Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 102167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
My God, I feel like a warrior, a caveman—so fucking possessive, the sound of a low growl accompanies my blood as it rages through my veins.
She’s mine. She has to be.
I make a quick trip to the bathroom for a towel, wiping Avery’s belly to the sound of her soft giggle when I return, and then chuck it to the side to climb into the cocoon of my bed with her. She snuggles up to me again, her head resting on my chest as I run my fingers through her hair.
The room is quiet except for the sound of our breathing as we come back down to normal, and I can’t stop myself from pressing a tender, greedy kiss to the top of her head. She’s warm, her body curled against mine like she belongs there, and it feels so right, all sorts of things start making sense.
She does belong here. She is the missing piece to my puzzle, and nothing is right in this world without moments exactly like this.
“Henry?” she murmurs as her fingers trace lazy patterns over my skin.
“Yeah?”
She hesitates for a moment, then shakes her head. “Nothing. Never mind.”
“Hey.” I tilt her chin up so she’s looking at me. “You can tell me anything.”
She bites her lip, her eyes searching mine. “I’m just…really glad I came here tonight.”
“Me too,” I say, my voice firm. “More than you know.”
She smiles before settling back against me, and I hold her close, just like I did on the island. I stroke her hair and I sing, ever so softly about a special bird, until her breathing evens out and she falls back asleep.
I stay awake for a while, just watching her. The way her lashes rest against her cheeks, the easy rise and fall of her chest.
God, she’s beautiful. I want her to be mine, but I’m already hers.
I don’t know when it happened exactly—somewhere between getting stranded on the island and watching her hold it together when everything else fell apart.
But there’s no going back.
Avery
My eyes crack open, the obnoxious sound of Harry Styles singing about watermelons and a familiar warmth wrapped around me—Henry’s arm draped lazily over my waist—mixing in a confusing way.
I flail the covers off my legs in a panic at first, and then I realize it’s just my phone’s new ringtone, and the bewilderment, of course, is because the last time I was wrapped up in a man, I didn’t have a phone at all.
Henry’s still asleep, his breaths slow and even, my initial jolt of movement somehow not rousing him, and because of that, I decide to ignore the call entirely.
Henry’s still completely naked beside me, his big, strong, muscular frame looking like something out of my wildest fantasies. My mind latches on to the fact that I’m also naked, my clothes still gone from the sex we had late last night.
The most perfect, soul-link-affirming, pleasure-bringing sex—
Mid-thought, Harry sings again, the ringing getting incessantly louder by the second. Worried my obnoxious phone is going to wake Henry, I Gumby-stretch my arm over to grab my cell off his nightstand without moving otherwise.
The screen is bright and offensive to my still-sensitive eyes, but with focus, I see Incoming Call June quickly.
Shit. If the last two days are anything to go by, I’d say there’s a seventy percent chance she’s on her way to my condo right now.
“Hello?” I mumble, my voice still involuntarily thick with sleep.
“Where the hell are you? Why aren’t you here?” June’s voice is frantic, and I instantly sit up a little straighter. Okay, maybe she’s not on her way anymore and, instead, standing at my door.
Henry’s arm slides off me, and he finally stirs, his brow furrowing in sleepy confusion.
“Are you at my place?”
“Of course I’m at your place,” she says, her words tumbling out in a rush. “Where the hell else would I be, and why aren’t you also here?”
“Listen…” I hedge, glancing back at Henry briefly. “Let yourself in with the key—”
“I’m already in! I still have my own key!” she cuts me off on a yell. “You didn’t answer the door, didn’t answer my phone calls or texts, so I decided to come inside and make sure you’re still alive, but you’re not here! Thank God, you finally answered my freaking call! I was starting to fear the worst! I thought I was going to have to call the cops again and tell them you’re missing, Avery! Can you imagine what that’s like? To think your best friend is missing for a second—”
“June,” I quickly cut her off, deciding that I’ve let her maniacally ramble long enough. “Relax. I’m fine. I’m not missing, okay?”
“Relax?” she screeches, and I rub my forehead, already bracing myself for the hormonal storm.
Uh-oh, here we go…
“Relax?” June screeches again. “Avery, you were missing for two weeks! Do you have any idea what that did to me? And now you’re just…not at home? Without telling me where you are? Where are you, Avery? Tell me right now.”