Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 44342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
“Nicole,” I start, but she doesn’t let me finish.
“I’m scared that, yeah, you want me now, but your world isn’t going to approve of me. Eventually, you’ll see it too and decide I’m not what you really want. And that’s fine, but—”
“Nicole. Stop. Breathe.”
She inhales slowly, and I soften my voice. “Listen to me. Really listen. I’m not sure what this is either, but I know I’ve never felt this way about a woman before.”
She starts to argue, but I stop her. “Listen. When I wake up in the morning, you’re the first person I think about. When I’m on the field, I wish you were there watching me. When the game ends, I wish I had you to run to. And when I lie down at night, I wish you were beside me.”
I suck in a breath. “I know this is fast, but I’m willing to slow down and go at whatever speed you need. If that means we start as friends, I’m fine with it. You want a no-touching rule, you’ve got it.”
Her voice rises. “You’re telling me that if I said no more touching and no more kissing, you’d be okay with that?”
I adjust myself in the seat. Just talking about touching her has me half hard. “Yeah. Whatever you want, Nicole. I just want to be with you.”
She’s quiet for a second, and when she speaks again, her voice is thick with emotion. “What time are you picking me up tomorrow?”
“Ten.”
“I’ll be ready.”
“And?” I ask.
“And what?” she asks, even though she knows exactly what I want.
“Can I hold your hand and kiss you?”
She lets out a low sound. “You know I can’t say no to you.”
“You can,” I insist. “You absolutely can. Whatever you want from me, you can have.”
She pauses. “Fine. Yes, kissing is okay, but I really don’t want my dad finding out about this.”
The fact that she wants to hide us makes me crazy, but I’ll agree to anything if it means I get to have her. “Fine. It stays between us.”
I’m not sure how I’m going to manage it, but I’ll make sure her dad doesn’t find out we’re dating. At least for now.
“Can I ask you something, Guy?”
“Anything.”
“Are you wearing my hair tie around your wrist?”
I answer without hesitation. “Yes. You’re my good luck charm.”
She sighs softly. “I can’t believe you kept it.”
“It was all I had of yours. I needed to keep it with me.” It’s the truth. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her, and having even a small piece of her with me has given me some calm.
She sighs again. “Are you almost home?”
“I am. You better rest up.”
“Oh, what are we doing tomorrow?”
I pause for a second. “I thought I’d take you horseback riding. What do you think?”
“What? For real?”
“Yeah. What do you think?”
She sounds surprised. “I love riding. What made you think of that?”
“I remembered your dad talking about his daughter once and saying how much she loved horses.”
She giggles. “It’s been eight or nine years since I’ve been on one.”
“That’s okay. I’ll be right beside you.”
She goes quiet for a second, and when she speaks again, her voice is softer. “I think I’d like that.”
“I’ll see you in the morning, honey.”
“Night, Guy. Have a safe drive home.”
“Night, honey. I’m pulling into my driveway now.”
“Good. I won’t have to worry about you either.”
The call ends, but I sit there for a second, feeling the effect of her words. My family worries about me. I know that. But this feels different, in the best possible way.
CHAPTER 8
NICOLE
When I go downstairs the next morning, Guy is already waiting for me in the lobby. He steps out from behind a column, and his whole face lights up when he sees me. His eyes travel slowly down my body before coming back to my face. His voice is husky. “Good morning.”
I can’t seem to stop smiling. “Morning.”
He starts to hold his hand out to me but quickly lets it fall. Instead, he gestures toward the exit. “Ready?”
I nod and fall into step beside him. When we reach a black truck, he hits a button and opens the passenger door. Before I can say anything, Guy puts his hands on my waist and lifts me onto the seat. My mouth falls open. He makes it look completely effortless. He reaches into the truck and pulls the seatbelt across me. “You good?”
I nod. “I’m good.”
His gaze drops to my mouth like he’s going to kiss me, but he doesn’t. He steps back and closes the door.
I watch as he walks around the truck and gets into the driver’s seat. He picks up a bag from the console and holds it out to me.
“I brought breakfast. There’s coffee too. Cream and sugar are in the bag with the pastries.” Almost instantly, he shakes his head. “And just so you know, I feel guilty as hell for not taking you out for a proper breakfast.”