Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26323 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 132(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26323 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 132(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
I had just stepped out of the shower when he rapped his knuckles against the door and muttered, “Headed to my team workout, baby. Have a good day.”
“You, too,” I croaked as I wrapped a towel around my dripping hair.
Getting ready was a lot easier when I knew he wasn’t in the apartment with me, but I still found my thoughts drifting toward Clay. I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d prefer my hair up or down. The rich, red berry shade of lipstick or the silky, pinkish plum. And if he’d be tempted to stroke his fingers up my thigh since my shorts had a five-inch inseam. The sequins and blouson style meant they were dressy enough to wear to a fashion show—especially since I had paired them with a matching, banded top—but still functional, which was important because I was going to be running around a lot.
The day ended up going about as I'd expected, except for the part where being distracted by thoughts of Clay made getting all of my tasks done a whole lot more difficult. Two separate times, I had realized that I’d accidentally put items into some of the bags twice when I got close to the end and was already out of them. Searching through everything to hunt them down had wasted half an hour.
Then I’d started placing the name placards from the wrong side of the room, with the seating reversed. Luckily, I caught my mistake before anyone else noticed. There was a hierarchy to where people sat during fashion shows. It would have been a disaster if everyone who was supposed to have the best spots were shifted to the wrong area—the kind that could have gotten me blackballed for pissing off someone with a lot of influence.
By the time I was on my way home, I was beyond exhausted. The event hadn’t ended until after nine o’clock, and then I had to help clean up the disaster that had been left backstage. My feet hurt, and my body ached as I walked into my apartment, but the pain faded into the background when I found Clay on the couch, his long legs stretched out on the cushions while he watched a baseball game.
My reaction to coming home to him was an eye-opener for sure. Even though he’d made me come, we barely knew each other. But that didn’t stop my heart from melting and my mood from lifting as he shot me a smile and said, “Hey, baby. How was your day?”
“Very, very long.” Kinda like his dick, judging by the bulge I’d spotted in his pajama pants this morning. My cheeks heated at the thought, and I ducked my head as I added, “I’m beyond exhausted.”
“I thought you might be.” He muted the television before getting to his feet and prowling toward me. Then he took my purse and backpack from me and tossed them onto the couch. Once my hands were free, he tugged me close and claimed my lips in a brief but hard kiss. “That’s why I made sure there was something for you to eat in case you were hungry.”
“I’m starved,” I admitted softly, my mind reeling at how attentive he was being.
“I guess I better feed you before you fall over.”
He guided me over to one of the stools at the kitchen counter and helped me onto it. Then he proceeded to blow my mind by pulling my favorite chopped salad out of the fridge. “How did you know the perfect thing to get me?”
His lips curved into a cocky grin. “I put your takeout menu drawer to good use again. Grabbed the second one from the top and called to ask what you usually order.”
“That was very clever,” I murmured as I scooped up a bite, thinking about how I needed to be careful with Clay. I could all too easily lose my heart to him in the short time he was staying with me. He was so much more than the hot jock the world saw. He was also kind and smart. A quadruple threat to my emotions…and panties.
“I’m glad you approve.”
I almost choked on my bite when he winked at me, so I concentrated on my food until it was gone. Climbing off the stool while he tossed the to-go container in the trash, I stumbled toward the bathroom when he nudged me in that direction. I was barely able to keep my eyes open as I got ready for bed, and they drifted shut as soon as I crawled onto my mattress. Too tired for my mind to wander, I drifted to sleep without thinking about how close my bed was to Clay’s. But my obsession with his nearness bled into my dreams.
I was in the middle of a hot fantasy about Clay and me on a tropical beach with the waves lapping at our feet as he pressed me into the sand while he kissed me. His lips trailed down my jaw when the surf reached my knees, and I was just about to suggest we take our make-out session somewhere else when I realized the wetness I was feeling wasn’t in my imagination…and it wasn’t from being super turned on by my dream.