Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 55860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Jack shifts into park for a minute and turns to me. I half-expect him to say this is over, that we can’t keep doing this. The other half of me thinks he’ll reach for me possessively, close his hand over my mound to let me know he’s down to fuck. Both halves of me are wrong.
He reaches over and cups my cheek in his hand. His gorgeous face is so serious that he’s frowning. I touch the wrinkle between his brows with my fingertip.
“What’s wrong?” I ask softly.
“I miss you,” he says, and the way his voice is somehow anguished and surprised makes me speechless.
It’s fine that I’m speechless because he kisses me, the sweetest kiss of my whole life right there in a parking lot outside a strip mall. His mouth rocks over mine, soft and sensuous, sipping from my lips until I’m holding on to his wrists.
He cradles my face in his hands, and I have to hold on to his thick wrists to anchor myself to him. I’m whimpering a little and feel almost like crying. I couldn’t end this kiss if my life depended on it.
“How can you miss me? You see me every day,” I tease, because I want him to say he can’t get enough of me, that he will never get enough of me. I crave that admission from him because that will mean this is balanced, that I’m not just an idiot who starts banging her boss out of loneliness and spite.
“I need you more than that, Serena,” he says, nipping at my bottom lip. “I need you all the time. I was in a meeting. I just walked out and here I am because I couldn’t go another minute without seeing you, touching you, hearing your voice.” He moves his mouth to my jaw and my neck. I’m panting now, ready to beg for it because whenever he kisses my neck, it’s like there’s a direct line from the sensitive skin of my throat that he is scraping with his teeth right to my clit.
I give myself up to the heat of seduction, his arm around me. When he moves his lips back to mine, I know we’re not going to finish things here in the parking lot. It’s probably for the best but I want to whine in frustration. He kisses me soundly and pulls away.
I made a mistake then. I spoke without thinking. It’s all too much. Some narcotic cocktail of hormones is coursing through my body and short circuiting my brain, that’s what I tell myself as an excuse for what I say.
“Please, my love,” I breathe.
He looks as stricken as if I’d slapped my open hand across his face as hard as I could. Stunned, a bit horrified, mostly like he will never recover from the unexpected shock. I bite down on my lip, realizing what I’ve said.
“Shit,” I say. “I didn’t mean it. I’m all worked up; I didn’t mean to say that.”
His voice tightens now, his whole body seeming to withdraw and recoil from me.
“I knew it was crazy to get mixed up with a girl like you. It’s too complicated, plus it looks like I took advantage of you. Maybe I did. I’m not arguing it. It’s on me, that I made a lot of mistakes and landed us here.”
“I made mistakes, too,” I say, jaw set stubbornly. “I was caught up in the moment. I’m not in love with you. I’m not going to act stupid and ask for some kind of commitment,” I manage to say as casually as possible.
I’ve protected those stolen hours like the deepest secret that I’ll take to my grave, something only for myself. Now he’s dumping me. I was supposed to be a bit of fun instead of more trouble than I’m worth. I steel myself for him to say those words.
“You’ve got integrity,” he is practically gritting his teeth. “You keep secrets without being asked, you’re loyal like nobody’s loyal anymore. You fix gunshot wounds like you’re just doing dishes on a Tuesday night. Every day there’s something else I admire about you, and I don’t know what to do with that. I know we passed the point of this being a fling a while ago, and I’m into you more than I should’ve let myself get. I leave work in the middle of the day because I need to see you. I’m gripping the wheel like my life depends on it just to keep my hands off you.”
When he looks at me, that handsome face is haggard, anguished. I touch him. My fingers shake as I trace his jaw tentatively. I want to be his. I want him to be mine.
“Let’s get something to eat,” I say softly. “Maybe we’re just hangry.”
“What?”
“You know, hangry? When you need something to eat, and it makes you cranky and dramatic?”