Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91748 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)
“I hope this world is a better one to get lost in, Momma,” I whispered, tucking my feet beneath me and opening to the first page.
I wasn’t sure I could ever look at Ransom Carver again without turning beet red. Steeling myself in case he was in the great room, I took a deep breath and hoped I wasn’t awkward. Winslet had told me that Noa’s books were spicy, but I had not realized they were going to be that level of heat or that the man in it was described to look exactly like Ransom. Even down to his facial expressions. I felt as if I’d been given a sex ed class with Noa and Ransom as my teachers.
Walking into the great room, I was relieved to see Halo and Hawkins, along with Winslet and Cressida, all sitting around, visiting with each other. The only male in sight had toys scattered around the floor and was currently working on a Lego set with his brow furrowed in concentration.
“Elsie,” Halo said brightly when she looked up to see me enter the room. “I was wondering where you had gone off to.”
“I thought you might be out at the pool with Forge, so I didn’t want to interrupt,” Winslet told me. “Have you been up in your room this whole time?”
Forge was here? Swimming? I didn’t ask that, but if he was, why hadn’t he come to get me?
“I was reading,” I explained.
Winslet’s grin grew bigger. “One of Noa’s books?”
I nodded.
All of them giggled knowingly.
“That will keep you entertained for hours,” Cressida said as she patted the spot beside her. “Come sit. Tell us which book and how far you’ve gotten into it.”
Going over to sit down on the sofa, I tried not to think about Forge being out at the pool. Had he been expecting me to join him out there? What if he had and I’d not gone? Hesitating, I glanced at the double glass doors, thinking how I should ask about this, when I saw Lula Mae walking toward the patio in a white string bikini that didn’t cover much. A brick was lodged in my throat, then fell to my stomach. She was smiling, oiled up, and looked stunning.
Understanding as to why Forge hadn’t come to get me sank in. He’d invited her to swim instead. How could I blame him? She looked like a supermodel.
Taking a seat, I didn’t glance toward the door again. Trying not to appear sick was going to be hard, but I could manage.
“She’s not staying here,” Winslet said to me, and I realized she’d noticed me looking. “She’s staying at Linc and Luther’s, but Forge is the one tasked with entertaining her today.”
Tasked? I seriously doubted he saw it as a task. What male wouldn’t jump at the chance to spend the day with her, dressed like that? Reading a romance novel wasn’t helping me with this either. I’d always thought those novels were unrealistic, but after reading almost an entire book, I felt perhaps it wasn’t. The couple sure seemed like Ransom and Noa. Was she writing her reality?
“Which book are you reading?” Cressida asked in a singsong voice.
“The first one,” I replied, not sure what the title was. I had picked it up and not really paid attention.
“Recognize the man in it?” Winslet asked, grinning.
I nodded. “Yeah, I wasn’t warned about that.”
All three of them started laughing again. The sound caused a smile to tug at my lips. The heaviness in my stomach was still there, but this was nice.
“They’ve been together a long time, huh?” I said. I’d glanced at the publication date to see how long ago it had been written.
“Almost a year,” Halo replied.
What? I scrunched my nose, confused.
“They were friends in high school,” she continued. “It was an accidental dinner that Noa had with her editor and fiancé at the time, who had just become Opal Carver’s editor as well. Ransom was in town, visiting his sister, and she took him with her to the meal. It got a little crazy after that.”
I blew out a small breath. “Wow. That sounds like a book itself.”
“Oh, it is now,” Winslet replied. “It’s called All Jacked Up, just released last month.”
As curious as I was to know their story, I wasn’t sure I could read sex scenes that had for sure been inspired by them. This was probably because I was a virgin. While they all laughed and didn’t feel awkward about it, I sat here, trying my best not to blush.
For so long, it had been about Calvin being my first and my only really. I’d seen love, forever, everything with him. Even after I’d moved on and accepted he wasn’t going to see me that way, deep down, I’d still be waiting. But here we were. Him in LA, living his life, most likely dating and falling for the new girl. And me here, in Mississippi, getting attached to his cousin, who, like him, wasn’t going to want more from me than friendship.