Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16678 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 67(@250wpm)___ 56(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16678 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 67(@250wpm)___ 56(@300wpm)
“I’m lazy,” I blurted out. If there was one thing I wished I could change about myself, this was it. “I hate going to the gym and I hate working out. After I finish work, I like to throw on some baggy shorts or jogging pants and a T-shirt. I live in those clothes until I can’t stand the smell.” A frown formed on my lips, and I moved down to the bonsai sculpted from a crown of thorns. “Motivation is my middle name at work. But when I get home, I’m drained and I don’t want to move.”
“I don’t love working out either,” Arden admitted, which only earned his muscular ass a look. I slowly turned toward him and dragged my eyes up his body, from his nice dark loafers to his trim waist and broad chest to his equally broad shoulders.
“I refuse to believe you were born looking like that,” I muttered.
Arden rolled his eyes. “No, I don’t enjoy working out, but I don’t let it stop me from going. Heart disease and diabetes run in my family. Staying healthy means I stay ahead of it.”
A little grunt escaped me, and I continued to stroll through the room, snapping pictures. “I guess that’s a good excuse.”
“You know,” Arden started. The man had walked up behind me and his hot breath had brushed across the shell of my ear. He was evil. So fucking evil. It was as though he knew that if he used that low, seductive, teasing tone, I’d do whatever he wanted. “If you wanted to try it out, I’ve found that going to the gym with someone helps to keep you motivated. You wouldn’t even have to do anything more complicated than walk on the treadmill.”
“Are you offering to be my workout buddy?”
“Oh, no. Definitely not. You need to find someone else,” he answered brusquely.
He jumped back laughing as I whipped around and hit him on the chest with both fists. Thankfully, he captured my wrists before I could hurt myself further. Hitting his chest was like hitting a damn rock!
My breath caught in my throat as he pulled me in closer, his eyes locked on my lips. Now I was going to get the kiss I’d almost tasted in the desert.
Except one of the kids who had entered the desert was in the bonsai room, squealing about the tiny trees. A little kiss wouldn’t be too harmful for the tyke, but I suspected I would not be content with a safe, chaste peck.
Blargh. Some stranger’s kid was cockblocking me.
At least, that was the reason I claimed as I pulled away from Arden with a smirk. Although I had thought up some other nonsense about not wanting to date and this being a non-date, it was hard to remember when I could still feel the heat of Arden’s powerful hands on my wrist.
“Okay. Fine.” I walked toward the door leading into the first exhibit we had entered. “If you don’t want me, I’ll find someone who does.”
Three steps.
That was as far as I got before a hand landed on my hip and squeezed, burning through all the layers of clothes to scorch my skin.
“Whatever gave you the impression that I didn’t want you?” Arden demanded in a low, husky voice that was shutting down all higher brain function.
Would it be tacky to screw him against the wall on the first non-date?
I could live with being tacky.
And desperate.
And begging if it meant I could have Arden for a night.
But there was something serious and soft about Arden’s heart that left me sure he wasn’t a one-night stand kind of guy. He was the happily-ever-after kind that wanted wedding rings and a white picket fence.
There was nothing wrong with that. I just wasn’t confident something like that was in my future. I had spent much of my life getting good grades, a good job, and then keeping up with the insanity that was Sebastian. Being in a forever relationship hadn’t crossed my mind.
Maybe it was time.
“So…isn’t there a waterfall in this place?” I asked, trying for a normal tone and missing by a wide mark.
Arden chuckled and gave my hip one last squeeze prior to releasing it. “Yeah, there is.”
We cut through the display of spring flowers and turned left, descending the peach marble stairs with the swirling silver handrail into a dense rainforest that towered over our heads.
The air was once again humid and heavy with a hushed sound of rushing water somewhere ahead of us. On my left was a narrow stream that could be glimpsed between the large green leaves. Scales of white and orange flashed in the waters as giant koi lazily swam by and then darted off. It was like stepping into another world, leaving behind all of Cincinnati and its dreary winter sky.