Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 115683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 578(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 578(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
“I actually don’t,” I say with a smile. “Not here in Hartsville anyway. I’ll find you tomorrow, Dean. Don’t worry.”
“Good,” he says, closing his eyes. “Night night.”
“Night.” Colton turns off the light, and together we tiptoe out of the room. He slowly—quietly—closes the door behind us, letting out a sigh of relief.
“You really didn’t have to stay to help with bedtime.” Colton keeps his voice low. “Dean can be kinda shameless when he’s asking for stuff.”
“Please. It was an honor.”
I mean that. It was an automatic yes when Dean asked if I wanted to stay for dessert and more LEGO building and another yes when he begged me to help his dad read him bedtime stories.
Honestly, what the hell else am I gonna do on a weekday night in the middle of nowhere?
And yeah, maybe I’m enjoying myself. A lot. In a way I never anticipated I would with Colton. His house just has this energy—this warmth—that’s hard to resist. It makes me realize how lonely I’ve felt since graduating.
I don’t want to leave.
Speaking of. I’m hit by a new wave of nerves as Colton and I head back out to the kitchen. He turned off the music, and the snap and pop of the fire in the family room fills the silence.
The windows have gone dark. I watch our reflections move through the space with an ease that I absolutely do not feel.
What I do feel is aroused. Interested. Achy.
Full in all the best ways.
“Would you like another beer or…?” Colton lifts an arm to dig his hand into the hair at his nape. His bicep bulges, his shirt lifting to reveal a sliver of his flat stomach.
Yup. Gonna do something very stupid if I don’t leave very soon.
Last thing I want to do is overstay my welcome. Sure, Colton was kind and very flirty tonight. And yes, he did mention continuing our enemies-with-benefits situation. But are we even enemies anymore? It sure as hell doesn’t feel like it.
If not, what the hell are we now? Because he also asked about my family and my life and my job, and my heart skips all over again at the memory of the look in his eyes when he said that doesn’t sound like you.
But that does not mean Colton wants me to stay. In fact, I imagine he wants to fall face-first into bed. He looks tired.
He always looks tired.
I’m not gonna be the reason he misses out on any sleep.
“Thanks, but I think I’m gonna head out.” I grab my bag from the console table behind the family room couch.
Dropping his arm, Colton looks at me for a beat. I can’t read the expression in his eyes. He’s not squinting at me. He’s not checking me out. He’s more like…
Searching me. For answers. Do I really want to go? Or do I want to stay?
Does he want me to stay?
Please, please ask me to stay.
But what if Dean hears us? What if, I don’t know, it’s not as good as I remember?
What if it’s better?
“All right.” He drops his fist onto the nearby countertop. “Thank you for the LEGO set, Lainey. That was really cool of you to think of Dean. Even cooler of you to spend time with him. Us. I feel like I’m always so busy doing other stuff…” Colton shakes his head. “I don’t know, I worry I don’t sit down and play with him enough. Tonight was fun.”
Be still, my beating heart.
“It was.” I loop my bag over my shoulder. “Kinda shocked by how much fun we had, to be honest.”
He chuckles and starts walking toward the door. “For the record, I still don’t agree with you being here. Not here here but on the ranch.”
I follow him, my body throbbing with an awareness of just how close he is. How good he smells. “And I still don’t agree with you not agreeing with that. Mark my words, cowboy, I’m gonna knock your socks off.”
He cuts me a look over his shoulder. “You were so cool, until you weren’t.”
“Told you I was a nerd.” My face hurts. That’s when I realize it’s from smiling so much all night.
The ache in my core intensifies.
“How’re things?” I lower my voice. “With your sister and Ryder?”
Colton runs a hand over his mouth. “I spoke to my therapist about it today. I’m working on acceptance. Part of that is accepting…well, that I may be jealous.”
My pulse skips several beats. “You’re in therapy?”
“Can’t you tell by how well I handle stress and you and, well, everything else?” He grins. “Yes, I’m in therapy. Working through some stuff.”
I lick my lips. Never would’ve guessed this gruff cowboy would be doing that kind of digging. But he is. And I respect the hell out of him for it.
“Good for you,” I manage. “So, wait, you think you’re jealous of Billie and Ryder’s relationship?”