Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 116597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
The truth rested in the fact that it was too painful to be with my sister, and so I just avoided it at all costs. We texted and talked on the phone every now and then, but even those interactions typically sent me into a spiral of sorts.
Now, my baby sister was getting married.
And I had to decide what to do with her invitation.
It would be one of the biggest days of her life, one I always imagined I’d be a part of. I wanted to be there for her. I wanted to celebrate her union.
But I couldn’t stomach the thought of being back in Long Island, or even in the same state as my parents.
I didn’t want to think about it — especially not right now.
I took a breath that would have seemed normal to anyone on the outside, but for me, it was all I could do to calm myself down and get back to focusing on the task at hand.
“Now that we’ve gone over what not to say when she shows up at your door,” I said to Carter, asserting my dominance over him as I stood and stared down at him on the couch. “Let’s talk about what to do once she’s inside.”
I sat down next to him then, crossing my legs, the heel of my boot sliding up his shin. The way he reacted to me with a little shiver already had my mind clearing.
“The wine and music and lights are a great start,” I said. “But it’s body language from here. You can’t be tripping all over yourself. Relax. Let her know she can relax.”
I waited until he took the cue, leaning back on the couch and tossing one arm around the back of it so it was draped around me, too. He leaned in a little closer, shifting his weight so he was angled toward me. Then, he crossed one ankle over the opposite knee.
“Good,” I said. I felt the tension in my shoulders release now that I was back in control. “Now touch me.”
“With pleasure,” he muttered, hand shooting out for the tie of the sheer dress I wore. It rested just between my breasts, but before he could tug on it, I swatted his hand away.
“Pacing, Rook.” I smirked, and just like that, I was the teacher, and he was the student, and my family drama didn’t exist — at least for the moment. “Touch my hair, my neck. Toy with the straps of my top. Run your knuckles down my arm. And when you can’t stand it anymore, when I’m leaning in and giving you all the signs that I’m with you…” I shrugged. “Kiss me.”
His eyes shot wide at that.
“What?” I asked. “Don’t tell me I have to teach you how to kiss. For fuck’s sake, Rookie.”
“No, no,” he said hurriedly, shaking his head. “I just… I didn’t expect you to let me kiss you.”
“It’s only for educational purposes,” I clipped. “Don’t think this is an open invitation for you to kiss me any time you want.”
“I’ll take whatever you give me, Mommy.”
Again, he won himself an unbidden laugh with that, and I turned it into a growl before flicking his nose like a dog.
“Focus,” I said. “Or I’m walking right back out that door.”
“Okay, okay.” Carter threw his hands up in surrender before settling back into his relaxed, cocky, laid-back posture. He hit me with a lazy smirk, and the hand he had draped around the couch, and therefore me, began to gently rub my neck.
He wore his nerves like an article of clothing, his brows pinching together a bit like he was thinking really hard about his next move. He winced before taking his next breath, his eyes fluttering shut as a long inhale and exhale left him.
When he opened his eyes again, it was with a sense of calm.
He was quiet for a moment, his eyes watching where he touched me before they started to hike the rest of me like I was a trail in the Appalachian Forest. His touch grew softer, fingertips swirling in soft circles that made goosebumps erupt over my arms.
“I like this,” he muttered, fingertips sliding under the thin strap of my dress. He ran it slowly beneath the fabric, toying with it suggestively. Then, his hand trailed down, knuckles grazing my arm, rib cage, and oblique before he followed the line of my belt to the buckle that sat squarely between my hips. “I really like this.”
He slid his hand under the belt and tugged with the words.
And white-hot electricity shot between my thighs.
I arched a brow and smiled, amused by how well that had worked. “Oh yeah?” I teased, still letting him lead.
He nodded, his hand finding its way back up to curl around my neck. He played with my hair at the back of it, making me close my eyes and let out a sigh at the way it felt.