Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91363 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
My belly seemed a little big for sexy lace and satin, but the red nightie was so pretty, I couldn’t stop myself from trying it on. After I stepped into the bathroom to look in the mirror, the front door opened.
I quickly shut the bathroom door.
“Gabby?” Ben called.
Gah!
He couldn’t hear me. And my clothes were in the bedroom.
“It’s fine,” I murmured to myself, blowing out a slow breath, while inspecting my reflection. My boobs were so big. I looked ready to shoot a porno. And the lace didn’t hide my nipples at all. The crotch of the matching panties crawled up my butt. There was nothing sexy about me. “Ben won’t care,” I said, closing my eyes.
“Gabbs?” He knocked on the door.
With my shoulders back, I bit one side of my lip and then the other, testing which one felt most sexy, then I opened the door.
“Oh my gosh!” I gasped, slamming the door shut.
“Uh, sorry about that. I’ll just give Gabby the gift and tell her it’s from you and Mrs. O’Neill,” Ben said to his boss!
“No. No. No.” I covered my face.
A few seconds later, Ben opened the door, forcing me to take a step backward.
His gaze landed on my boobs before slowly inspecting the rest of me.
“Your boss saw me!” I signed.
My dramatic hand movements brought Ben’s attention to my face.
He scraped his teeth along his lower lip and slowly shook his head like Mr. O’Neill didn’t see me. But he did! Or Ben was dismissing the incident like it wasn’t a big deal. But it was!
I crossed my arms over my chest to hide my nipples poking through the lace.
Ben smirked, balancing on one foot and then the other to remove his dirty socks. “Baby, don’t do that.”
I swallowed hard and shook my head. We weren’t having sex after Mr. O’Neill saw me.
“Ya think that little red getup is dry clean only?” he asked, unbuttoning his dirty gray shirt. “Because I need a shower, but I need you more.”
“Your boss saw me!” I signed. “Do you understand me?”
Ben’s grin doubled as he shrugged off his shirt and unbuckled his belt. “Yeah, I understand. I’m sorry. Did you try to tell me?” He stepped closer.
When his jeans slid down his legs, he cupped the back of my head and kissed me.
Every time we had sex, but most especially after Ben got off work and needed a shower, I thought of the girl who was saving herself for marriage—the girl who imagined a white canopy bed and a husband who wore a suit and had a clean-shaven face. That girl no longer existed.
Rebel Gabby slid her hand into Ben’s briefs and stroked him until he groaned.
Rebel Gabby knew she wasn’t rebellious enough to mess up the new bedding, so she made Ben lie on the floor.
He grinned up at me while pushing his briefs down his thighs. I slid off my uncomfortable panties and started to take off the nightie.
“Leave it on,” Ben said.
I paused for a second, eating up the way he looked at me like I was the most beautiful person in the world. His hands slid up my legs as I straddled him, and they gripped my hips when I guided his erection into me.
We were young and stupid.
Wild and free.
Figuring out life one day—one happy accident— at a time.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
THE CURE, “JUST LIKE HEAVEN”
Gabby
The sun shined on our wedding day.
My father walked me down the aisle and took his place at the front of the church to marry us. I would never love my father as much as I did that day. His pride and happiness never wavered, despite the polite smiles and whispers of judgment from people around town.
We had a small reception at our house with a two-tiered cake. Then I threw my bouquet straight into Tillie’s anxious arms just before everyone threw rice to send us off as Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Ashford.
“Wife,” Ben said and signed while holding open the car door.
“Husband,” I signed back to him.
We drove off with cans dragging from the back of his Monte Carlo.
Sarah and Isaac gifted us two nights in St. Louis for a short honeymoon in a fancy hotel with a stunning view of downtown. Ben carried me into the room, and I giggled when he deposited me onto the bed.
“I have something for you,” he said. “I don’t know if this is the right time, but when I was packing my things yesterday, I came across it.”
I nodded slowly, then signed, “I didn’t get you anything.”
“Gabbs, you’re everything I need. That’s why I want you to have this, in case there’s ever any doubt.” He pulled his journal I gave him for Christmas from his duffle bag and handed it to me.
There were pages and pages of entries. I glanced up at him.