Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83358 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
I press a hand to my chest, trying to slow the flutter.
“Okay, what did I miss?” Kelsey sweeps into the room, balancing her travel mug of coffee. “I saw the video. I gasped. I swooned. Then I immediately texted Emily who was too busy grading to fully appreciate what was happening.”
“I appreciated it,” Emily says, entering behind her, arms full of worksheets. “I just did it silently. Like a mature adult.”
Kelsey slaps her cup on the table beside me. “Did he kiss you?”
The burning of my cheeks gives her the answer.
“Oh my God,” she squeals, plopping down so hard on the couch beside me that I bounce. “Did you sleep with him?”
“No!” My face gets hotter. “I don’t sleep with someone on the first date.”
“That was technically your third.”
“Well, I don’t sleep with someone after the first kiss.” I lift my chin in defiance, although I don’t know if that’s true. Had Lucky pushed for more, there’s a damn good chance I might have given it to him.
Emily sits on my other side. “So… does he kiss like he invented it?”
I groan. “Can we not do this?”
Emily raises an eyebrow. “You hounded me mercilessly after my first date with Kyle. I deserve to do the same.”
I groan again, but honestly… I don’t mind sharing. These are my girls, after all.
Glancing at my watch, I note we still have ten minutes until we have to get to our classrooms. I motion for them to huddle closer. “Okay… it was… amazing. Like… best kiss of my life, but I can’t figure out if he’s just that good, if I’m that desperate or if I’m blowing him out of proportion.”
“I bet he’s that good,” Emily says with a sigh.
Fiddling with a button on my blouse, I admit. “I wasn’t expecting the world to weigh in.”
Emily frowns. “But you’re an influencer. That’s all people do is weigh in on your content.”
“Yeah, but I don’t have other women telling me that the guys I’ve been dating are too good for me. They’re pointing out a very real fact… Lucky is out of my league.”
“Not true at all,” Kelsey says adamantly. She nudges me. “Let them talk. The guy’s into you. The chemistry is obvious. Also, he has nice forearms. These things matter.”
Emily shrugs. “You knew this experiment would draw attention. But maybe now’s the time to ask—do you still want to go through with this so-called experiment? Or is this something that should be private?”
I open my mouth to answer… but I don’t.
Because I’m not sure.
Last night felt real, but how do you reconcile that with a plan you made, promises you gave, an audience you built?
“I don’t know,” I say finally.
And that’s the truth.
Emily nods like she gets it. Kelsey grins.
“Well,” Emily says and rises from the couch, “if he keeps up this steady stream of charm, I vote you delete the app and marry him.”
“Noted,” I murmur, even as my eyes drift to my phone again.
“Got to get to class.” Kelsey stands up behind Emily. “You coming?”
My phone buzzes with another text. I’m still thinking about your mouth.
Throat dry, I wave them off. “In a second. Need to handle something.”
They both saunter out, ready to warp young minds.
I read the last text again. God help me, I’m not ready to give this up.
But I’m not sure I’m ready for what comes with it either.
Another chime. Are you there?
I bobble my phone, almost drop it. My heart feels like it’s going to pound out of my chest. Still here. Discombobulated.
I hit send, wait for his reply and almost drop the phone again when he calls me. For a split second, the terror of sounding like a dork hits me hard and I consider not answering. But the excitement of what he might say is far too tempting. “Hello,” I say, trying to sound far more composed than I am.
“I feel guilty,” he says, his deep voice rumbling through me. “For discombobulating you.”
I laugh, twirl my hair around my fingertip and realize with horror what I’m doing. I quickly tuck my hand under my leg. “It’s fine. It’s a better jolt than caffeine.”
“Great,” he says cheerfully. “Then it won’t bother you too much if I ask you to come to my game tonight and then come out with me and the team after.”
I freeze. It’s a request he’s made before, but I wanted no part of it.
But jeez… things have changed since then. “We already have a date set for Wednesday,” I point out. Because yes… he said he wants to take me out to a fancy dinner that night.
“You promised me four more exclusive dates, so if you want to count tonight as one, you’re entitled to it.”
Quick math… going out tonight and the Wednesday dinner date would put me through fifty percent of our remaining time together before the experiment concludes. Somehow, that doesn’t seem like enough.