Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Hugh’s face relaxed into a tender smile. “Ten out of ten,” he breathed. “Nailed it.” And then he leaned forward and kissed me with cold lips and a colder nose.
When I was in his arms, Hugh made me feel like I had nothing to fear. That nothing in this world could hurt me the way I feared.
Maybe it would be okay if I let go for tonight. If I allowed myself to love and be loved in return.
And tomorrow, I’d try to figure out how to be even braver and say the scariest words of all.
22
HUGH
I could tell Oscar was having thoughts and feelings that were making him incredibly uncomfortable. For some reason, the more restless he became, the calmer I felt. His agitation was an indication he was affected by this the same way I was.
He cared.
And, honestly, I’d never doubted for a minute he’d cared about me. He might never have used the l-word, and still might not be ready to, but as often happened with Oscar, his true feelings for me were right there in his actions and had been from the beginning. When my sister had been in the accident, he’d dropped everything to take care of both of us. When I’d needed a shoulder to cry on after Louis betrayed me, he’d picked up the phone. When I’d needed a date to Abby’s nacho party, Oscar hadn’t hesitated.
But more than that. He’d tried at every step to manage my expectations to keep from hurting me, even when it meant staying away from me. He was protective, considerate, and kind. The man hoarded Girl Scout Cookies to help kids, he invested in underprivileged youth with big ideas and little exposure to opportunities, and he hand-fed a hedgehog mealworms when Frank wasn’t feeling well.
This prickly man, wounded from all his attempts to find someone to love him thoroughly, was mine. And I was going to make sure he knew it.
I pulled back from the kiss in the still night air. “Get inside, Oscar Overton. I have plans for you tonight.”
I tugged him the rest of the way to his huge house and in through the front door. Once we got to the bedroom, Oscar grabbed me and tried kissing me again, but I pushed him away.
“Nuh-uh. No kissing until you get naked. I want you in bed, and I want you spread out for me.” I began stripping off his clothes, starting with his jacket and tie, before tackling all the little studs and buttons on his shirt.
Oscar looked half-terrified, eyes wide like prey being stalked. It was almost enough to make me laugh. “You look like you’re in pain,” I said, finally pulling his shirt off.
He swallowed. “No pain. It’s good. I’m good.”
As I continued to remove his clothes, his eyes followed me with intense scrutiny. He was being entirely too serious, like he was coiled too tightly, a brand-new industrial spring.
“Are you having a medical event?” I teased in hopes it would relax him. After I pulled my own clothes off, I pushed him onto the bed and knelt next to him before reaching out to feel his forehead. “You’re hot.”
“I have a naked man on top of me,” he said, breath becoming ragged. “Of course I’m hot.”
I leaned in and kissed beside his ear before murmuring, “You’re freaking out.” I kissed him between breaths. “You’re having a lovemaking crisis.”
He huffed out a laugh. “Please. I’ve fucked more times than you’ve clicked the shutter button on your camera.”
His attempt at changing my description of lovemaking to the baser “fucking” didn’t go unnoticed. “Oscar Overton, you are a terrible liar.”
He opened his mouth to argue his point, but I slapped a hand over his lips.
“I don’t mean about the fucking. Fine, you’ve worn out your Grindr app. I get it. Thanks for mentioning it during sex, by the way. Super classy. Two out of ten stars.”
He exhaled from his nose, the warm air gliding across my fingers as I pulled them away. “Sorry,” he muttered. “That’s not what I meant. I… I’m feeling… I don’t know.”
He knew. He definitely knew. It was obvious he was feeling utter, soul-deep terror at what was happening between us. His vulnerability and his willingness to let it show with me made me want to reassure him.
I moved my hands to cup the sides of his face, squishing his cheeks a little until his lips looked like a fish’s. “It’s just us, Oscar. Just us. I don’t have any expectations,” I said softly.
“Great,” he grumbled. “The bar is very low. Got it.”
I couldn’t hold back a laugh. I felt light and free. For the first time in bed with Oscar, I felt like this was the beginning of something, not the inevitable ending of it.
I glanced down at him, naked and sexy as hell on the crisp sheets of his large bed. The hair on Oscar’s chest drew my attention down across his belly and into the thatch of hair surrounding the base of his cock. I reached down to stroke his thick length, feeling it harden in my grip.