Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 37324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 187(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37324 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 187(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Saxon just shrugged and opened the door.
The leather seat was warm as I slid onto it, and the interior smelled like cedar and spice—a scent that I’d dragged into my lungs last night.
He waited until I buckled before shutting the door and circling the vehicle to climb into the driver’s side. When he pulled away from the curb, quiet filled the SUV. But it wasn’t uncomfortable, just heavy with awareness.
After a few blocks, I blurted, “I did all the talking last night, so now it’s your turn.”
That earned a low laugh that left goose bumps in its wake.
I stared at him. “Wow. He laughs. I wasn’t sure that was possible.”
One corner of his mouth lifted. “Don’t get used to it.”
“I’ll take what I can get.”
He glanced sideways, his eyes gleaming. “What do you want to know about me?”
My cheeks heated under his stare. “Anything.”
He paused long enough that I wondered if he’d answer at all. “I was born in Maine. Grew up in a small town. My dad raised us after my mom left. My two younger sisters and me.”
“Really?” I twisted in my seat. “That explains why you’re so patient. Sisters’ll do that to you.”
He huffed a quiet laugh. “Or scar you for life.”
“Guess that depends on the sisters.” I grinned. “Without any of my own, I wouldn’t know.”
He shot me a sidelong look that warmed something inside me I hadn’t realized was cold. “They’re good girls. Bossier than I liked, but they kept me grounded.”
“That’s sweet.”
He shrugged, his eyes back on the road. “They’re my family.”
“Your dad must be proud,” I said softly.
His chest expanded on a deep breath. “Yeah. He is.”
There was quiet affection in his voice, and I found myself wanting to hear more. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“No, but I still prefer listening to you talk.”
“Your voice isn’t bad either.” He laughed again, and I felt a surge of feminine satisfaction that I was the one who was able to bring out this side in him. “Which means it’s still your turn to tell me more about yourself. Like how’d you end up here?”
“Football.” Unsatisfied with his one-word answer, I cleared my throat expectantly, and he finally added, “I got drafted by Chicago and played my rookie season there before getting traded to Minnesota for a few seasons. Then the Nighthawks snapped me up a couple of years ago.”
“Where you’ve been smashing records left and right.”
That earned me an amused glance. “You follow football?”
I lifted a shoulder. “Kinda hard not to when your best friend falls for the offensive coordinator.”
That earned me another deep chuckle. “Yeah, Cole lived and breathed the game until he met Lorna.”
“He makes plenty of time for her, but football is obviously still a huge part of his life.” I laughed along with him. “If they were having a boy instead of a girl, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Cole already bought him his first pair of cleats.”
“Or at least a mini Nighthawks jersey,” Saxon conceded. “But I can’t give him too hard a time about it when I owe him thanks.”
Leaning my elbow against the console between us, I propped my chin on my palm. “For forcing me to watch football?”
“For bringing you into my world.”
There was no missing the weight beneath his words, and my heart did an embarrassing little somersault.
I looked out the window, trying to steady my breathing as city lights blurred past. “You’re impossible to resist.”
The quiet between us grew heavier as we got closer to my building. The city blurred past in streaks of light until he eased the SUV to a stop at the curb.
I twisted my fingers in my lap, searching for something to say. “Thanks for the ride. Again.”
“Anytime.”
He left the engine running as he got out to open my door. When we got to the entrance of my building, my pulse beat in my throat, wild and unsteady. I could feel him looking at me, but I didn’t dare turn my head.
“About what you said earlier,” he murmured, breaking the silence.
My brows drew together. “That you’re impossible to resist?”
“Yeah.” His gaze cut toward me, his hazel eyes filled with heat. “The only impossible thing is not kissing you again.”
My breath caught. “Oh.”
He didn’t give me the chance to be embarrassed by my lame response as he reached for me. The back of his fingers brushed my jaw, the gentle touch enough to unravel every ounce of composure I’d barely managed to cling to. Then his lips found mine, and my thoughts scattered.
The kiss started soft, but the moment I sighed against his mouth, it deepened. Saxon’s hand slid into my hair, angling my head just right. The world around us disappeared, narrowing to the taste of him.
When he finally drew back, I felt dazed, like he’d stolen all the air between us.