Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 74940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
I lie in bed, naked, my robe strewn across a chair. After all those orgasms with River, I should be jelly, but my thoughts are rough, jumbled, and unsettled. I’m not naïve. I came here expecting some of the women to be ultra-competitive. After all, the stakes are high, especially for someone like Ariel who comes from basically nothing. Ironically, Ariel is the sweetest of the bunch and I don’t think she would ever dream of playing games.
But are we truly safe here? I believe our safety is paramount to the men.
Is it paramount to Evangeline?
She certainly made it seem that way the first week we were here getting ready for the men’s arrival.
This is my best chance to achieve my own personal goals...but is it worth it? How far should I go to get what I want?
I’m certainly not willing to risk my life.
I turn the light on, rise, go to the bathroom, and when I’m done, I stare at myself in the mirror. My lips are pink and puffy from River’s kisses, my nipples swollen from his attention, and between my legs... Let’s just say it’s still active down there.
I head back to bed, flip off the light, and hope I can get to sleep when—
I jerk at a soft knock on my door.
“Oh, go away,” I say out loud as I roll over, trying desperately to get comfortable.
I have to get some sleep, and I’m not in the mood for any more phone calls that scare the bloody hell out of me. Rachel is a lovely girl, and she didn’t deserve to nearly die this afternoon.
She’s also the woman River spent the most time with last night.
But she’s gone now, and River’s date with Misty clearly didn’t go well, which is how he and I ended up together. He certainly knows how to press my buttons. Is he just that good? Or do we have something? Did I make him forget Rachel?
Of course I didn’t. None of us can forget Rachel. We almost lost her.
Does it even matter? My life is in New York, and River’s is in Montana. One of us would have to give up our dream—and it’s not going to be me. I may not have a rigid plan in mind—yet—but I came here for a reason. I’m going to—
I jerk upward. The knock again, and this time it’s louder and more persistent.
“For God’s sake.” I roll out of bed, grab the robe from the chair, and wrap it around me, securing the sash.
I reach the door and look through the peephole.
River stands there, his eyes tired and sad, but his countenance strong and determined. My heart does a little flip. Despite myself, I’m happy to see him.
I open the door. “What do you need, River?”
“Are you awake?”
I scoff. “No, I’m in bed, sleeping like a baby, clearly.”
That gets a slight smile from him, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He’s troubled.
We all are, of course, but it looks like something more is going on. What happened when he spoke to the other men? I’m about to ask when he meets my gaze.
Something passes between us, and it catches me off guard. It’s not a spark so much as a glimmer. I’m pretty sure we used up all our sparks earlier. Still, it affects me...and not just physically.
I sigh. “Come in.”
He walks into my suite and I close the door behind him, clicking the lock into place.
“Why are you here?”
He paces toward the couch but then turns and ambles back toward me. “I don’t fucking know, Emily. I only know I don’t want to be alone.”
“River...”
“I’m not asking for anything physical.”
“Oh?”
“Only if you’re up for it.”
I close the distance between us and cup his stubbled cheek. “I’m not sure you are.”
“I’m not sure either. I’m fucking drained. It’s like...” He looks toward the window, the moonlight streaming in.
“It’s like...what?”
He turns back to me. “Have you ever thought you were close to someone, and then you find out he was hiding something significant—something that’s been haunting him for years—and you never really knew him at all?”
“I don’t get close to people, River.”
His eyes widen then. “You don’t? Then why are you here?”
A good question, and one I can’t answer. Rather, one I won’t answer. “I didn’t mean it that way. I’ve had relationships with men, of course. But I get the feeling you’re talking about a friendship.”
“What makes you think that?”
“You used the pronoun ‘him.’ So unless there’s something you want to tell me...and I rather doubt that, given our escapade this evening.”
He shakes his head. “No. I only sleep with women.”
“So one of the guys, then?”
He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “It’s nothing I can talk about. In fact, I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to think. I want to turn my mind off. I wish there were a switch inside my brain.”