Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 37508 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37508 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
I kept replaying the night in small flashes. The warmth of his breath on my neck. The deep, longing sound of his voice. The goosebumps that prickled my skin whenever he touched me. The hum of my heart when he told me how incredible I was. They were just small moments, but they meant everything to me.
Before him, there had only been Baylor’s dad, and it was never like this. It was always rushed and awkward. It was more about him getting off than ever about pleasing me. I thought that was just the way it was. But tonight, I realized just how wrong I’d been.
Thatch didn’t just want me. He paid attention to me. He responded to me and cared about me in ways that left no doubt that my experience mattered just as much as his—if not more. My throat tightened with emotion, and I turned to look at him.
He was young and maybe a little naïve, but he handled himself with more loyalty and pride than most men could ever dream about. And he wanted me. That thought brought a feeling of happiness that radiated inside of me. This could be my life. I could be with him. He could stay, and together, we could have something good.
As quickly as that thought came, another seeped in and filled me with fear. I never imagined that I would have that kind of happiness. I’d been through too much. I was too afraid to hope.
It’s easier to expect nothing than to let yourself believe you have a chance for something more and lose it. It’s just one disappointment after the next. But when I looked at him, I wondered if this time might be different.
Maybe it could work out. Maybe he’d meant the things he’d said, and maybe he’d stay. It was scary to hope for such things, but as I lay there staring up at the ceiling, I couldn’t help myself. I wanted this. I wanted him.
I shifted a little, nestling in the crook of his arm, and pulled myself closer. And with that, I closed my eyes, and it wasn’t long before I drifted off to sleep. The next morning, I woke to the smell of coffee and the feeling of an empty bed. I rolled over with a stretch, scanning the room through hazy eyes, and found Thatch standing at the door with a cup of coffee in his hand.
“Morning,” he said with a lazy smile. “Morning.”
“How’d you sleep?”
“Like a log.” He walked over and offered me the cup of coffee. I took it from his hand as I asked, “How about you?”
“I slept ok.”
“Just okay?”
“Well, I was snoozing pretty well until the snoring started.”
“Snoring?” I gasped, sitting up in bed. “Are you saying I snored?”
“Like a lumberjack.”
“Oh, my God.” My mouth fell open with mortification. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
“Don’t sweat it, babe. I sleep at the clubhouse with guys who snore ten times louder than you ever could.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
“Pfft, it’s no big deal. I’d be more concerned about the talking in your sleep thing.”
“Do what?”
“Ah, yeah. You are quite the chatterbox. I couldn’t make out what you were saying. Hell, for a minute, I thought you were talking Mandarin.”
“Oh, you’re messing with me now.”
“Afraid not.” His smirk widened. “And your leg was doing this weird twitching thing. You should probably get that checked out.”
“Thatch.”
“It’s better than passing gas.” He was fighting hard to bite back his laughter as he said, “But actually, I’m pretty sure you did that, too.”
“I did no such thing!”
“Nah, you didn’t.”
“You’re gonna pay for that.”
“I’ll look forward to it.” He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. “But I gotta say, I was glad to see you were getting some sleep.”
“You’re still gonna pay.”
“Counting on it.” He motioned his head toward the clock as he said, “Now, get to moving. We need to go get knot-head before she decides to move in with Jenna and Pop.”
“That is a possibility,” I giggled, tossing back the covers. “But you don’t have to go. I can run over there myself.”
“I don’t mind.” He cocked his brow. “Unless you’re ready to get rid of me, and if that’s the case, I can…”
“Not at all.”
“Good. Then, let’s get to it.”
As soon as I was dressed, Thatch and I got in his truck and drove over to Grim and Jenna’s. We’d barely parked the truck when Baylor and Luna came scrambling out the front door like little hurricanes. Jenna and Grim followed after them, and they both seemed to be in good spirits. I hoped that meant they’d had a good night.
“She survived!” Thatch cheered, lifting Baylor into his arms. “Did you have a good night?”
“I not ready to go.”
“So, you had fun, huh?”
“Um-hmm.” Baylor gave me a pout. “I wanna stay.”