Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 89674 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89674 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
“I dreamed of this day,” I said quietly, my eyes closed while breathing in another long inhale of his scent. “In my wildest imagination, I never thought we’d be this good.”
Beau chuckled, gently tousling me with the movement of his chest. “I did. It scared me. You’re so out of my league.”
Reluctantly, I angled my head to better see his face. He tilted his head in the other direction. His earbud slipped from his ear. “Where’s that coming from? I think we’re very compatible.”
“Huh,” he said. He cupped his palm against the back of my head, trying to lower my head back to his shoulder with a solid push. It was a playful gesture he frequently used when he wanted to avoid a conversation. He furrowed his brows at me when I resisted, prompting him to push a bit harder.
“Not happening until you answer.” I stopped moving as I continued to stare at him. The romance of moments ago took a backseat as I worked through all the possibilities of what I’d done to cause him to feel that way. “You’re going to have to tell me what I’ve done. It wasn’t on purpose.”
“Then lay your head down or let’s go and finish the conversation in bed.” His easy grin caused one of my own, even understanding this was another attempted diversion by Beau. It also assured me that whatever caused the words wasn’t going to ruin our night. I tugged the earbud from my ear, letting it hang from my hand.
Beau’s smoldering stare held my attention as he stepped into me, his fingertips caressing down the length of my arms until his hands took mine. “Let it go. I shouldn’t have said it. Especially today. It’s been a great day.”
“Tell me now,” I murmured, clasping his hands. With him standing so sexy before me, I knew this needed to be finished before we took it into our home.
Since I stared intently at him, I saw the moment his expression turned to resignation, which meant I’d won. I wasn’t going to declare my victory now, but he’d know before we went to bed. “I don’t get along with your friends here as well as I did back home. They’re different. Here, it’s all so intellectual. They come off as better than me.”
“And I spent so much time with them today. Did I make you feel ignored?” I asked, releasing him as he walked away, moving toward our shoes.
“Come on. I’m not upset, I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m happy that you have friends. You haven’t had many in your life,” he said. The full moon cast Beau beautifully. I wished I had a camera to capture the moment. When he turned back toward me, he knocked the shoes together to remove the sand and tilted his head toward the truck. “Let’s go. I’ve always considered you out of my league. You’re just so personable. You don’t see class differences. And honestly, all those qualities gave me a chance to bag a guy like you.” With a playful glint in his eye, he lifted his left hand, wiggling his fingers. “I can feel it on my finger all the time. How long do you think it’ll last?”
“I considered you might be feeling left out today,” I said, walking toward my side of the truck. “Then I saw you rock climbing, well everybody saw you climbing like a spider monkey, and I left the game to watch you.”
“No explanation needed,” Beau said. “I want you to have friends to help get you through the next few years. I just don’t vibe with them.” All the while, he also went to his side of the truck— the driver’s side—tracking me as I went. He was nervous. The locks released with a click.
Since I’d studied his face all day and night, I knew his little signs of fibbing and saw none were present. “Well, I want to know your friends,” I said and climbed into the truck. “You haven’t introduced any to me.”
“Middle of the seat,” he said, climbing into his side.
I followed his instructions. It was growing late, as we drove along Lake Shore Drive. The streets were unusually quiet, a stark contrast to the noise we heard twenty-four seven. About five minutes from the parking garage, I grazed my hand down his thigh.
“You really were in your element while rock climbing,” I said. “How did it feel?”
“Good, natural. I’ve always enjoyed climbing, you know that.” He smiled at me while I pressed the gate button. It slid open smoothly as we pulled into the garage. “If it’s not too expensive, I’ll probably pursue it. My belly’s getting flabby.”
Oh lord, that was a far cry from reality. Beau rounded the floors like a pro until he parked next to Carter’s vehicle. A wave of melancholy washed over me. Our day was almost over. We went hand in hand up the elevator then down the hall to the front door. Beau, ever the gentleman, swung the door open for me, ushering me inside first. Something from the right side of the penthouse caught my attention. I was stunned speechless, which was a good thing. Carter and Linda were walking into the guest bedroom suite entrance, holding hands. Carter saw me when he turned back to the door. He looked me straight in the eyes before closing the door behind them.