Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 104657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
“Are you going to pirouette for me?”
She grinned, setting the mug on the table. Then she backed away and raised her arms in front of her, bending at the knees. “Plié,” she said.
I grinned.
She lifted onto her toes. “Relevé.” Then she raised one leg and spun. “Pirouette.” As she came to a stop, she extended her leg behind her and spread her arms like wings. “Arabesque.”
Did ballet turn me on? Apparently. Or at least, Everleigh making it look so easy made my dick hard.
“Come here,” I said.
She dropped her arms, and the big smile on her face softened as she padded her bare feet toward the table.
“You’re incredibly surprising,” I said, pinching a few threads hanging from the leg of her cutoffs.
She clenched her fists at her sides.
“Did you enjoy watching me shower?”
She swallowed hard. “I don’t know what you’re—”
“You do.” I slid my hand along the back of her bare leg. “Why didn’t you join me?”
Again, she made an audible gulp, and her chest rose and fell slowly despite her racing pulse. I dragged my hand to the side of her leg and inched my thumb up her inner thigh.
Her lips parted, eyes closed. My gaze shifted between her face and my hand on her leg, thumb breaching the crotch of her underwear.
Chapter Nine
I shake Everleigh’s hand so long it’s obvious I’m thinking back to our “really good” kind of friendship. She grins, so I clear my throat and let go.
“Did you only tell your mom that I stole your virginity and stepped on your heart? Or did you mention your Peeping Tom episode and how much you enjoyed my fingering you at the kitchen table after you played your violin and danced for me? How when I had second thoughts about it, you grabbed my wrist and begged me to keep going?”
I have to hand it to Everleigh; she’s more controlled than she was when we met in California. She can easily channel Dr. Reichart and deliver her punches as needed.
When she smiles, I prepare for the impact.
“William, now that we’re friends again, you should let me stay in the shed. And if you leave the bathroom door unlocked, I might take a peek or two when the mood strikes. In return, when my mom’s not here, I’ll let you finger me at the breakfast table. Deal?”
Damn . . .
How is it possible that in less than six hours, I’ve gone from wanting to kill her, to realizing I was her victim of emotional abuse and manipulation, to being on the verge of apologizing for breaking her heart, to the recipient of a real apology from her, back to friends, and now I want to fuck her senseless? Perhaps I should hire a therapist.
“If you need to get off, I suggest you look into a good vibrator. Messing around with roommates is breaking the house rules. And I have better options,” I say.
“It’s your rule.”
I twist my lips for a few seconds before nodding. “Yeah. It’s a good one.”
“Fine.” She offers a one-shoulder shrug. “I’d rather drop my panties for a stranger in a bar restroom, anyway.”
“Attagirl,” I say because we’re friends, and friends cheer each other on.
What the fuck?
Did I really just agree to be friends with Everleigh Reichart?
“Let’s tell my mom the good news. Her body is on Eastern time, so she’ll go to bed soon, and we can game for a while.” Before I can reply, she marches toward the house like our evening plans are final.
“I’m sorry,” Fitz says as soon as I answer the phone the following morning on my way to the fire station.
“For what?”
“Everleigh. We didn’t know, man. I feel like such an asshole.”
“Oh, yeah. Actually, it’s—”
“Don’t tell Jamie I used this word. She hates it. But Everleigh is a cunt. That’s all there is to it. After everything Maren told me, I can’t imagine what you must have felt. Scared to open your door for three years? Will, that’s messed-up shit. And seriously, what if one of her parents had turned you in to the authorities? Can you imagine?”
“You know, I was in a bad place yesterday, stressed about my dad. And then the kitchen was a mess. I may have overreacted. After all, it’s been eleven years since that happened, and I didn’t get a knock on the door. Had I just stuck around to talk to her, I would have found out that there was no way she or her parents were going to turn me in. I’m just ready to put the past behind me and stop thinking about it. Let bygones be bygones. You know?” I rub my temple while waiting at the stoplight. Then I flip my visor down because the rising sun is in the worst spot.
“Listen, buddy, don’t do this. You know I buried shit from my past, and it didn’t stay buried. You have to deal with it if you really want to move forward. I’m going to make sure Maren gets Everleigh moved out today or I’ll do it myself. Okay?”