Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 107710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
He brought her hands to his mouth and kissed her knuckles, leaving her heart fluttering wildly in her throat. Over his touch. His words. The perceptiveness of them.
She’d underestimated him yet again, hadn’t she?
“You have no idea how badly I want to come upstairs with you. Honestly, everyone in the lobby is about to see a grown man cry. My dick might just hop right off my body, assume a human form, and punch me in the face. But, uh . . .” He blew out a long breath. “I saw you in that bar tonight and you looked like you were in the right place, all classy and confident and polished. You knocked that motherfucker’s socks off. This is where you want to belong, if nothing else. I should have listened to you in the beginning. Maybe, uh . . . maybe I’m not the best thing for you. Natalie . . .” He leaned down, kissed her mouth gently, remaining there and breathing hard for a moment. Then, swallowing audibly, he took a step back, misery written on every one of his features. “I have to protect myself from getting in any deeper here, because you’re going to leave, maybe you should leave. And every time we’re together, you and me being apart seems more and more unthinkable.”
Being apart? He assumed her decision had been made to leave Napa. Permanently.
On the plane ride here, that was where her compass had been pointing. New York.
For good.
Now she wasn’t so sure. How could she remove herself from this man’s life when he’d walked in tonight and stitched her back together just by existing? She was deeply in love with August Cates and somewhere along the way, that started meaning more to her than a comeback.
A lot more.
Her indecision was causing him to suffer, so she needed to make a choice. Now. Tonight.
And when she looked up at this man, there really was no decision to make at all, was there?
Chapter Twenty-Five
So this is love.
A painful motherfucker.
That old saying, If you love somebody, let them go, actually had real-life applications and it was galling and horrible, to say the least. But Jesus, what he’d said was the truth. She fit into that bar full of millionaires tonight like sugar in coffee. A much-needed dose of sweet among the bitterness. Gorgeous and ready to take on the world—it was right there on her face.
He’d felt like a jackass walking in there, stuffed into his suit. Palms sweating.
The truth of why he’d come wouldn’t stay out of his mouth. Hell, telling Natalie how he felt about her was becoming this thing he needed to do to breathe. But taking her to bed knowing she would come back to this city one day soon and stay? Might as well perform open heart surgery on him without the painkillers.
Those fancy hotel elevators would take them upstairs. To a room with a really nice bed and, yeah, that business formal dress she was wearing would come off so easily. Just slide right down to the floor. He’d get on his knees and eat her out until her head spun. She wouldn’t be nearly as polished when he finished with her.
“August, about what you said . . . ” she began, then paused to arch an eyebrow. “I can tell what you’re thinking about.”
August sighed, resisting the urge to adjust his erection. “I doubt that.”
She blinked innocently. “You’re not thinking of going down on me?”
Now it was August’s turn to blink. And he did. About ninety-six times. “Did you not hear a word I said before? About protecting myself?”
“Yes, I did.” She took a long breath. “I heard you and I understand. You’re right. The more time we spend in bed together, the more difficult it would be to part ways.”
That sounded like a pretty damn good reason to go upstairs, now didn’t it?
August gnashed his molars together and tried to smile at the same time.
Everything hurt. His heart, brain, and dick were a trifecta of misery.
“I’ll wait here while you go upstairs.” He shoved both hands in his pockets to keep from reaching for her. “Call me when you’re inside the room with the door locked. And a chair wedged under the door, too, princess. You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to disengage those little safety latches.”
“August—”
“Please, Natalie, you have to go. I’m losing my resolve. You have no idea how bad I need you right now.”
Because, God, she was beautiful. The whole lobby had to be staring at his wife. If he could tear his eyes off her for a second, he might be able to confirm. He’d have flown back and forth between coasts for the rest of his life, just to be standing there to hear her voice. He also knew a long-distance relationship between them would never work, because he’d resent every second away from her and he still had a responsibility to Sam. And now to his CO.