Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 99921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
“Really?” Josie seemed as shocked as I was that I was initiating this shit. “I didn’t even ask because I figured there was no way in the world Fox Cassidy would dance.”
I was starting to realize there wasn’t much this woman couldn’t get me to do. Here I was, not at home or work on a Saturday—but at a winery, of all places. And last night I’d slept in a room with floral wallpaper and frilly curtains, followed by a morning where we joined strangers who thought it was fun to get to know the other guests at breakfast. But the moment I held Josie up against me on the dance floor, I forgot all about what I did or didn’t normally do.
She rested her head against my chest as we swayed to the music. After once around the dance floor, she looked up at me with a smile. “This place is really nice. Do you come here often?”
I shook my head. “First time.”
“Oh.” She seemed to think about my response before her eyes met mine again. “Is there a different winery you usually go to?”
“Nope.”
“Have you been to the B&B we’re staying at before?”
“Never stepped foot in a bed and breakfast until last night—unless you count the Hilton Garden Inn since they technically give you a bed, along with a free breakfast in the lobby the next morning.”
Again, she considered my answer. “What made you bring me here then?”
I shrugged. “Seemed like something you’d like.”
“It is.” She smiled. “Thank you.”
We went back to gliding around the dance floor in silence. But Josie had the type of brain that didn’t turn off so easily. Not even with the help of a little wine. She looked up at me. “Fox?”
“Yeah?”
“Are we…more than just sex now?”
“I don’t know, Jos. Do we need to put a label on it?”
She sighed. “No, I guess not. I guess I just like to compartmentalize things.”
I hated the look of disappointment on her face. “What comes after sex?” I asked.
“Sleep?”
I chuckled. “I meant in your compartments. You’ve got sex and just having fun at one end and married at the other, right? What comes in between?”
“Oh. A relationship is somewhere in the middle, I guess.”
“What comes before that?”
“I don’t know. Dating, maybe?”
“How about we call it that? Dating.”
“Okay.” She smiled. “I never really thought about all the different stages. But I would think dating is somewhere between hooking up and an exclusive relationship.”
My eyes narrowed. “So dating means you can see other people?”
“I would think so. If we’re keeping it casual.”
The thought of her with someone else made me feel like chewing up an imaginary guy’s teeth and spitting them out. “Then we’re adding a new compartment. Exclusive dating.”
“Really? You don’t want to see other people?”
“Are you good with that?”
She nodded. “I’m not really someone who can date more than one person at a time anyway. Besides, then maybe we can forego the condoms. I think they contributed to my soreness last weekend. If you’re good with that, I mean. I had a checkup after I found out Noah was cheating, so I know I’m clean.”
I stopped in my tracks. “Are you on the pill?”
“No, but I have an IUD.”
I bent down and wedged my shoulder into her belly. When I stood, Josie flopped over my shoulder. She screeched while laughing. “What are you doing?”
“Getting the hell out of here.”
“What about my tasting flight?”
I bent as we passed the table we’d been sitting at and scooped up the wooden mini-glass holder along with her purse.
Josie wiggled in my arms, but I didn’t let her down—not even as people stared while I walked through the winery, and not even as the security guard standing at the front door told me I couldn’t leave with the glasses in my hand. I kept moving—long, purposeful strides until I got to the truck and dumped her inside. Jogging around to the passenger side, I passed her the wine samples. “You should probably keep these low, open container-in-the-car laws and all.”
“I cannot believe you just carried me out of the winery.”
“You told me you want me bare. You’re lucky we’re not in the bathroom right now.”
Her eyes sparkled. “Anxious much?”
“You have no fucking idea.”
I drove double the speed limit to get back to the B&B. Inside, the host tried to strike up a chat about some snacks they’d be putting out later. But the only thing I’d be eating was the woman I was practically dragging up the stairs to our room.
Once the door was shut, I got scolded. “You’re so rude. That nice old lady was looking for someone to talk to.”
I started to unbutton her blouse. “I know. That’s why I nipped that shit in the bud.”
She shook her head, but I could see she wasn’t really upset. I finished the last button and went for her jeans. “Tell me how you want it, babe.”