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)
I nod. “We went to high school together, and we hit the gym sometimes.” My hand returns to her thigh. “So no more talking about leaving.”
She stares at me. And then I see it. She’s finally starting to understand that I’m serious about her.
A smile slowly spreads across her face. “I might have a job?”
I laugh and pull her into a hug. “You might have a job.”
She’s laughing when I release her. “I can’t believe you did that. Guy, I’ve applied at every school in Jasper.”
“Well, this one’s in Whiskey Run, but it’s only about twenty minutes away.”
She hugs me again. “Thank you. Seriously. Thank you. I owe you big time.”
I put my hand back on her thigh. “You don’t owe me anything.”
What I don’t tell her is how much I like the idea of her teaching at the school right down the road from my house. Maybe eventually I can convince her to spend more time there too.
She’s smiling from ear to ear. “Oh, I definitely owe you. Name it.”
I squeeze her thigh. “Okay. I’m ready to collect.”
She searches my eyes. “What do you want?”
I slowly let out a breath. “I want you off Pick Me.”
She opens her mouth, closes it, then opens it again. “Excuse me?”
I reach up and brush a strand of hair away from her face. “I want you to delete your profile.”
She tilts her head. “And what exactly am I supposed to tell the guy who asked me out for Friday night?”
My teeth clench. “Tell him you’re busy Friday night. Hell, tell him you’re busy for the foreseeable future.”
“But—”
I shake my head. “You’re not going on that date, Nicole. I don’t share.”
She stares at me with wide eyes before propping her elbow on the table. “So does that mean you’re getting off Pick Me too?” I don’t answer quickly enough. She lifts an eyebrow. “I mean, that’s the only way you know I’m still on there. You have to have an account too.”
I pull my phone from my pocket and set it on the table between us. I open the app, and my profile pops up. She leans closer. “Uh… is that your brother Ozzy?”
I shrug. “Yeah. I didn’t want to make one for myself, so I figured setting one up for my single brother wouldn’t hurt anything.”
Her eyebrows lift. “Does he know about this?”
I smirk, already imagining his reaction. “No, but I’ll make sure he does.”
He’s going to be pissed, which works for me. I’ll call it payback for ambushing Nicole with the whole family.
She scrunches up her nose. “Wait. You joined Pick Me just to see if I was still on it? Why didn’t you just ask me?”
I shrug, but insecurity starts creeping in. “I don’t know. I guess I hoped you’d already deleted it without me asking. I thought maybe you were done with it.”
Her eyes soften. “Guy…”
I look at her. “You want to keep this hidden, fine. But I’m not sharing you, Nicole. You’re mine, even if only you and I know it.”
She smiles softly. “And my dad. Don’t forget him.”
I put my hand along the back of the booth and run my fingers through her hair. “And your dad.”
She pulls out her phone, opens the app, and starts tapping the screen. “Fine. I’m canceling it.”
Relief hits me harder than it probably should. Then she looks up at me. “But that means I don’t share either. No cleat chasers, baseball bunnies, or whatever they’re called. As long as we’re doing this and having uh, sex, there’s no one else.”
I lean closer until there’s barely any space between us. “We’re not just having sex, Nicole.” Her eyes hold mine. “Eventually, you’re going to understand that.”
She doesn’t look away this time, and that feels like progress.
CHAPTER 16
NICOLE
This is crazy. That thought has been running through my head all night, and now that I’m sitting across from Guy, it won’t stop. I should end this now. That would be the smart thing to do. Before I start expecting too much or before Guy Brody decides this was fun while it lasted and moves on to someone who fits into his world better than I ever will.
My heart is going to get broken if I keep doing this. I know that. The problem is every time I think about ending it, I remember last night and the way he made me feel. Never in my life have I felt cherished like I did then. I remember waking up in his arms and the way he took care of me. Even right now, he’s looking at me like I’m the only woman in the world. And I don’t want to end it.
Guy is watching me closely. “What are you thinking?”
I shake my head. “Nothing.”
His eyebrows lift. “That’s a lie.”
I pick up my water and take a sip, trying to decide if I really want to ask what’s been bothering me. Finally, I set the glass down. “Can I ask you something?”