Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 123779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 495(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
I’m stunned, but then his body heat starts to warm me, and I let it slide. When we reach his truck, he opens the passenger door and waits for me to get in before shutting it.
My gaze follows him as he walks around the front of the truck, and once again, I’m struck by how attractive he is.
He held my hand for thirty minutes.
Friends don’t hold hands. Right?
For a few seconds, I allow myself to wonder what it would be like to date him, and I instantly blush.
When he slides in behind the steering wheel, I pull the hoodie of my jacket over my head to try and hide my reaction to the mere thought of dating him.
Ryan leans a little forward, and seeing my face, he asks, “Why are you blushing?”
Ugh. Just my luck.
“I’m not blushing,” I mutter.
Ryan tugs at my hoodie, and as it falls back, I quickly glance the other way.
“You sure about that?” he teases me.
“Let it go, or I’m getting out of the truck,” I warn him.
“You’re cute when you blush,” he says, and as I reach for the handle, he quickly adds, “I’m dropping it.” He reaches for the glove compartment and pulls out a brown leather pouch. “I have something for you. Consider it an apology gift for teasing you.”
A gift?
My eyes jump between the pouch and his face, then I watch as he takes out a necklace. It has a leather cord with a cluster of gems and crystals hanging from it.
He seriously got me a gift.
Why?
Feeling a little overwhelmed, I swallow hard before saying, “You hardly know me. Why would you give me something so pretty?”
“It’s to celebrate you giving me a chance and not kicking me to the curb,” he explains, a crooked smile on his face. “Can I help you put it on?”
“It’s an amazing gift, but it wouldn’t feel right taking it.”
He nods but then says, “I already got it, though, and it will definitely look better on you than on me.”
I let out a chuckle, and not wanting to be rude, I murmur, “Okay.”
My eyes widen when he leans into me, and feeling his fingers brush lightly against my skin, tingles rush over my body. Moving my hair out of the way, I suck in a deep breath while trying to calm my suddenly racing heart.
Ryan pulls slightly back, and when our eyes lock, he says, “I want you to know I’m here if you ever need me for anything. Just call, and I’ll be there in a flash.”
Stunned by the intimate moment, I mutter like a dumbass, “I don’t have your number.”
“Let’s fix that.” He pulls his phone from his pocket and says, “Give me yours, and I’ll call you.”
I recite my number, and a few seconds later, I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket.
“Now you can call me at any time,” he says, a hot grin curving his lips.
“Okay.” Lifting a hand, I touch the gemstones and whisper, “Thanks for the necklace. It’s beautiful.” I smile at him before adding, “I actually know a bit about the magical properties of the stones.”
“Yeah? What do these stones mean?”
I brush the tip of my finger over each stone as I say, “The hematite, emerald, obsidian, and lapis lazuli all carry similar properties. They’re all about improving memory and mental clarity.” I take a breath before continuing, “The amethyst is all about stability and strength, whereas the opal is for protection.” I roll the seventh stone between my fingers. “I’ve never seen this one before.”
Ryan leans closer again, and when his fingers brush against the stone and my skin, his touch wreaks havoc in my body as I’m engulfed with tingles.
“It is an azurite stone, also known as a stone of heaven,” he explains. “Azurite was a sacred stone, and it’s said that it helps awaken psychic abilities. Opal, by the way, is also known as a stone of happy dreams and changes.” He hesitates for a moment before he adds, “It helps bring on visions.”
Ryan’s eyes flick to mine, and it feels as if he’s waiting for some kind of reaction from me.
“Thanks for this.” I tug at the necklace then glance at our surroundings. The parking area is quiet, and clouds are rolling in.
“How about we have that talk now?” he says as he relaxes against the seat.
“What talk?” My heart begins to beat faster in anticipation of what’s coming. I was hoping he’d forgotten about my weird daydream earlier.
“What happened in class?” he asks.
I wave my hand casually in the air, brushing off the incident. “Oh, that. It was nothing. I just zoned out.”
I’m feeling anxious about the direction this conversation is taking.
“It didn’t look like you were just zoning out. I said your name a few times before you responded.”
“I’m just tired from the late night we had,” I whisper in a pathetic attempt to avoid telling him the truth.