Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
“Damn, I missed you,” Jayson breathed in the crook of my neck. We panted raggedly, both of us having reached our peak.
I smiled, unsure what to say to that. If I expressed how much I missed him, that would take things a step further. I did miss him. But saying it out loud was risky considering how fragile my trust was. Not that I didn’t trust Jayson in a sense. He seemed like an honest man. In fact, the first night we slept together, we’d lain naked under the sheets afterward, discussing personal tidbits about our lives.
When my emotions had gotten the best of me, I told him about my separation and how I’d found my husband cheating on me with my best friend in our house. Then I got on the topic of losing my mom when I was fourteen because of a fire, and that’s what truly bonded us: the loss of our mothers. He’d lost his mom in 2009 to cancer.
When he pulled himself free and stepped back, I climbed off the table and picked my panties and leggings up from the floor. “So are you going to stay both nights or just tonight?” I asked, side-eyeing him.
“Just tonight.” He slipped into his boxers as I tugged my panties up. “Wish I could stick around both nights, but the bar needs me. Big corporate party tomorrow. They rented out the whole place and I have to make sure they don’t destroy my shit.”
I laughed. “I get that.”
He smiled down at me with those warm brown almond eyes. His hair was freshly tapered at the edges, his dreadlocks bound in two strands with rubber bands on the ends. His skin was light brown, the hair above his lips lined precisely. Curling a muscled arm around me, he reeled me close and kissed me.
I kissed him back, moaning softly. “I should shower,” I said when our lips parted.
“Can I join?”
I laughed behind the next kiss. “If you want.”
Our mouths drifted apart but his hovered above mine.
He smirked. “I’ll let you have a moment,” he murmured. “I’ll make us something to eat while you shower. That cool?”
“I would love that.” I stood on my toes and kissed him once more before pulling away and going for my bag. “I didn’t order much though. Just a few things.”
“All good.” He pulled his basketball shorts on. “I’ll work with what you got.”
I drifted around the corner as he made his way to the kitchen, digging through the groceries still bagged on the counter. Still shirtless. Damn, that man was fine.
Once I was in the bathroom, I took everything I needed out of my toiletry pack. I was grateful for the clean folded towels on the rack built into the wall. As I stuffed my braids into a shower cap, I stood in front of the mirror and my eyes shifted up.
I hadn’t realized it before, but there was a rectangular window just above the shower. I twisted back around, not liking that at all. I hated bathrooms with windows. Not that anyone could see through a window that high or with opaque glass unless they were ten or eleven feet tall, but still. It was the principle.
Ignoring it, I undressed and stood beneath the stream. As the minutes passed, I kept thinking about the ice cream in the freezer. Where was Eve now? Had she returned to Charlotte? Was she staying at some other friend’s house that I didn’t know? Or was she with Cole? Had he been lying about not seeing her?
That could’ve been a possibility. Cole could’ve stopped by and pretended to be concerned about her whereabouts so I wouldn’t figure out they were together. No. That was stupid. She wouldn’t go that low . . . would she?
Something slammed into the glass above the shower. I screamed, clutching myself as if that would save me from whatever was trying to break in.
“Rose?” Jayson’s deep, concerned voice carried all the way to the bathroom. He barged in, peering around with wide eyes. “What happened?” he asked.
“I—think something hit the window!” My voice shook as I pointed up. Suds clung to my chest and water poured over my shoulder.
“The window? You sure?” he asked, a frown taking hold of his features.
“Yes! It sounded like someone hit it or threw something at it! Shit, I need to get out.” I turned around and rinsed the suds away.
“Hold on, hold on. Let me see what it is.” Jayson left before I could speak again.
I swallowed hard, shutting off the shower and reaching for a towel on the rack. I wrapped the towel around my body and left the bedroom to get to the living room. The front door was cracked open, so I stuffed my feet into my shoes and walked out.
It was pitch-black outside now. Minus the porch lights and solar lights planted into the ground to reveal a trail to the cottage, there was hardly any visibility. Just trees, darkness, noisy cicadas, and croaking frogs.