Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 101840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
A psychotic break, maybe?
In the time it took me to realize he was actually here, I panicked.
There was no way I could talk to him here, of all places. Not with my entire family around. Cousins, siblings, friends. I had a history of crying like a baby when overwhelmed with emotion. I’d already done it at least once before over Locke, and chances were I’d do it again the minute he asked me to explain myself.
The minute he realized I wasn’t anything like the man I’d pretended to be.
As I bolted from the room, all I could think about was getting to my hotel room. I said a silent prayer of thanks for Gabe’s insistence that we get separate rooms in case he wanted to bring a guy back to his. With any luck, I could have my big sobbing breakdown in private.
I stabbed the elevator button several times. “Come on, come on,” I muttered, staring up at the digital display.
“Don’t fucking move,” I heard Locke say in a low voice as he strode quickly toward me, his long legs eating up the ground between us.
The elevator doors slid open, and I darted inside, hammering the button for my floor over and over while saying a prayer to all the elevator gods.
Just as the doors began to slide closed, he shoved his hand between them and held them long enough to squeeze in.
My entire body shook with fear. Fear he would confront me. Be angry with me.
Reject me.
But I also shook with need. He was right here. So fucking close. One deep inhale of his familiar scent would fucking gut me.
Don’t breathe. Just don’t breathe.
This elevator didn’t have enough oxygen. I could hardly pull in enough air to breathe anyway.
“You’re here,” I said stupidly.
His dark eyes narrowed and then began to take inventory. For seventeen floors, that man’s gaze moved over my body like it was reestablishing lost territory.
“I am,” he finally said.
The tears were coming. I could feel them. My nostrils stung, and my chin wobbled. Dammit. Fuck. Nobody wanted this. Absolutely no one.
Locke pulled the Stop button and jammed the elevator. Then he crossed his arms in front of his chest and waited.
As if the alarm wasn’t blaring.
As if security wouldn’t respond.
As if he had all the time in the world for me.
I started babbling. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry I left you. God, I am so fucking sorry for that. I wanted to protect you, but still, thinking of you handling everything alone… And I… I’m not who you think I am, Locke. I lied. I know you hate liars and manipulators. I know you’ll never be able to trust me after that. And…” Then I got angry. Defensive. “And besides, you’re not even comfortable with your sexuality! You don’t want a relationship. The whole reason you picked me was because I was easy!”
His bark of laughter made me jump. “I picked you because I couldn’t keep my fucking hands off you. Because I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Because for four fucking years, I looked for you. Thought of you. Dreamed of you.”
This couldn’t be real. If I woke up in my bed right now, I was going to be fucking livid.
“W-what?” I asked stupidly.
He uncrossed his arms and stalked forward, backing me into the wall. Six feet of angry Locke Maris made my head spin. Took up all the oxygen. Burned me from my toes to the top of my head. And convinced me that this was really happening.
“Don’t fucking leave me again,” he growled, splaying a hand high on my chest and softly shaking me. “Whatever happens from now on, we handle it together. Do you understand?”
I lurched forward, crashing my mouth into his. My throat let out an embarrassing sound, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t hold back anymore, couldn’t stop myself from touching him, from having him. From tasting his mouth and inhaling his scent.
His mouth was possessive, punishing me hard enough to leave bruises. It didn’t matter. I yanked his shirt collar, pulling him as close as I could until my arms were wrapped around his entire head.
Locke’s hands were everywhere, on my chest and abs, under my shirt, up my back to grip my shoulder blades.
His thickening cock ground into me, pressing against my own. It was too blunt, too separated by layers. Too not close enough.
“Please,” I begged against his mouth. It came out too high. Too revealing. “Please,” I said again, in case he hadn’t heard it the first time.
“Give me an answer, Jethro.” He sounded angry. “Give me an answer right fucking now. You and me. Yes or no.”
My remaining fear tumbled past my lips without warning. “I… I don’t want to be your dirty secret.”
His face hardened, and he pulled away. Slammed the Stop button with his hand, then selected the Lobby level button.