Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 101736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
He blinked, utterly shocked. These were not the words he’d expected to hear, and he was so excited by them, he didn’t trust it. “You’d be okay with that?”
My gaze drifted over to Sydney, who sliced into the tenderloin and seemed so pleased with the cook on the beef. It made the corner of my mouth quirk into a smile, seeing how happy this made her.
Shit, I was crazy about her.
Despite the obstacles, we’d made it work.
I turned my focus back to him. “Yes. I don’t want to stand in the way of your happiness.”
His lips parted to say something, only nothing came out. Instead, he took a sip of his wine and considered my revelation like it had changed his life.
Hadn’t it?
“I wanted to tell you sooner,” I commented, “but we were both so busy, and I didn’t want to put it in a text.”
He blinked and refocused on me, like I’d pulled him from a daydream. Warmth filled his face, along with emotion. “Thank you for telling me.”
I nodded, trying not to let his emotion get to me. The moment between us only lasted for a single heartbeat because Sydney announced dinner was ready. We both puffed up our chests and pretended we were fine. That the conversation between us had been as normal as talking about the weather and not him marrying my ex.
The three of us came to the table, and of course, the dinner she’d prepared was awesome. It wasn’t a ‘fussy’ dish requiring a lot of technique, she’d commented, but the flavor on the meat and the crust on the outside of the roast was fucking delicious.
She was only the third girl I’d introduced to my dad, and I could tell he was impressed with her. How could he not be?
He didn’t stay long after dinner was over. If I’d had to guess, he was anxious to get home and either talk to Cassidy about it . . . or jump straight into planning how he was going to propose. When I’d asked Troy if it had been hard making the decision to propose to Erika, he’d laughed.
“What’s the saying?” he asked me. “When you find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with—you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. It’s cheesy as fuck, but it’s true.”
After my dad left, I set the last of the dishes in the sink and then put my arms around Sydney, burying my face into the crook of her neck. “Let’s get naked.”
“You want to do the dishes naked?” Her voice rasped because my lips ghosted kisses across the sensitive skin right below her ear.
“The dishes can fucking wait.” I chuckled. “I can’t.” I sucked on her neck, making her shiver and melt into my arms. “I bet you can’t either.”
Because her sex drive rivaled my own. She was insatiable and I’d teased her that I’d created a monster. But I wasn’t complaining. Sex with her wasn’t like anything I’d had before. It was hotter, way more fun, and so much fucking deeper. Was it possible I fell a little further in love with her each time?
She didn’t answer me with words, choosing instead to give me a fiery kiss.
“You want to know a secret?” I asked. “I’m glad I turned you down after our first kiss.”
Outrage spilled across her expression. “Excuse me?”
“At the time, I said something like you couldn’t handle me, but I’d been fucking wrong. If we’d hooked up then, I wouldn’t have been ready.” I brushed my lips against hers. “I wouldn’t have been able to handle you.”
She liked hearing that and gave a half-chuckle as we began to move toward my bedroom. “Are you sure you can now?”
“I got you to fall in love with me, didn’t I?”
Her tone was smug. “I did that to you, too.”
“You did,” I admitted. I spoke in a stern voice and pointed a finger toward the floor. “I want your clothes here,” then I gestured to the bed, “and you there, good girl.”
She didn’t move though. “What if I don’t want to be a good girl tonight?” Her voice turned sultry. “What if I want to be bad?”
I grinned. “You need me to show you how it’s done?”
“No.” She was full of confidence. “I think I’ve gotten pretty good at being bad.”
And then she spent the rest of the night proving it to me, over and over again.
* * *