Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“You have more than these two?”
“Boy, you really weren’t paying attention last night, were you?” He chuckles and unbuckles his jeans, unsnaps them, and then kicks off his shoes before he pulls his jeans over his hips. He keeps his boxer briefs on—that bulge is still apparent—and folds his jeans in half and hangs them over a chair.
Then he moves toward me again, turns around, and gives me an incredible look at his amazing ass.
But I draw my gaze downward, to his left calf.
And oh my God.
It’s a merman. Sort of. He has horns…and my God…he looks a lot like the devil on my tarot card. Except he has a fishtail, of course. He’s holding a trident, except…it’s not a trident. Instead of having three prongs, it’s actually another triquetra.
“Wow.” I kneel and touch his calf.
“Murphy means sea warrior.”
“Does it?”
“It does. So this is my tribute to my name.”
“It’s awesome.” I run my fingers over the sea king’s tail. “Maybe I will go see Cyrus. But I don’t know what I’ll get. That’s been my issue the whole time. I love ink. I always have. But I’ve never found an image that just quite suits me.”
“You’ll know it when you find it.”
“I’ve considered the triquetra,” I say. “But I want to make it unique in some way.”
Brendan turns to face me and pulls me to my feet. “Now that is classic Ava. Unique. You don’t want just a regular old triquetra.”
I shrug. “What can I say? When you’re right, you’re right.”
“You know?” He brushes my hair over my ear. “I’m standing here in my underwear, and you have entirely too many clothes on.”
He’s right, of course. I tug on my tank top, ready to pull it over my head, but he touches my hands to stop me.
“Please,” he says, “let me.”
I smile, gazing into his searing blue eyes.
Everything about Brendan Murphy is spectacular—from his porcelain warrior’s body to his gorgeous auburn hair. But those eyes, fringed in dark-brown lashes, so big and blue and full of fire. They set me ablaze.
His fingers trail a burning path as he lifts the tank top off me. He sucks in an audible breath as my boobs fall gently against my chest.
“You should never wear bras, Ava,” he says.
I open my mouth to say something, but what do you say to that? Hell, I’m ready to throw out all my bras just because he told me to.
He skims his hands up my sides and over the tops of my breasts to my shoulders, caressing me gently.
My nipples are hard and taut, but he hasn’t touched them. Is he waiting for permission?
He trails his fingers to my jeans, unsnapping the snap and then unzipping the zipper. He brushes them over my thighs.
I stand before him now.
He kneels down, removes my shoes, and then pushes my jeans down my legs, and I step out of them.
We stand before each other now only in our underwear.
His boxer briefs are skintight, and the strong muscles of his thighs protrude beneath them. His underwear is blue, a similar shade to his eyes but not nearly as vibrant, of course. No fabric can mimic the color that nature provided Brendan.
My underwear is camouflage cotton bikinis.
I don’t own any sexy panties. It may be time to drive to Grand Junction and go to Victoria’s Secret.
I stop myself from laughing out loud at that thought. That is so not me.
I like to look nice. I even like to look sexy when I can pull it off.
But sexy underwear? Not my thing.
Brendan’s gaze drops to my pussy. I’m already wet for him. I have been since we walked back to my place.
When he said good night and I thought he didn’t want to come up, I was so disappointed.
Even though I know we’re moving quickly.
Even though I know…
I’m being swept away.
I’m ignoring the guidance of the cards. The damned knight of cups.
It’s not the first time I’ve ignored what the cards told me. The problem is? Every time I do so, I end up regretting it.
But how can I regret this? How can I regret being with Brendan? He showed me so much pleasure last night, and it’s been a long time.
I don’t go looking for sex. I never have. But it found me this time.
I didn’t go looking for Brendan Murphy. He came to me.
Is it possible to continue to enjoy the physical parts of this budding relationship without getting swept away?
I’ll think about that tomorrow.
Because I’m so done with thinking tonight.
I just want to feel.
I want to feel beautiful, and Brendan does that for me.
And I want to feel…
I want to feel…
Damn it.
I want to feel loved.
Sex is not love.
Words of wisdom from my mother when I came of age, and I’ve always kept them close to my heart.
And I realize now what that knight of cups was trying to tell me.