Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Laughing, she quickly regained her footing. “Sorry! I thought you were walking away, and I . . .” She lifted her chin, her voice growing soft. “Jumped.”
Our lips were close. I hadn’t kissed anyone in so long, and it seemed really fucking unfair that I couldn’t kiss this girl right here, right now, in the dark.
No one was looking. Could I?
I dipped my head slightly. Heard her quick inhale.
But it would be wrong. She was so vulnerable—what kind of jerk would take advantage of a woman who’d been through what she had today? After she’d sat here crying about how lonely she felt? After she’d been so honest with me?
As badly as I wanted to taste that mouth, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I wasn’t that guy.
I took my hands off her and stepped back.
That’s when she threw her arms around my neck and crushed her lips to mine.
SEVEN
austin
For a few seconds, I was so shocked, I couldn’t even kiss her back. I just stood there like I was made of stone—I didn’t even close my eyes.
Then she opened hers and pulled back, covering her mouth with her hands. “Oh my god.” Her words were muffled. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.”
I couldn’t seem to find my voice. All I could hear was Xander in my head.
You’re a fucking idiot.
Veronica uncovered her mouth and flapped her hands at the wrist. “I don’t know what just came over me. I must have lost my mind. Please accept my apology.”
“It’s fine.” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. “It just surprised me. You were right about giving good hugs.”
Flustered, she began to ramble. “It’s been such a weird day, and I was feeling so overwhelmed, like I don’t have a handle on any of these things that a functioning adult should have a handle on, my own money or a job or a place to live. Everything is out of my control.”
I wanted to tell her it was okay and also ascertain if I could have another shot at getting my tongue in her mouth, but she kept talking and would not shut up.
“And then grief hit me all over again and I was out here crying and you were finally being nice to me after being such a meanie, and then I probably shouldn’t have put my hands on you but you have a really nice body and it sort of did things to me that I wasn’t expecting and haven’t felt for a really, really long time, and I thought you were going to kiss me and then you didn’t, so I took control of the situation and kissed you—but then it was obvious you didn’t want that, and—”
“Fuck it.” Without waiting for her to finish, I grabbed the back of her head and forced her to stop talking by covering her mouth with mine.
This time it was her turn to go still with shock, and I took advantage of her immobility by opening her lips with mine and stroking between them with my tongue. Recovering her senses, she moved her hands up my chest and clutched the front of my shirt while I devoured her mouth like a starving animal. When her tongue met mine, just as hungry and desperate, I slipped one arm around her lower back, pulling her body against me, lifting her onto her toes. Sliding one rough hand into her soft blond hair, I moved my mouth down her throat, catching the scent of her perfume, tasting it on her warm skin. She moaned, and the hum of it against my lips sent a lightning bolt straight to my cock.
I took my hand from her hair and slid it up her side, beneath her shirt, spreading my fingers over her ribcage. My thumb brushed the bottom curve of her breast, and when she looped her arms around my neck, I took it as permission to keep going, letting my thumb skim over the taut peak of her nipple. Goddamn, I wanted my mouth on it. My mind was wild with the thought of tearing our clothes off and getting inside her right here under the moon. Or we could go up to the garage apartment. Or I could invite her up to my bedroom.
My bedroom . . . with my kids right across the hall.
Fuck.
I released her from my arms and stepped back. “Jesus. Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” She stared at me, wide-eyed. Her pebbled nipples were visible through the thin white material of her T-shirt, and I cracked my knuckles, just to give my hands something to do.
“Well, I should go back inside. Check on the kids. If it’s too hot over the garage, you can turn on the window unit,” I said, because I was burning up. “It cools the place off pretty fast.”