Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 89012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89012 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Fuck. “I’m sorry,” I say, taking my hand away from hers. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
Her chest rises and falls in bigger movements. Slowly, the rosiness comes back to her cheeks. She heaves an exhale and drops her shoulders just before a smile tickles her lips.
It’s my turn to wait, to watch—to sit quietly.
I hold my breath as a bubble of anticipation forms in my stomach. I have no idea if she’s going to tell me to screw off or if she’ll laugh in my face.
As long as she doesn’t tell me she hates me for this.
Her head falls to the side. A decision has been made.
“Well, which is it, Mad?” she asks, a teasing lilt to her voice.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you want to give me what I want? Or are you sorry you said anything?” She gives me a cocky grin. “Can’t have it both ways.”
What? Is she for real? Is this for real?
“I’ll give you whatever you want,” I say, the words adding gas to the smoldering flame inside me. “And I mean whatever.”
She licks her lips. “Okay.” Her eyes narrow playfully. “Okay. Screw it. You’re right. I do think about you all the time. I always keep you at arm’s length because we’re friends, and I don’t want to risk that, but I trusted Sara and Becca to use their judgment. To set me up with someone they think would be good for me because I can’t. And they picked you.”
Thank God.
“What can it hurt?” she says, working her thoughts out. “I mean, this isn’t a relationship, right? It’s a hookup. We have fun and then go home. If it turns out to be a bad decision, it’s par for the course for me. At least I’m consistent.”
“You’re serious?”
“I’m as surprised as you, but yeah. I’m serious. Why not?” She laughs. “I mean, we’ve admitted that we’re attracted to each other so we can’t take that back now. Might as well get some use out of it, right? Besides, if it feels like we’re kissing a family member or gets too weird, we can just call it off. Right?”
Holy fuck. “Right.”
I’m going to get to touch Ashley?
Kiss her?
Make her come?
What in the world just happened, and what will I have to do for Sara to repay her for this? Because … damn.
“I feel like we need a safe word, though,” she says, the lines around her eyes slowly fading.
“I like where this is headed already.”
Her laughter is music to my ears. “Well, I meant so if either of us wants to walk away and go back to the way it was before we boarded this plane, we can. No questions asked.”
“Okay. Pick it. What’s our safe word?”
I just asked Ashley what our safe word is going to be. Mind. Blown.
She thinks. “How about … turquoise?”
“Random as hell.”
“We’re going to the Bahamas, and they’re known for their turquoise waters. So turquoise,” she says with a shrug.
I grin. “But what if I’m like—that water is so turquoise? It’s a pretty common term on an island. Look at her turquoise necklace. I mean, who knows what we might be in the middle of … and if one of us just offhandedly makes an observation? Things could get sticky.”
Her eyes twinkle. “Well, in that situation, I think the problem is more that things wouldn’t be sticky.”
Damn you.
“It’s turquoise,” she says, satisfied with herself. “Take it or leave it.”
“Take it. Done.”
We exchange a smile that grows slowly until we’re both grinning ear to ear.
“So now what?” She blushes. “I mean, that was a conversation I didn’t expect to have with you, and now I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do.”
I lift a brow.
“Oh, I know what to do.” She laughs. “I mean, what do we do now? It could get a little uncomfortable if we just sit here and look at each other.”
No. Don’t start overthinking this.
I relax back in my seat in hopes that she takes the cue and relaxes too. “We drink our Cokes, and you read your kissing book, and then we see what happens when we get there. We’re still us.”
“Right.” She nods, satisfied with my reply. “This will give us time to think.”
“Maybe you. After that conversation, I’m going to have to not think, or they’ll have the Marshalls waiting for me in Nassau.”
She laughs again as she shimmies around in her seat. “Good plan.”
“I’m full of good plans today.”
“Can’t argue with that. But now that’s settled, I’m going to read my kissing book, and you are not going to talk to me.” She rests her head against my shoulder. “No talking on the plane was in the contest rules.”
I chuckle.
“Don’t touch me either,” she says. “This is not the time nor the place. If you do, that poor lady to your right might die because you’ll end up naked.”