Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 117177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 117177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 586(@200wpm)___ 469(@250wpm)___ 391(@300wpm)
Why was he at the bar with Darcy tonight?
Chris caressed my ass, his fingers tickling around my hips and up across my belly as he continued to kiss me. My stomach trembled as his fingers teased the waistline of my lace underwear just before dipping inside.
Oh my God, when was the last time I waxed? It was last week, right? That was fine. But what if Chris prefers a full bush to my landing strip? Worse, what if he likes it bare?
Suddenly he broke the kiss and pulled his hand from my underwear. I swayed against him, resting my palms on his shoulders to steady myself.
Hell, he was glowering at me.
That was not the expression of a man having a good time. Did I suck at kissing?
Chris surprised me by cupping my cheek in his warm palm. His voice was gruff as he asked, “Where are you right now?”
Perturbed, I answered immediately and a little indignantly. “I’m right here.”
He released me, his expression so far from happy, my heart nose-dived into my stomach as he stepped away from me. “You were here at first. In the living room when you kissed me. As soon as we got in here, you went somewhere else. If you’re not sure you want this after what I told you, I understand. We can stop.”
Flummoxed that he’d noticed my preoccupation (though unsurprised he cared), I crossed my arms over my waist to hide my half-nakedness. The first time (and often the second and third) with a guy was pretty much always like this. I was too riddled with insecurities and anxieties about making it good for him, I couldn’t enjoy it myself. Once I grew comfortable with the notion that my partner was at least reaching satisfaction, I could enjoy sex enough to orgasm when we fooled around, but I had never come when a guy was inside me. And no one I’d been with until this point had noticed or cared about my preoccupation.
It was worse with Chris because I’d never been with someone I wanted this much or felt so much for.
This is Chris.
Exactly.
This was Chris. “It’s not about that. I promise you, I’m not a grudge keeper. I do forgive you, and I appreciate that you told me the truth before we took this further.”
“Then what is it?”
“I can’t relax,” I admitted.
His brow furrowed. “Why not?”
I laughed humorlessly because wasn’t it obvious? “Because I’m always anxious about the first time with someone, and I’ve never wanted sex to go as well as I want this to go with you. I’ve already conked you on the head.” I gestured in irritation at his body. “And you look like a sports ad! I only found out what a squat thrust is last summer. Until that point, I was pretty sure it was some kind of fruit.”
Chris burst into laughter and choked on it at my mortified expression. His mouth trembled with renewed hilarity as he failed to talk through it.
Hurt, I reached for my clothes.
“No. Hallie.” He reached for me again, this time tugging my arms away from my body. “I’m not laughing at you. You’re just so funny and adorable and sexy, and it baffles me you don’t know these things already. I could not care less about a conk to the head, and I could not care less if you work out or not.”
“But . . .” I trailed off, realizing that admitting this was so unsexy. How could he think otherwise? A guy didn’t want to be with a woman who was insecure in bed, right? They wanted a confident woman who could rock their freaking world.
“But?”
“Nothing.” I moved into his body. “Let’s try again.”
Chris lifted his face away from my incoming kiss. “Hallie . . . talk to me.”
I tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let me.
“This is me.” He took the words from my head as he nibbled on my earlobe. That hazy feeling simmered inside me. “You can tell me anything.”
His mouth trailed a delicious path down my throat, and I bowed into him, the words seduced from my lips.
“I can’t stop thinking,” I confessed on a sigh. “Do you like my body, my kiss? Am I too soft? Can I make this good for you? What will you like—”
Chris kissed me, his tongue licking at mine, the kiss deep and sexual and literally breath-stealing. All my worries went up in flames as the haze consumed me. I panted for air when he finally released me. My expression must have been something, because his was more than a little cocky. “That’s better.”
“Captain—”
“I have been fantasizing about this moment for weeks.” He walked me back toward the bed and gently pushed me down on it. He reached around my back and unclipped my bra, sliding the straps down my arms. I shivered as the cups fell away, my nipples tight and hard as the cool air hit them.