Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 116759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“I am never going to live that down, am I? And thank you for mentioning vomit while we’re eating kung pao chicken.”
“You’re welcome. And never. Ever. Ever.”
“I wasn’t embarrassed in the least. And you shouldn’t be at all embarrassed by my public declaration of love.” I watched her carefully as she smiled but dropped her eyes.
It was, of course, not lost on me that Lily had not returned my avowal of love. Not because she didn’t love me. I knew that. She was … afraid to say it out loud. In case I hurt her again.
I hated that.
More than anything else in the world, I wanted her to tell me she loved me.
Yet I understood.
It didn’t mean I wasn’t determined to get her to confess it sooner rather than later.
Lily leaned away, putting her carton on the bedside table. The action caused her cropped sweater to rise, revealing an expanse of creamy olive skin I wanted to press a million kisses to. When she sat back, I knew she’d caught me ogling by the curve of her smile.
I shrugged unrepentantly and she let out a little laugh before settling back against my pillows.
“Would you rather spend the rest of your life as a civil engineer or in an art studio creating the most beautiful art I’ve ever seen?”
I tensed at her pointed question. Our eyes held and locked, hers serious and searching.
Her expression softened. “I know this week has been a big week for you emotionally and I don’t want to push, so tell me to back off if you need to. But … if you can pursue me, then maybe it means you’re ready to pursue other things you want.”
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “I’ve been working toward my civil engineering degree for four years.”
“And yet you haven’t pursued a part-time job in the industry. Not even an internship or work experience.”
No, I hadn’t, and many of my classmates had.
“You’ll finish your degree, and you’ll always have it. But is it what you want, Sebastian?”
“You know it isn’t.” The idea of giving my art my full-time attention excited me as much as it terrified me. “It’s not a stable career, Lily. And I have you to think about now.”
Her lips parted in shock. “What do you mean?”
“This isn’t a passing fancy. I didn’t put myself through the emotional wringer for someone I see as temporary.” I gestured impatiently between us. “This is it for me, and I want to be able to take care of you.”
Lily’s brow wrinkled and she appeared to be suppressing a smile as she shimmied over to me. She smoothed a hand up my thigh, momentarily distracting me from the serious subject matter. “You will take care of me by supporting me through my career choices and being my shoulder to cry on and … helping me decompress with many, many orgasms.”
Heat flooded my groin. “Is that right?”
She chuckled. “I thought that part would get your attention. But my point is … I don’t need you to support me financially. In fact, considering who your family is, I’d really prefer not to be thought of as a person who needs your financial support.”
I scowled. “But—”
Lily pressed a finger over my lips, shushing me. “I’ve worked extremely hard for four years and will spend another four years working even harder to get my doctorate in psychotherapy. I know everyone thinks I’m Mother Teresa, but I’m not actually quite as self-sacrificing as that. I’m ambitious. Eventually, I want to work for myself and have my own practice. If I pull it off, I won’t need anyone’s financial support.”
“I know.” I did know that. Lily had told me all this before.
“That means you won’t need to support me in that way. Don’t make this decision based on that. If your art doesn’t pay enough to support you—”
“Us,” I insisted.
Lily’s eyes lit with affection. “Us. Then you can go back to school or find an engineering job.”
My chest was suddenly tight with feelings. Overwhelming feelings I wasn’t quite sure I’d ever get used to. I placed my carton of takeaway on the bedside table near me and turned back to her, brushing my thumb over her full lips. “What did I do to deserve you, Sawyer?”
Her breath hitched at the gruffness in my voice. “We deserve each other.”
Need fogged my mind, and I knew if I kissed her now, I’d want to take it further. After all, I’d quite like to brand myself on this woman’s soul like she’d branded herself on mine.
“You …” She licked her lips, catching my thumb, and causing a jolt of lust to harden my cock. “You don’t need to be careful with me. If you’re holding back … don’t.”
That was all the invitation I needed.
Our lips were millimeters from touching when my bedroom door crashed open. Lily and I jerked away from each other in surprise.