Total pages in book: 160
Estimated words: 164263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 821(@200wpm)___ 657(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 164263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 821(@200wpm)___ 657(@250wpm)___ 548(@300wpm)
“What?” I stammer as he pulls me along. I look around guiltily, what if somebody sees us? “What are you doing?”
“I need a word.” He takes the stairs and I’m forced to follow.
Forced isn’t the right term…. I could stop this anytime I wanted to, but I want to hear what this word is.
We get to the top of the stairs and he looks left and right and then marches down a hallway until we get to a library; he pulls us in and closes the door behind us.
Suddenly alone, we stare at each other. My eyes roam over every inch of the face that I have dreamed about, cried about, and wished so desperately to see again.
Oh….
“What are you doing here?” he asks, his voice soft and cajoling. Just the sound of his dreamy English accent in that husky tone lights a fire in my memory bank.
“I live in Nice.”
He frowns. “You live in Nice?”
I nod.
“All this time you’ve been in Nice, half an hour away from me?”
What?
“Where do you live?”
“Between London and Monaco.”
We stare at each other and the pull I feel to him is otherworldly. Like a rope is tied between us, tightening harder with every word he says.
“It’s good to see you,” he whispers as he cups my face in his hand, he brushes his thumb over my bottom lip as I stare up at him. “It’s still there.”
I nod, not because I want to…but because there’s no denying the chemistry between us. “Yes.”
“I tried to find you,” he murmurs.
There’s an undercurrent of affection running between us. Wild and strong, unstoppable.
He bends and softly kisses me; our lips linger over each other’s as if this is the most natural thing in the world. The earth moves beneath me and just for a moment the planets align into perfect position. A total eclipse of my heart.
Pascal.
What the fuck are you doing?
“I….” I abruptly step back from him. I may be a lot of things, but I am not a cheater. “I’m with someone.”
“Him?” he asks incredulously.
I nod.
We stare at each other; our chests rise and fall as we struggle to breathe.
“And you’re with someone,” I remind him.
“I am.” He drags his hand through his hair as if only now remembering.
“This….” I put my hands over my eyes in disgust at our behavior. “This can’t happen again.”
“It can’t,” he agrees. “I just…. You’re hard not to touch.”
I nod, but I get the feeling that isn’t what he was going to say; he’s filtered his words.
“I have to get back; you stay here until I’m long gone,” I tell him as I rush off.
“When can I see you again?” he calls after me.
I turn back toward him. “I don’t even know your name.”
“Edward.” His eyes search mine. “Edward Prescott.”
My heart drops.
Oh no….
I’ve heard that name before, heard of the monster who my boyfriend despises with every ounce of his being. Never once could I have imagined who was behind it.
“We can’t….” I shake my head, overwhelmed with emotion. It’s the weirdest thing, it’s like my loyalty lies with him and not the man who I’m currently dating. Why do I feel so close to this stranger?
It was just sex.
Snap out of it.
“We are with other people, Edward; I can’t see you again.”
“Even though you want to?” His eyes search mine.
For the first time in my life I am in a happy, healthy relationship with a good man, and I cannot throw it away for a sexual connection at a kink club years ago.
I won’t.
“I don’t want to see you again,” I tell him. I turn and on shaking legs I walk down the stairs and back into the ballroom and look around frantically for Pascal.
Where is he?
My heart begins to panic, I just lied to him and kissed someone else, this is not okay.
What the fuck am I even doing?
I see him across the room talking to a friend of ours and I hasten over to him. “There you are.” I smile as I put my arm around him.
“I cannot believe you know him,” he whispers as he leads me away to talk in private.
“I had no idea he was the man you knew from work. Small world, huh?” I grab another glass of champagne from a passing tray and take a gulp.
Help!
“How can you be friends with someone like that?” he asks. “He’s ruthless and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.”
My heart is thumping hard in my chest, frazzled from our connection upstairs.
Tingling lips and all.
“I’m friends with his sister,” I lie again. “I have no idea about his business affairs. We’re family friends, that’s it.”
Fuck…. Stop lying, stop it right now.
“Let’s take our seats.” I force a smile. Taking his hand in mine, I turn us both toward our table and I see Edward walk back over to the beautiful people. The gorgeous woman in the white dress slides her arm around his waist as she laughs and says something to him, he says something in return and she laughs again.