Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 91285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
He lifts his head again, squinting like he’s in no way convinced. “She says while actively mocking me.”
“What can I say? I’m a woman of contradictions.”
A reluctant chuckle escapes him as the tension in his body eases. And just like that, something softer settles between us.
Because it was funny.
And fast.
And probably not the smooth, unforgettable first time either of us imagined.
But it was also real.
No cameras.
Or pretending.
Or strategy.
It was just us. Messy and heated and completely unplanned.
I slide my fingers through his hair again, gentler this time. “I can honestly say no one’s ever come that quickly before.”
He buries his face in the crook of my neck. “Fantastic. Love that for me.”
With a laugh, I wrap my arms around him and hold him close. It doesn’t take long for his body to relax, as if being teased isn’t the worst thing in the world. At least not when I’m the one doing it.
And honestly?
It was perfect.
Perfect for us.
36
Knox
I wake up before Cheyenne. For a second, I don’t move or even breathe as last night crashes through my head.
Every damn moment. From the fight on the ice to the ride home to finally getting my hands on this woman.
Damn… that ride home.
Stroking her, distracting her, making her come apart in the front seat of my car.
It’s doubtful I’ll be able to slide behind the wheel again without thinking about Chey coming all over my hand. Fuck, I’ll probably still catch traces of her in the air.
And I fucking love that.
If I thought I couldn’t get any more obsessed with Cheyenne Benson, I was mistaken. She’s lying on her side, facing me, her hair spread across the pillow, one hand tucked beneath her cheek. The sheet is twisted around her waist, her shoulders are bare, and there are faint marks from my hands still visible on her skin.
Something primal rises within me at the sight.
Even though she hasn’t been here long, it’s hard to imagine waking up and not seeing her gorgeous face. For years, I told myself she was the one woman I couldn’t touch. She’s family. Or close enough to count being Colby’s sister-in-law. We have the kind of connection you don’t mess with unless you’re fully prepared to deal with the fallout.
And now, I crossed a line I swore I wouldn’t. Hell, I didn’t cross it so much as bulldoze right over it.
My gaze drifts over her face again, slower this time, taking her in.
All I know is that I’d do it again without hesitation.
Dealing with family isn’t what concerns me, though. Chey heading back to LA is. That’s the part I can’t get out of my head because I don’t know where that leaves me.
Or us.
If there even is an us.
It blows my mind that we got to this place so fast, but lying here with her in my bed doesn’t feel reckless.
It feels exactly right. Like maybe I’ve been waiting a hell of a lot longer for this than I allowed myself to acknowledge.
Her eyes flutter open, unfocused at first, before she blinks and looks straight at me. For a second, we just stare at each other.
Her lips part slightly. “Did last night really happen?”
“Yeah,” I say, voice still sleep roughened. “It really did.”
She studies my face, as if checking for regret. But she won’t find any.
“So… is there a possibility we’ll do it again?”
I can’t hold back the grin. “Pretty sure we will. Especially since I need to redeem myself after that fiasco. Just so you know, I can go all night long.”
Her mouth curves as a laugh slips free. “Yeah, that was, um, really fast.”
I groan. “Can we not talk about it? If something like that were ever to get out, it would totally ruin my reputation.”
That only makes her laugh harder. “Just tell me this… Was I even in the room when it happened?”
“Barely.”
Now she’s really laughing, and, fuck, it’s nice to hear. Even if it’s at my expense. I’d make a total idiot out of myself every day if it meant seeing that expression on her face.
Damn. River was right. I really am in deep. And I still don’t give a shit.
“Sounds like I might need to go on a redemption tour.”
Tears leak from the corners of her eyes. “Is it like a world tour or more of a county fair circuit?”
“You’re hilarious, Hollywood.”
“What can I say? I try.”
She gasps when I pounce, rolling on top of her until she ends up flat on her back, staring up at me with wide eyes and a smile that makes my chest feel too damn full.
“Any chance your redemption tour starts right now?”
I brush a kiss against her mouth. “Yeah, it does.” I roll my hips against hers. “You good with that?”
“Depending on the outcome, I’d be more than willing to write a full retraction on your behalf.”