Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
In a blink, it was after eight, and then, it was eight-thirty. Nine came and went, but there was still no sign of Thomas. I tried to busy myself with reading, but I couldn’t keep my focus. I was starting to worry that something was wrong, and it didn’t help matters that he hadn’t called or texted and neither his truck nor his bike was in his drive.
I was looking so forward to our quiet night alone, but now, dinner was cold, the wine was still untouched, and the candles I’d lit had flickered out. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I just knew if he was okay or not. I hated the not knowing. It was the biggest downside of being an ol’ lady.
I’d seen my mother go through it a thousand times.
Dad would be off with the brothers, doing whatever it was they did, and if he wasn’t home exactly when he told her he’d be home, it would send her spiraling.
She would start to pace and send him message after message.
She’d try to track his location, but nothing eased the worry until he walked through that door.
I promised myself that I wasn’t going to do that, but it was hard. I cared a great deal for Thomas—even more than I wanted to admit, and my heart ached at the thought of something happening to him. I was teetering on the edge of losing it when I heard the familiar rumble of Thomas’s motorcycle.
I closed my eyes and let out the breath I’d been holding, and once I got it together, I went out to the kitchen and waited for him to come inside. As soon as he walked through the door, I could tell that he’d had a long night. His jeans were dirty, and his hair was a mess, and he looked exhausted. “I’m sorry I’m late.”
“Are you okay?” I didn’t move. I wanted to, but I couldn’t seem to make my feet move. “Did something happen?”
“Nothing we couldn’t handle.”
“I was worried.” I swallowed hard, trying my best to ease the knot forming in my throat. “I thought something might’ve happened.”
“I would’ve called if I could...” A tear trickled from the corner of my eye, and I quickly wiped it away. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I lied with a nod. “I’m just glad you made it back.”
“Come here.”
Fearing I might cry, I didn’t move.
I lowered my eyes to the floor as I told him, “I made dinner.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry I missed that.” I could feel his eyes on me as he repeated, “Come here.”
This time, I obliged and started over to him. As soon as I got close, he slipped his arms around my waist and pulled me towards him. “I’m sorry I worried you.”
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not.” He brought his hands up to my face, cupping my cheeks. “But I can’t promise that it won’t happen again.”
“I know.”
“You gotta know, I would’ve been here if I could.”
“I know.”
It was hard to explain, but he made me feel complete in a way I never had before. When I was with him, it was like I’d found a piece of myself that I didn’t even know was missing. He was the only man I had ever met who could touch my heart and ignite every nerve in my body with desire at the same time. I let out a grumbled sigh as I told him, “You’ve really done it, you know it?”
“Done what?”
“Made me fall for you even harder than I did when we were kids.” I eased up on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his, kissing him briefly. “And that’s saying something.”
“You’re not the only one who’s fallen.” His voice was low and filled with a hint of mischief. A thrill shot through me when he lowered his head and pressed his lips to mine, making me instantly forget that I’d ever been upset. “I’ve fallen right along with you.”
His touch was tender yet demanding as he swept his tongue across my bottom lip, teasing, and I gasped, giving him the opportunity to delve deeper. I placed my palms flat against his chest, trying to steady myself from my shaky knees.
The feeling of his mouth on mine had me aching with need. Anticipation raged through me as Thomas’s hands slid to the hem of my sweater. He eased it over my head, and when he started working on my bra, it was clear that a simple kiss wouldn’t be enough for him. As he looked down, an admiring grin spread across his face. “Mine. All mine.”
A flash of hunger blazed through his eyes as he lifted me into his arms and carried me into the bedroom where Thomas showed me time and time again that I truly was his and only his.
And I loved every second of it—just like I loved him.