Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94279 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“Well, clearly not the good kind of things if he hasn’t touched you.”
“I’m serious.”
Elijah lifted his knee onto the seat and turned to face me. “You fell off the horse—or in Josh’s case, the jackass—and now you’re afraid to get back on. I understand that. I really do. But, honey, this isn’t another donkey. This is a fucking unicorn we’re talking about. They don’t come around very often.”
“I know. But the fact that he is a unicorn makes it even scarier. I mean, if I couldn’t hold on to the donkey, how the hell can I expect to saddle the unicorn?”
Elijah frowned. “What Josh did is not about you. It’s about him. You can’t be afraid to take chances because you got hurt. Life is all about taking chances. Sometimes we jump off the cliff and splatter to the ground. But sometimes we jump off and fly.”
“Wilder and I are just so different. I’m a serial-relationship person; he’s a serial dater. He’s first class to Europe. I sit in the middle seat on my flight to Florida because I’m too cheap to pay for seat assignment. I live in New York in a house with most of my family, and he lives in London and has been on his own since he was eighteen. This month, he got approval to start his own professional rugby expansion team. He’s been traveling around the world signing players for weeks. I read three self-help books and went to therapy.”
“You know what that sounds like to me?”
“What?”
“A bunch of excuses because you’re a chicken shit.”
My shoulders slumped. “I hate you.”
“Let me try a different approach. What about having fun? No expectations, just get back on the horse and ride, girl, ride.”
I smiled. “Now that is tempting…”
“So do it. Listen to Nike and just fucking do it.”
“I don’t think Nike said it exactly like that.”
“They should have.”
* * *
Hedsor House was breathtaking. A private Georgian estate set on a hundred acres of manicured gardens, it made me wonder how I’d ever thought my wedding venue was special. Even the ceremony was beautiful. The bride and groom cried as they exchanged vows, making my own eyes well up with tears. Wilder and I had shared secret smiles a few times, but he’d been on groomsman duty, and I’d been busy talking to the bridal party to get material for my article. After getting off to a rough start with Piper’s wedding, this group had proved themselves to be sophisticated and tasteful, and the series had turned out to be a smart addition for the magazine. All because of a nip slip …
At the cocktail hour, I noticed a willowy brunette walk over and greet Wilder with a big hug and kiss. She was difficult to miss, being drop-dead gorgeous and probably close to six feet tall. When he spoke, she leaned in, gave good eye contact, and rested her hand on his arm or his chest. A woman could spot another interested woman a mile away, and it made me wonder if the ease with which she touched him was because they’d previously spent time touching each other. I looked the other way and went to the bar for a glass of wine, rather than let it bother me. Though the simple exchange dented my confidence.
But once the reception was in full swing, Wilder made his way over to my table.
“Can I have this dance?” He held out a hand.
“Sure.” I smiled.
Wilder led me to the dance floor, pulling me close as we slipped into the crowd of people. His hand rested at the small of my back, making my skin tingle.
“Not leaving room for Jesus again, huh, Hayes?”
His lip twitched. “Have I mentioned you look gorgeous tonight?”
“You have. But thank you. A girl can never hear it too many times. And thank you again for this beautiful dress.”
He nodded. “I intentionally picked one with an open back, for this very moment.” His fingers stroked my bare skin. “The things I’ll do just to get to touch you.”
I giggled, trying to lighten the moment, but the sexual tension was so thick, my breaths felt more like pants already.
Wilder spun me around the dance floor. “Is it weird that I really like shopping for you?”
“No, but I’ve noticed you seem to like shopping in some departments more than others. I think I have two outfits left, yet I have twenty thongs and lacy panties.”
“I never knew dressing a woman could be so titillating.”
“Titillating, huh?”
“Every time I pick something out, I imagine myself peeling it off of you.”
His hand at my back tugged me closer, and I suddenly felt every hard inch of his body. Every hard inch. I gasped.
Wilder moved his mouth to my ear. “I’ve been this way since the damn day I met you. It never fully goes down.”