Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68369 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68369 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 342(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 228(@300wpm)
“I made the mistake of listening to Coach last night,” he said, nipping at my bottom lip. “He told me to take a couple hours to myself. Freshen up, eat, rest, whatever. And when I got back here, I found out some fucking nurse had helped you shower.”
Oh-ho! Leighton was feisty. This was bold coming from him.
I grinned into one more kiss, and then I gave his ass a solid squeeze and inched back to look him in the eye.
He was dead serious.
“Didn’t you see I was covered in caked blood and soot?” I chuckled, confused.
“Yeah, so? I could’ve helped you,” he mumbled stubbornly. “I can’t have you in porn-worthy situations with other women. Who knows what’ll send you back to the enemy.”
I cracked up but had to suppress most of it, ’cause fuck me sideways, the slightest tremble set my arm on fire.
I kept rubbing my hand all over his ass, partly because I couldn’t help myself, and partly because I wanted him to see the irony. I was damn near obsessed with him. Wasn’t that enough proof? Then again, we hadn’t discussed shit, and he only knew I had a string of failed relationships with women.
But seriously, how fucking soft could his ass be? All smooth. Perfect handfuls.
“First of all, you’re not my first journey into the world of bisexuality,” I told him. “I had a whole thing when I was a teenager. You’re just the one who fucked me up completely—to the point where I can’t stop gropin’ your tight little ass.”
His mouth twisted a little, as if he was fighting a smile. “I did notice it. That’s kinda gay.”
I chuckled and nudged him closer. Refamiliarizing myself with his ass would have to wait. “Second of all, your fake possessiveness is just cute. And a turn-on. I’m not gonna lie.”
“You think it’s fake?” He leaned in so our lips almost touched. “It’s not fake, Bo.”
Bo.
Must’ve been the first time I’d heard him use my first name.
I liked it a ridiculous amount. “Keep calling me that when we’re off the clock,” I murmured. “I wanna hear you moan it too.”
He raked his teeth across his bottom lip, eyes clouding with need. “Maybe when I help you in the shower next time.”
Oof. If I was strong enough to stay upright, maybe. Although, there was a comfy plastic chair in the medic bay’s shower.
“I don’t know. Nurse Tina is very talented,” I said.
He narrowed his eyes, and his jaw ticked. “You can joke about that when I’ve convinced you to give us a real chance—not a minute sooner.”
Whoa, that was…direct. I furrowed my brow and cupped his cheek, wanting to get a good look at him.
He was behaving in a very…non-Leighton way.
“Tell me what’s wrong, pup.” I brushed my thumb over his bottom lip. “This is unlike you.”
He dropped his gaze but stayed close. “I don’t know how to explain it,” he mumbled. “Something happened to me out there.”
In the clearing?
He swallowed. “For a second, I thought I lost you.”
Aw, fuck.
I cupped the back of his neck and rested our foreheads together. “I’m sorry I scared you. It terrified me too, to worry about you.”
He drew in a breath and closed his eyes. “I want us to be real, Bo. I can be patient, I swear—but I don’t wanna settle anymore. I wanna know there’s a chance. Because…I don’t know. At the hospital yesterday, I kept thinking, so much is at stake. I’ve never had that. And I don’t mind being scared, as long as I’m afraid for a good reason, not because I’m a chickenshit who doesn’t have the balls to go after anything.”
I pressed my lips to his cheek, then opened my mouth to respond, but he wasn’t done.
“I’m not the same guy anymore.” The admission left him in a whisper that radiated vulnerability. He was anxious. “I feel…impatient. I wanna lock this down because I’m so hooked on you, and I want you next to me when I meet my family.”
Jesus, this kid. He had my heart in a fucking vise.
“Sounds to me like your first encounter with close combat unglued you a bit.” I carefully rubbed my thumb over a bruise on his cheek.
“Maybe. I sure woke up feeling like the whole world was different.”
I took a deep breath as something settled within me, something comfortable and reassuring. This was a huge leap forward for him, and for whatever reason, he wanted to take a chance on me.
“Not the whole world,” I murmured. “Just you.”
He opened his eyes and swallowed again.
It was my turn to be nervous, because even if he was different from anybody else I’d ever been with, I was still the same.
“I’m gonna be honest with you, Leighton. I’m absolute shit at dating. I went for all the clichéd bullshit with my exes because I couldn’t be assed to get to know them properly. So…” I cleared my throat and hoped for the best. “While I figure out how to actually make someone happy—make you happy—can I take you out on my kind of date?”