Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 51131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
A smile tugs at my lips. That feels like a really solid compliment coming from him. “I bet I would’ve liked her, too.”
My eyes drift shut as he kisses me. It’s slow at first, following the pace set by the ocean lapping at the shore. He kisses me, and his lips linger. He kisses me again, and just tastes my lips.
It’s the most intimate thing I’ve ever experienced, and despite—maybe because of—the excruciating slowness, my heart pounds more and more furiously in my chest.
I ache for him. I could no more resist his deepening kiss than I could my next breath. When his other hand slides down and bunches up my dress, I pay no mind to whether or not we’re still alone on the beach. His hot palm moves down my lower back, then pushes into the back of my panties so he can grab my bare ass.
Arousal pools between my thighs. Tightens when he slides his hand lower and grazes my pussy.
And just like that, I’m on my back in the sand with Hayden’s body covering mine.
I run my hands over his handsome face so I can memorize the feel of his stubble against my fingers. If we only have tonight, I want to remember every minute.
I push my fingers into his hair as his greedy hands roam my body. My legs are wrapped around him, his hips grinding into my pussy, but it’s not enough. I want him inside me.
I start unbuttoning his shirt, and he lifts up long enough to shrug out of it. He throws it on the beach and reaches for the button on his jeans.
I’m startled when I feel a vibration against my inner thigh. Is it coming from his pants pocket?
Did he bring… a toy?
Interesting.
Did it turn on by accident, or does he have a remote?
“Is that…? Um… your pocket’s vibrating.”
He frowns, ripping his phone out of his pocket and casting an impatient glance at the screen. He must not recognize the number or not think it’s terribly important because he ignores the call and tosses the phone on the sand.
His attention shifts back to me, a wolfish smile on his handsome face. “Now, where were we?”
I grin as he leans in to kiss me, eager to pick up where we left off, but before we can get much further, his phone is ringing again.
“For fuck’s sake,” he says, rolling off me and grabbing the phone. He swipes the screen and puts the phone to his ear. “This had better be pretty goddamn important.”
I study his face, but his urgent call reminds me that I haven’t checked my phone since we came down to the beach.
Parker was supposed to text me when she got home from Hannah’s house, but I hadn't heard from her last time I checked my phone.
If there’s still nothing, I need to call her. Maybe she went home but forgot to text me.
My stomach drops when I pull out my phone and see a ton of missed notifications. There are missed phone calls and voicemails, the top text reading, “Where are you?” and a note underneath that I have twenty-three missed text messages.
And they’re all from Parker.
“Oh, my god.” My stomach plummets even lower. My fingers tremble as I swipe open the chain and scan the messages. There are so many.
The first message says she just got home from Hannah’s house, and it was an hour ago. Shortly after, a text that says, “Is that you?” I keep scrolling, and the next messages are Parker saying she thinks someone is in the garage.
“Oh, my god. Hayden. Something happened. Something’s wrong. I have to go home right away. Oh, my god,” I say, my heart nearly giving out when I get to the one that reads, “Mom, I think there’s someone in the house.”
“Hayden,” I scream, finally getting his attention.
He’s still on the phone, but he looks at me, wide-eyed.
“We have to go. Something’s wrong, something happened. Parker—I missed a million messages from her. My god, I should have been home.”
Helpless tears spring to my eyes. I haven’t even finished reading the texts. Illogically, I’m too afraid to. Too afraid of what they’ll say. I don’t even know if she’s okay.
“I’m going to kill them,” I growl, choking on sobs at the same time. “Please, we have to go now.”
Hayden must see how panicked I am as I push up off the beach and shakily get to my feet. He stands, too, but he’s not in enough of a hurry.
My leg muscles have melted again, making it hard to move quickly, but I’ll crawl to the car if I have to. “Please, hurry, we have to go.”
“Gemma.” He grabs my arm to steady me, but I try to shrug him off so I can run up the beach toward the car.