Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 80197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
I glance around, trying to find anyone who might tell Eddie about this fake date, but I don't see a single person. Playing games without an audience is a waste of my precious time. Time that could be spent doing other things.
If Dornan is happy to play more games.
"You wanna get out of here?" I ask in a blasé way even though my heart makes a funny squeezing thud in my chest at the thought of taking him back to my dorm and riding the fuck out of him.
What will Ellie think? It's weird to contemplate sharing this with her. We've been open about our sex lives, but that was when the men involved weren't mutual friends. Dornan has been Ellie's best buddy since kindergarten. Would sharing a night of sexual exploration with him be like treading on her toes?
And there’s Elias.
What we had last night was casual, but that doesn’t mean he won’t have thoughts about me fucking Dornan.
"Whatever you want to do," he replies.
The words my time sing through my mind. What do I want? It’s such a novel question to ask myself. I want no strings affection that doesn’t blast our relationship skyward. Can I have that with Dornan? I think so.
I touch his cheek, and grin with all the wickedness that comes with being selfish and focusing on my needs. "Take me home, Mr. Walsh."
The car journey is relatively quiet. The kiss has settled between us like a curtain of uncertainty. I can practically hear the cogs cranking in Dornan's mind and all the questions he wants to ask me but is holding onto tightly in his mouth.
I stare out of the window, thinking about my sister, Marie. She's never experienced relationship issues. She met her husband in high school, and they settled down so quickly, it made my head spin. Now I have the cutest niece, and Marie seems blissfully happy. By contrast, I've never found a man who really sees me or who's prepared to do the work to see more than what's on the surface. I know I put up high barriers because letting people get close always ends up with me getting hurt. As a result, trusting is hard, and I pick men like Eddie and Elias because they keep me at arm's length where there's no chance of getting burned.
Except there is. Infidelity and rejection hurt whether you’re in love or not.
Dornan isn't like that.
He doesn't have hang-ups that make his corners sharp. The way he thinks and moves isn't clouded by past experiences. He's in the moment, secure in himself and who he is. He doesn't doubt that the world will bring him good things. I know this because he expects good things to come to everyone around him.
It's easy to be with Elias because my jagged edges slot into his, but with Dornan, every time I get close, I feel like I have to smooth over everything that's sharp about me.
I catch him glancing at me out of the corner of my eye as though he worries I'm going to throw open the car door and bolt. He doesn't realize that inviting him in so that he can make me feel less broken is all I can think about.
Always the gentleman, Dornan walks me to my door. When I've unlocked it, he takes a step back, expecting to say goodbye. Instead, I take his big, capable hand in mine and drag him inside.
Before he has a chance to ask any questions about whether I'm sure or whether it's a good idea, I kiss him and push my hands beneath his shirt.
What I find is rippling solid muscle and warm, soft skin. His mouth devours mine like he's been thinking about doing this with me for longer than just a few days. His hunger sends a squeezing wave of need between my thighs. I'm the one who urges him to tear his top over his head. I'm the one who scrambles to untie the strings keeping my wrap dress together. In my stilettos and underwear, I feel sexy and powerful, and Dornan stares wide-eyed, his gaze slipping down my body, lower and lower, with a burning heat that licks against my skin.
"Fuck, Celine."
"Yeah, Dornan. It's time to fuck Celine."
Pushing him back with a hand in the middle of his chest, his legs meet the edge of my mattress. He sits, and I place a leg on either side of his thick thighs, urging him back on my soft comforter. Unfastening my bra is quick and easy, and his hands react with swift reflexes to cup my breasts. I grind against the hard ridge of his cock, tipping back my head, letting my body feel the way. With breathtaking speed, he rolls me to my back and looms over me, his wavy hair losing its formal style and flopping messily over his forehead.