Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 53052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53052 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 265(@200wpm)___ 212(@250wpm)___ 177(@300wpm)
Soon, we’re browsing shop windows as we walk. “Tell me a little more about you,” she says. “You said you and your partners own a nightclub.”
I nod. “My dad wanted me to go into the family business, but I needed to carve out my own place in the world.” My arm brushes hers as we walk. She sucks in a breath of awareness while an electrical shock travels through me, a jolt of arousal from the slightest graze of her skin against mine.
“What is the family business?” she asks, her voice husky.
She’s affected by me, too, and I’m grateful things aren’t one-sided. “Miami football,” I answer. “Dad owns the Thunder.” I tell her about the well-known football team. Well-known if you know football, that is.
“Really? My dad and I watch football together all the time. Of course, we’re Panthers fans,” she says of the Carolina team.
“Ouch,” I say, putting a hand on my heart. “But I understand.”
“Did you ever play?” We stop at a street corner and she gestures for us to cross here, so we wait for the signal.
“I played high school and college, quarterback, but it was never my dream to go pro. My father understood, never pushed me to be something other than who I am.” Ian Dare is a force to be reckoned with in business and in life, but he has a soft spot for his family, and I’ve always appreciated that.
“I love that for you. My parents are the same way. My sister is a teacher. And I needed volunteer hours in high school, so I chose Dad’s charity and it became my passion. Dad owns a real estate company that funded the organization to begin with. It’s always been about what makes us happy, not what they expect of us.”
I glance at Taylor and she smiles, showing a dimple in her cheek. I imagine licking it, trailing kisses from the indentation to those luscious lips, tasting her for the first time. I run a hand through my hair, shocked that a woman I’ve known for close to an hour could have such a potent impact on me.
The light changes and we cross, coming to an ice cream shop. “Can I buy you that dessert we missed?”
She shakes her head. “No, thanks. I’m not hungry.”
I’m not either, so we continue our stroll. “Are you close with your family?” I ask, picking up where we left off with our conversation.
“Very,” she says. “You?”
“The same.” I like that we have that in common.
She trips and I grasp her elbow to steady her. “Oops.” A blush stains her cheeks.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
She nods. “It’s the heels.” She lifts her leg, revealing one black, red-soled shoe, which I’d already noticed when I took in her long, toned legs.
Of course, I imagined them wrapped around my waist, my cock ready to thrust inside her. I clear my throat and hope she doesn’t look down and notice the bulge in my slacks. The dark color hides a multitude of sins.
We walk back toward the restaurant, talking about everything, from the Charleston weather to what I like about Miami. She tells me she’s a handbag collector, drawing my attention to the pop of red color on her purse. It shows a hint of her personality, and I like it. I admit to being somewhat of a workaholic, more because I don’t have anything or anyone else in my life to focus on, not that I admit that part. There’s nothing I can do to change my situation unless I meet someone.
I glance at Taylor, the first woman to interest me in ages and, of course, she lives in another state. But that doesn’t mean we can’t act on this chemistry I’m feeling between us. As proof, our shoulders brush as we walk, and I feel the sizzle straight through to my skin. Considering I’m going to be spending time in her city, I’m hoping I can see her again. I feel a pull toward her, one that tells me I’d be missing out on something amazing if I don’t pursue her.
I’m at the point in my life where, at twenty-eight, I wouldn’t mind settling down. I don’t, however, plan on settling. My sister, Rainey, is engaged to my partner Lucas, and I’ve never seen either happier than they are with each other. Tristan fell for his fiancée, Kaylee, when he pretended to be her boyfriend to keep an ex away, and they’re getting married next year.
With my two best friends off the market, I’m on my own and I no longer pick up women at Midnight. It’s always a mistake. They never want me for me. There’s my family name. There are a ton of us in the city, and with Dad owning the Thunder, women always hope for an in with the players or easy entry into the club. I’m careful now, and my days of fucking around for the hell of it are over.