Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 65939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
“How long?” he asks.
“A while,” Kendall and I say in unison.
“I’ll make it worth your while,” I add.
The driver nods, and Kendall and I grin at each other the whole way to her door. Predictably, she invites me inside.
“Where do you want the suitcase?” I ask as I watch her take off her sneakers.
“Can you tuck it under the sofa?” She takes her socks off—exposing the bare feet of which I’ve been such a fan, especially after that foot job.
I deal with the suitcase, and when I come back, I could swear I see her hide a plastic bag inside a nearby hamper—a bag containing her socks.
Huh. Did I imagine that, or is she that much of a clean freak? If so, the island must’ve been more difficult for her than she let on.
“Would you like a tour?” she asks.
I nod, and she leads me into her living room, where a vintage tuba—or rather, sousaphone—is displayed as a centerpiece, surrounded by fashionable modern furniture.
“No TV?” I ask, looking around.
“Haven’t had time for it.”
“And no animals?” I ask, though the pristine pink velvet couch is a dead giveaway.
She shrugs. “Does my former boss count?”
“Sure. But he’s not your problem anymore.” I glance at her bare feet. “Where is your bedroom?”
She leads me into a room with a bed covered by chic monochrome bedding. It sits on top a cozy rug. Next to one of the pillows is a plushie in the shape of a penguin.
“That’s Oswald,” Kendall says, having followed my gaze.
“Is his last name Cobblepot?”
It must be the right thing to say because she kisses me, and we pull off each other’s clothes with a desperation that shouldn’t be there considering what happened so recently on the plane. Then again, the two of us are like baking soda and vinegar: put us together, and the fizzy chemistry becomes unstoppable.
“Lie down and spread your legs for me,” I say hoarsely when we pull apart from the kiss. “I want to savor you.”
She complies, her hazel eyes heavy-lidded.
I taste her with relish, and it’s like coming home. Speaking of coming, I do not stop my ministrations until she comes three times for me, and then and only then do I enter her, moving slowly, thoughtfully, making eye contact the whole time.
Fuck me.
Something about this moment is different.
More sensual.
More mindful.
It’s like with every thrust, we’re becoming one. A whole that is better than the sum of its parts.
“I’m going to come,” Kendall gasps, her pupils widening.
She bucks against me, and I instinctively speed up until I can’t hold back anymore and I erupt into her, feeling her release all over me.
“You have to go, right?” she asks after we both recover enough to carry on a semi-coherent conversation.
“Sadly, yes. Randy has already done me a huge favor looking after Sir Ems beyond our original agreement. I promised I’d relieve him tonight.”
She pouts prettily. “I seem to sleep better when you’re around.”
Has she forgotten how little we actually slept when we shared a bed? Then again, when I did sleep, it was pretty deep, especially considering how hot it was on the island.
“I could stay over tomorrow if you’d be okay with me bringing my dog.”
She looks uncertain. “Will he make a mess?”
I shake my head. “He’s a good boy. He hasn’t made a mess since he was seven months old—which is the equivalent of a twelve-year-old kid. And before you ask, he didn’t inherit such good behavior from me. I was a devil way beyond that age.” Especially if you listen to my parents.
She chuckles. “You were a devil? Past tense?”
“That sounds like my cue to leave.” I very reluctantly get up and get dressed—and when I catch her watching me, her expression is difficult to read.
Once I’m dressed, she puts on a robe and walks me to the door, which is where I kiss her goodbye before trudging to the car that’s still waiting for me.
“Where to?” the driver asks.
I tell him, and we get going. A few minutes into the trip, my sister calls.
“Hey,” she says, her voice sounding odd. “Sorry I couldn’t take your call. I was on the stupid hike.”
Stupid? She loves hiking. “Is everything okay?”
“No,” she says.
I grip the phone tighter. “What happened?”
She blows out a breath. “I just got home from the doctor. A tick attached itself to my shoulder, so I had to get it removed.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah. I wore long sleeves and boots. The asshole managed to get me anyway.”
“But the doctor removed it?”
“Yeah. They’re going to test it for Lyme disease.”
“Fucking fucker.” I never would’ve thought I’d want to do violent things to a tick, but here we are. “Please take some time off. And don’t worry about that dinner I texted you about. I’ll—”
“Yeah, right,” she says, sounding like her usual self. “Your new girlfriend will be there. A whole army of ticks couldn’t keep me away.”