Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 129084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 645(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 645(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
It doesn’t feel like the time to ask why she never left me her number or why she sneaked out of the house. It feels good just being here with her. There’s no expectation of afterward, just dinner and great conversation.
“I’m not sure I’m one to ask.”
“I’m teasing . . . kind of.” I chuckle and finish my drink. We’ve had another round, but with our bellies full, it’s been nice to let off steam from the week without the pressure of clients. “I owe my storytelling to my family. My brothers are older than me, and if I didn’t come in with something to grab everyone’s attention, it would be easy to get lost in the chatter.”
“So you were a little brother fighting for his share of attention? Yep,” she says, licking her lips. “I can see that.” She rests her elbow on the table while her hand cups her chin. She’s settled in, ready to spend a few more hours with me. “Are you close to your family?”
“We’re a tight-knit crew. I imagine it could be intimidating for some to join in. Not because we’re not welcoming. I have two great sisters-in-law who are a part of the family, but more that we’re loud and a bit rambunctious, even now.” I chuckle again. “I’m fortunate. I know that. My parents have been married forever—”
“Are they happy?”
The question hits me sideways. It’s not one I’ve been asked before or something I’ve had to think about. My parents are just my parents and have always been there for us. “They are, always are,” I say. “There have been mentions of my dad working too much in the past, long hours away from the family when I was younger, but that was something my brothers experienced, not me or my little sister.”
“You have a sister, too?”
“Yeah, Marina.” Like my brothers, I feel a sense of pride when talking about her. For a few years, it was only the two of us since Loch and Harbor had already left the house. “She’s two years younger than I am. We’ve always had a good relationship. Not that we don’t get on each other’s nerves because we do, but she’s a good sister to have. I’m going home to see her in a play on Sunday.”
She’s invested; her interest hasn’t waned, nor have her eyes left mine. “Pretty name. She’s an actress?”
When I rest my arms on the table, we’re much closer, with only a foot or so separating us. It’s probably the wine or the whiskey that’s given us this chance, but it feels good to be close to her, so I don’t want to waste it. “Why don’t we pause on the Westcotts? I want to hear about you.”
We both sit back to make room when dessert is served. Liv’s eyes widen like she’s just fallen in love. “I could cry from pure joy just looking at this dessert.”
“Maybe that’s how it got its name Crying Chocolate.” I eat a donut while she digs in. I’m not letting her off the hook, though. “Are you an only child?”
“I am. I guess one of me was enough of a handful.”
“What’s the wildest thing you ever did?”
“Sleeping with you.” She takes her first bite and then closes her eyes to savor it. “Mm. So good.”
That confession and her moaning in pleasure shoot straight to my dick. Fuck me. It was all going so well, too. How can I keep things casual when she’s causing a riot inside me?
“Glad I could be of service, but that night—”
“Please, Noah. Don’t take it away from me.”
I’m caught off guard. She’s made it clear that it was a night that should be forgotten since I showed last Monday. I run a hand through my hair, trying to find my way through the maze that’s Olivia Bancroft. “I thought . . .” I look so lost in what to think or believe, how to feel about something more than a one-night stand in my memories. “I don’t know what to say, Liv. You wanted me to quit. Why?”
“The night with you wasn’t me.” She sets her spoon down on the back end of a cringe. “It was me, but it was out of character. I wasn’t thinking. I was acting on instinct. Doing whatever I wanted without thinking about the repercussions.”
“I don’t think so. I think that’s who you really are. That’s the issue. You don’t have a lack of interesting stories. You aren’t a one-dimensional ice queen. You’re more than you let on. I have a feeling I’m the only one who’s seen the real you.”
Her breath collapses in her chest as something else overcomes her. Tears reflect the lights hanging nearby as she tilts her head back to keep them from falling. “I don’t want to talk about this.”