Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97846 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
I detected the intensity of the situation, unsure what I’d said that had affected her so deeply. “What did I say?”
“I just…didn’t know you felt that way.”
“Felt what way?” I asked, genuinely confused.
She studied me for a while, as if she were trying to digest what I’d said just as I was trying to decipher what she’d just said. “What you just said…”
“What did I say?” I asked, more confused. “You’re the best I’ve ever had. I mean that.”
She cleared her throat then dropped her gaze. “I-I’m flattered.” She stabbed her fork into her pancakes and took another bite, her eyes down the entire time. Syrup dripped from her fork and onto the plate until it finally stopped and she placed it in her mouth. Then she looked out the window.
I couldn’t read her mood right now. Maybe she was just touched by what I’d said. Or maybe she didn’t like to think about the others. I really didn’t know. Instead of asking, I just let it go, knowing she would bounce back.
I removed her dress because I wanted to see the lingerie underneath, but I kept on the boots because those were sexy. Naked and on top of her, I thrust inside her with her legs wrapped around my waist, the material of her boots rubbing against me as we ground together.
Her fingers dug into my hair and she breathed against my mouth, moaning quietly for me, whispering my name, more vocal in her lovemaking than before. She held me tighter, writhed hard, became a more emotional lover than before, her nails slicing into me in a frenzy, the sound of my name more desperate than it’d ever been before. She wanted more of me, more than I could give because I already gave her everything.
She grabbed my ass and pulled me deeper inside her. “Derek…yes.” She kissed me between her moans, kissed me hard as her body became wetter than ever before, as she flooded me with her arousal, getting so slick it was becoming more difficult to feel her. But her desire was such a turn-on that I didn’t care.
Not one bit.
4
Emerson
“I’m going to work a party for my boss.” I hated lying to my daughter, getting dressed up to go out to dinner with Derek and his friends. I wore a simple black dress with heels and a clutch, my hair was big and curled, and I had smoky eye makeup like this was not a work function at all.
“Can you bring me something?” Lizzie asked from the couch as she looked at her device.
“Like?”
“A burger or something.”
“You’re having dinner with Grandma.”
She made a face. “Grandma’s cooking is fine, but they don’t put salt in anything.”
“Because Grandpa can’t have it, and you know that. Besides, it’s good for you.”
“Look, I’m young. If I’m going to eat garbage, I should do it now, right?”
“You should only do it in moderation—regardless of age.”
“Well, it’s not a night for moderation.”
I rolled my eyes because I hated it when my daughter kicked my ass in arguments. She was so damn smart, but I couldn’t tell her that because she would keep beating me with her witty perspective. “What do you want?”
“I can have anything I want?” she asked excitedly.
“Yes. Use it wisely.”
“Oh wow… I didn’t think you would actually say yes.”
“I gotta get going, Lizzie. Text me what you want. Grandma will be over in a second.”
“Okay. Bye, Mom.”
“Love you.”
She waved from the couch but didn’t turn around to watch me go. “Love you too.”
When I made it into the hallway, I ran into my mother. “I’m bringing her dinner, so you don’t need to make anything for her.”
“Where are you going?”
“Meeting some of Derek’s friends.”
“Really?” she asked, her voice full of disapproval, potent because she wanted me to know exactly how she felt. “So, when is he going to meet Lizzie?”
He’d told me he loved me without even realizing it, like it tumbled out of his mouth without control. So, I had faith that this would work…in time. “We’ll get there, Mom. He’s the best guy I know.”
“If he’s the best guy, he should have no problem meeting Lizzie. She’s not going anywhere—”
“Mom, I know you don’t approve of what I’m doing, but I’m a grown woman who makes my own decisions. If I get knocked on my ass, that’s my problem and not yours. If I end up losing my job, I will figure out what to do to keep us afloat—like I always do.”
Her eyes emptied of hostility. “Emmy, you know I don’t care about that. I just don’t want you to get hurt… That’s all.”
“He won’t hurt me. He would never hurt me.” I’d put all my chips on the table once I knew how he really felt about me, even if he wasn’t aware of it, even if he wouldn’t tell me directly. His heart was in the right place, and that was all that mattered. “I’ll be home in a couple hours.”