Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 104657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104657 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 523(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
“Fuuuck . . .” I pant. “Fuck you,” I whisper after my release, “for having this effect on me.”
She grunts a laugh, body limp beneath mine.
I’m not trying to break her heart or torture myself. Those are just unfortunate side effects of our chemistry. I’m leaving, and she’s staying. That’s just life. Am I supposed to regret this? After months of anguish over my father’s illness and my mother’s emotional decline, is it fair to feel guilty for taking a few minutes for myself? A brief escape?
“Don’t.” She wraps her legs around my waist again, ankles crossed at my back. “I know what’s true.” She presses her palms to my face, thumbs caressing my lips. “So just don’t move yet. Lie to me with your lips on mine and our bodies entwined. Just . . .” She closes her eyes. “Lie to me for a little longer.”
I playfully nip at her thumb, then I kiss her like she kissed me. We roll to our sides without untangling our bodies. I caress her neck and breasts. Her hips and ass. And after several minutes, I’m ready to do it again. Not too shabby for an old guy.
Chapter Thirty-Three
“And there it is,” I say as she stands, flashing me her naked backside.
She smirks over her shoulder. “Meet Wilbur.”
Her pig tattoo is located just below the dimple on the right side of her lower back. How did I miss it the day she dropped her towel before getting into the shower?
“Why there?”
“In case it was a regrettable decision, I wanted it someplace that I wouldn’t see it every day.”
No one is like this woman, and that makes me deliriously happy. But I’m not ready for her to know my true feelings because my life is messy enough.
“Listen, I don’t regret this, but—” I stop short, not wanting to sound cliché.
She peers up at me while we dress on opposite sides of the bed. “But you don’t want to tell your friends we had sex two and a half times.”
I zip my jeans, eyes narrowed. “Two and a half?”
“I had three orgasms; you had two.”
I shake my head with a restrained grin. “Whatever. Even if we were actively dating, which we are not, I wouldn’t tell them we had sex this morning. It’s none of their business.”
“I agree. Also, I’m well trained at keeping secrets.” She pulls on her wool socks.
“Are you, though?” I mirror her, tugging on my socks.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean years ago, when Jamie came to Missoula and started working at your office, it took all of two seconds before you blabbered about my taking your virginity.”
“Was that a secret? You didn’t stay long enough to mention that. You seem to tell Fitz a lot. He knew about Karen. Am I better than she was? Will you remember my name?”
I step into the galley. “Depends. Is my dick overrated?”
“That’s a good question. The last time I rated it, it was in a younger category. Now it’s in the over-forty group, where the ratings and competition aren’t as stiff.”
She’s such a ballbuster. I narrow my eyes as she stands toe-to-toe with me. I have a million comebacks. Instead, I grab her chin and kiss her until she is breathless.
“I love how you kiss me,” she whispers when I release her.
“I know you do.” I smirk.
“Is this it? Will I see you again before you go back to Somers tomorrow?”
“This is it. And I need that to be okay with you. I don’t have the emotional capacity for anything more than my dad right now.” Do I sound like an asshole? Absolutely. Is it intentional? No.
She scrapes her teeth along her bottom lip and nods.
“And if you tell Jamie, I’ll never hear the end of it. Okay?”
Everleigh wrinkles her nose. “She’s going to see it all over my face.”
“I didn’t come on your face. There’s nothing to see.”
Her cheeks turn pink, and I feed off her embarrassment. I feel privileged to experience her vulnerability.
“If you start to lose your composure, just fold your hands in front of you and do your doctor thing.”
Her nose wrinkles. “My doctor thing?”
I open the door. “Yes. You fold your hands in front of you when you’re being serious and professional. And you fold them behind you when you’re up to no good, acting like a bratty twentysomething who’s hell-bent on making my life miserable.” I head toward my Bronco, knowing she’ll be on my ass in no time.
Click. The Airstream door opens, and I grin.
“William?” She waits for me to turn. Then she folds her hands in front of her, taking calculated steps toward me. “That’s a terrible and completely inaccurate observation.”
“It’s not.” I turn and open my door. “And if you don’t keep your shit together around them, the next time I see you, I’m going to tie you up and spank you.”