Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84670 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Byron’s fierce but gentle words rang in my ears. There was nothing he said that I didn’t know deep in my heart. I had to come clean with Liam. Sure, I didn’t know the depth of my feelings, but I wanted to explore them. I wanted to try dating him and see if there could be more between us. Yet, I didn’t want to put more pressure on him right now.
Of course, this was all assuming the man didn’t sneak out of town and hide away in the hills like some hermit, digging in the dirt for fossils and scaring the local kids with stories of dinosaurs.
Fuck, why did everything have to be so complicated?
19
LIAM ROSE
“Did you have to pick the coldest night?” I asked as we hurried from the ticket counter to the entrance gate of the zoo.
“It’s not even close to the coldest night. It’s still above freezing, you baby,” Rome teased.
He was right. It wasn’t that bad, and I had layered prior to leaving the house, so it would take a while for the cold to sink in.
Honestly, I’d been a little surprised when Rome had suggested this outing and persistently pointed out that this was not a date. Only two friends hanging out.
Of course, since the morning following the sleepover, we hadn’t talked much. I’d gotten busy with work at the museum and the university. Not to mention, my remaining waking moments were spent in near-constant contemplation over what we’d shared physically. It had helped that I’d had Friendsgiving with Emily and her girlfriend. They’d had no problem turning our holiday into a wine-and-bull session. They’d shared their personal experiences and had answered my questions as best as they could.
Guilt twisted in my stomach that I hadn’t shared that conversation with Rome, but talking with Rome came with an added complication. Feelings. I was starting to suspect that what I felt for Rome was more than friendship. And just maybe, he was the same. Both of us had vested interests in what happened next, so maybe he wasn’t the most unbiased person to talk with.
Leaning in close to him as we entered the zoo, I said in a low voice, “You know, I was expecting you to suggest we meet up somewhere more private.”
Rome’s head whipped around, his wide eyes catching the twinkling white lights that filled the trees. Even in a knit hat and a scarf, he looked too handsome for words.
Yeah, I was more comfortable admitting that now. I no longer needed all the caveats and asterisks to reassure myself of my masculinity and heterosexuality. Rome Ashbridge was a handsome man. He was fucking sexy. Especially when he smiled.
“Really?”
I grunted. “I didn’t think you’d had enough on Saturday. That you’d want to be intimate again.”
Rome gasped and choked on a rough laugh. “Yeah, well…maybe, sure, but we haven’t gotten the chance to talk much since the weekend. As much as I’d love to have some fun, it’s more important to me that you’re comfortable. No pressure, you know?”
If I fell in love with Rome, would it shock anyone? Seriously? I couldn’t remember knowing anyone as thoughtful as Rome. He might be prone to craziness and being recklessly impulsive, but he also tried to make sure that no one got hurt.
“How have you been?” Rome asked.
“I’ve been…whoa! This is insane!” We’d started walking among the other zoo patrons, and my eyes lifted to the spectacular display of holiday lights that stretched over everything. It was a blanket of warm, white stars that had come to Earth so that we could nearly touch them. I’d heard all the advertisements for the past few weeks for the Festival of Lights celebration, but I didn’t feel like it had adequately prepared me. Besides the usual lights on the trees and the enormous Christmas tree, I could see colorful displays made to look like the zoo’s inhabitants farther down the lane.
Rome bumped me, drawing my gaze to him. “Do you like it?”
“I love it. This is gorgeous.”
“You’ve seen nothing yet. The whole place is done up. We can even grab the train that runs through the zoo so you can see more of it. Plus—” He paused dramatically, holding up a gloved finger. “—if you’re good, I’ll treat you to a hot cocoa.”
“Oh, really?”
“And if you’re extremely good, I’ll order it spiked with a shot of Irish whiskey.”
“They do that here?”
He nodded. “Special for the holiday season.”
I snagged Rome’s arm and pulled him deeper into the zoo. “Let’s do this. I want pretty lights, cool animals, and holiday snacks. Not necessarily in that order.”
Rome laughed, and I think we both relaxed a little more.
We were wandering around a lake ringed by the small train tracks and filled with dazzling lights and ducks when I continued our original conversation. “I’m doing…okay,” I answered honestly. “I still have a lot of questions, and some of them I don’t want answers to because the answer won’t make me feel better. Things I can’t change about my past. It’s better to focus on the present and future. Part of me is terrified of my mom finding out, and another part desperately wants to shove it in her face. See if I can give her a heart attack.”