Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53462 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
“I think you’d put your daughter first, and you should.”
“And I did. She’s safe with my parents. Now I’m going to take care of you.”
She meets my gaze, gratitude and something more shining in the depths of her eyes. “Thank you—”
I pull her close, cutting her off by sealing my lips over hers. I kiss her hard, wanting her to understand that she is a priority, as much as I don’t want to admit that to myself. I don’t want anything to happen to her, and not because being a protector is ingrained in my veins. No, it is because this is Mia, and she’s gotten under my skin.
“What am I going to do?” she asks.
“You mean, what are we going to do?” I correct her. “First, I’m going to clean up the mess and board the window. We’ll spend the night here, and first thing tomorrow, we’ll get on the road.”
Her eyes open wide. “Where are we going?”
“The papers say you don’t testify for another week or two. We have time. And I have a cabin upstate. We’re going to get away from everything for a few days while I think and formulate a plan to deal with both my ex-wife and your former employer.”
“Okay.”
“And Mia?”
“Yes?”
My gaze falls on her. “I plan to pick up where we left off a month ago. I still want you.”
And I mean to have her. We’ll have the opportunity to distract each other and forget about our problems… if only for a little while.
* * *
Mia
I have mixed feelings about going away with Austin. Of course, I am looking forward to being alone with him, and yes, excited awareness ripples through my veins, but I can’t forget the reason for this trip. It isn’t just about sex; that is the bonus. This excursion is because someone is serious about preventing me from testifying. Serious enough to break into his house, and I feel guilty about bringing trouble to his doorstep and separating him from his daughter.
But after his earlier declaration, I still want you, I decide to leave my fear behind and savor the time we spend together. I won’t overthink things, and I definitely won’t let myself dwell on the pesky feelings that could mess up the good thing I have going with him.
There are no heavy expectations, and I tell myself it works for me. And it does, as long as I don’t let myself think about all his finer qualities. Like his protectiveness when it comes to his daughter and how he transferred it to me. He could have sent me packing when he realized I was bringing trouble to his doorstep. Instead he stepped up and took charge of my safety. It is hard not to fall for a guy like that… but falling isn’t an option. It isn’t what we tacitly agreed to. An affair is all this is, all it can be.
And I intend to enjoy until the real world intrudes once again.
I pack and meet him out at the SUV parked on the driveway. He wears a pair of jeans and a cream-colored sweater, looking sexy with a pair of aviators covering his eyes.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Yes.” I gesture to the carry-on-sized suitcase I packed, trying to be practical and not overdo it with too many choices. It isn’t like we are going out to fancy restaurants. We are staying in, and I chose accordingly.
He loads the trunk with our bags, and we get on the road. The trip passes in comfortable silence, the discussion mostly about music and other things we like… and don’t like.
We stop at a grocery store not far from the cabin, and I insist on food I can prepare for us. Cooking relaxes me, and I like taking care of people. He went on about the fireplace he loves at the cabin, and so I add some fun things to the grocery list, hoping he likes my idea later.
Throughout the morning, we are just two people enjoying each other’s company. Of course, that is on the surface. Right below is a simmering awareness that I can’t deny. He pushes up the arms of his sweater, and my gaze settles on his muscular forearms with a sprinkling of dark hair. Those arms are sexy. The man himself is delicious, and I want to get my hands on him again. We just had that one time together, and nothing since except in my daydreams and at night when my subconscious takes over and lets me imagine him sneaking into my room and taking me hard and fast, slowly and sensually, and many other ways.
He made his intentions clear for our time away from the world. And I know what I want, too.
I want him.
* * *
Austin
I love the cabin. My parents bought the place as a family getaway, and it is my home away from home. I come up here sometimes to get a break from the stress of life. Bailey is too young to join me in the woods or to commune with nature, but when my parents take her for the weekend, I come here and just… breathe.