Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 106774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106774 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
On the one hand, her forwardness fits her personality perfectly. Astrid loves to be in control. In her words, she needs it. By being the aggressor in this situation, she maintains her grip on the ship, so that makes absolute sense. But she also seems to have an aversion to personal connections with people. While sex can be impersonal, I’m not a random guy she picked up at the bar and will never see again.
Does she mean what she’s insinuating, or is she just playing me?
“What do you think would’ve happened if I had kissed you back there?” I ask, gripping the steering wheel.
“Is that the question you want to ask me?”
“What do you mean?”
She sighs. “I mean, do you want to know what I think would have happened if you kissed me? Or are you really wanting to know what I hoped would happen after that? Because there could potentially be two completely different answers to that, and I want to know which one you’re looking for.”
This woman. I take a deep breath, ignoring the ache in my balls. “Are we taking the blanket off the baby?”
“I was hoping we’d be taking more than that off by now, but you seem to be avoiding the topic.”
Easy, Adler. Easy.
Few times in my life have I been given the green light by a gorgeous woman and not jumped on the opportunity. It’s happened, but the instances are few and far between, so I need to make damn sure Astrid has thought this through. I know she has trust issues. I know how important her job is, and if she hasn’t given this enough thought and weighed the potential outcomes, the last thing I’d want is for it to hurt her or her position with Renn.
I can’t let that happen. I won’t.
“Look, Gray, I’m not good at this,” she says, her confidence slipping. “I’m not good at flirting. I’m not good with dealing with men at all unless I work with them.”
“You can say that again,” I say. But so that she knows I’m joking, I reach out and give her thigh a quick squeeze.
Unfortunately, I don’t think about touching her before I do, and forcing myself to release her leg takes an effort worth a gold medal. The feeling of her in my palm sends a shot of heat directly to my cock. I have to sort this situation or get the hell away from her. Stat. I have ninety minutes with her in this truck, and right now, there’s no way out.
“All joking aside, you’re doing a fine job dealing with men,” I say. “Jasper couldn’t take his eyes off you. Brooks would’ve fucked you tonight if he could’ve gotten away with it.” Fucker. “And I’m at your mercy right now. I just want to make sure you’re not making a decision you’ll regret later.”
“These conversations are hard for me. I’m so awkward about things that have nothing to do with spreadsheets and emails. Basically, I’m socially inept, I think. I can order people around if I have my clipboard in hand, but without it, I never feel brave enough to go after what I want. No one would take me seriously if they knew that.”
“I think you’re being too hard on yourself.”
“It seems like it’s the only way to experience something hard tonight.”
I lick my lips, chuckling at her joke—mostly because I don’t think she’s joking.
The road forms a Y, and I take the right arm. My tires hit gravel, sending a plume of dust around both sides of the truck. The headlights bounce as we hit potholes that have formed due to a lack of attention from the county. She sits quietly, but I can feel her energy bleeding off her. Nerves. Anticipation. Hope.
She nibbles a fingernail and looks straight ahead.
“I can’t risk messing this up,” I say, choosing my words carefully. “So I need you to tell me what you want. No jokes, no insinuations. Tell me what you want from me.”
Her cheeks flush.
“I’m not trying to embarrass you,” I insist. “If anything, I want to empower you. Ask me for what you want. Order me around like it’s your job. You’re exceptional at that.”
She grins. “Is that really what you want me to do?”
“You’re results-driven, and it would definitely get the results you’re after.”
I smirk as her gaze drops to my lap, and she realizes just how prepared I am to make good on my promise. Her eyes widen at the sight of my cock straining against my pants. Each breath causes her chest to rise and fall dramatically, and it’s all I have in me to keep the truck on the fucking road.
Parted lips. Dilated pupils. Touching her collarbone with her fingers.
Motherfucker.
I hold the steering wheel tightly so that I don’t accidentally reach for her. Knowing that she wants me even a fraction of how badly I want her is enough to drive me crazy. But like the saint I am not, I wait.