo, especially in this building.
Her feet shuffle behind me, keeping up with my long stride. I turn us around another corner and right into an alcove where one of the classrooms for the adult education classes is. The door’s locked, thwarting my idea. I’m still determined and not about to let this moment go to waste.
I back her into the corner, my tall frame blocking her from the view of anyone who happens to walk by. She looks up at me, her green eyes laced with desire. I know her looks. Her tells. I don’t think I would’ve been able to forget them if I tried.
The back of her fingers trail down her cheek. She closes her eyes and leans into my touch. “I will never forgive myself for hurting you.”
Evangeline nods and then looks at me again. She bites her lower lip and her breathing increases. Is she nervous because she knows I’m about to kiss her, or does she think we’re going to get caught?
I tilt her chin up, giving me a better angle. Slowly, I lower my mouth to hers, waiting to savor this kiss. Evangeline has other ideas and crushes her mouth to mine, moaning when her tongue touches mine.
Her arms go around my neck, yanking me closer to her. I do one better and lift her, using the wall as an anchor, and let her lead this.
Kissing this woman is exhilarating. Every nerve ending tingles, and my heart beats wildly out of control. With each taste of her tongue and scrape of her nails along my skin, my need grows. Enticing a moan from her, about sends me over the edge. It’s far too soon to have those thoughts, but they’re there. Eager and wanting. The desire to be with her, in ways we used to be together, is so great, it’s almost a problem for me.
“Eve,” I’m able to say her name, but barely.
She hums, the sound vibrating right to where she’s moving against me. I want this woman, now and forever, but fear niggles in the back of my mind. It’s far too soon and the last thing I want is for Evangeline to have regrets.
Reluctantly, I pull away. Breathing heavily, I rest my forehead against hers and will myself to calm down.
“I need a minute,” I tell her when she tries to move.
Eve nods against my shoulder. “Do you remember when we were about fifteen or maybe sixteen and we were at the lake?”
“Which time?” I ask, breathing shallowed and somewhat labored.
“The time when we thought we were being sneaky and ran off to the boathouse?”
“Oh my God, my eyes!” I say as the issue in my pants subsides. Still, I don’t move, enjoying having her in my arms. “English class was never the same.”
“Nope.”
Evangeline and I were horny teens. Like every other teen out there, we snuck around. A lot. During the summer it was easy because our parents were working, and we were at the lake most days. We were lying on her blanket, talking and teasing each other, when the mood struck. Our friends were out on their boat, so we took off for the boathouse expecting it to be empty.