Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 67510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67510 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
He asked me about my family, and before we knew it, the morning rolled by, and it was like I blinked, and the sun warmed our already heated skin. It was warmer that day than it had been, and I loved that we were taking advantage of it. I was doing something out of the ordinary for me and enjoying every minute of it.
I was already counting down the seconds when I’d see him again. I shut off the voice in the back of my head that kept trying to tell me I needed to stay away from him.
He reminded me of the girl I wanted to be, the one who could act her age and live in the moment with him. Question after question tore through my mind as we locked eyes.
“You know this is a date, right? You know, where two people go out, the guy pays for everything, and they get to know each other. Maybe there’s a reach-around?”
I giggled with a great big smile on my face. My belly did this somersault thing that only happened when he spoke to me in that suggestive way. I never had anyone talk to me like he did, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like that too.
“Don’t you have a no-dating rule?”
“I’m making an exception.”
“For me?”
He leaned in close to my lips and whispered, “Only for you. What are you thinking about over there?”
“Nothing.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You know when you lie, your lip twitches a little.”
“Are you always this perceptive?”
“It’s how I operate.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I know what you’re doing.” He nodded. “Just in case you don’t realize it, I’m aware that you’re trying to change the subject.” He flashed me one of his full-on dimple smiles. “Fully aware.”
I rolled my eyes, giving him my undivided attention. “Okay, buddy, new rule. This.” I pointed from him to me. “If it’s going to work, this perfect thing you got going on, it’s got to be taken down a few notches.”
“Perfect thing?”
“Don’t act all coy, Aires. You know what you’re doing.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but thanks for the boost to my ego.”
“Yeah, because you need a boost to that, Aires.”
He chuckled, making those damn dimples prominent and enticing. I wanted nothing more than to reach over and touch them. I blushed just thinking about it.
“I love it when you say my name.”
I slapped his arm. “Stop.”
“Stop what, telling the truth? You want me to lie? Tell you I’m not thinking of all the dirty things I want to do to you?”
I giggled. “I’m pretty sure you already have.”
“I’m just getting started.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, Casanova.”
I truly enjoyed being the center of his attention. He moved a little closer to me, causing his cologne to instantly assault my senses. It was difficult not to turn into him just to breathe in his scent.
“How about we talk about you blocking all my topless cues for the camera?”
He smiled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I thought you didn’t lie.”
“Got me there, gorgeous.”
“What if B. Night didn’t agree with your direction of how those scenes should turn out?”
“He liked it enough to accept my proposal of taking a pay cut if you didn’t have to go topless.”
My mouth dropped open.
“I warned you. I don’t share, sweetheart.”
Meeting his stance, I asked, “What about future roles? How are you going to control the narrative there?”
“Cross that bridge when we get there.”
“Nicholas Aires III, I can’t believe you.”
“Believe it,” he bit. “Any other cards you want out on the table?”
“I don’t know. Are you going to say something dirty or flirty?”
The truth was written all over his face. “Tell me something about yourself that no one knows,” he prompted. “Not even Alexis.”
“Now that’s a hard one. There isn’t anything Alexis doesn’t know.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you seem like the kind of woman who might keep some things hidden.”
“Let’s talk about you instead,” I countered, not wanting to talk about the things that kept me up at night.
“I’m an open book.” He smirked. “So ask me anything.”
“You tell me something you’ve never told anyone.”
“Alright.” He nodded, carrying on. “When I was twelve, I found my father fucking his secretary on his desk in our vacation home.”
I gasped, jerking back. Never expecting him to confess that. His response was a slap in the face.
“I’ve never told anyone that,” he admitted, knowing how much it would mean to me that he told me.
My heart pounded in my chest with heavy thumps. “I hate that you went through that. Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“You come from a perfect family, Bay. You wouldn’t understand.”
I shook my head. “That’s certainly not true.”
“They’re all faithful to their wives,” he simply stated.
He got me there. “It doesn’t mean they didn’t fuck up in other ways.”
“Sex, drugs, and rock and roll, right?”