Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 65643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 328(@200wpm)___ 263(@250wpm)___ 219(@300wpm)
“You couldn’t because of Andrew?” she guessed next.
“Fuck Andrew.”
“Then why?” Destiny cried, her cool voice finally heating up. “Stop playing this stupid game with me and just tell me the truth. Do you want me or not?”
“Of course I fucking want you, Destiny.” I glared at her, overwhelmed by how wrong this all was going. Surely, she had a fucking mirror in this villa. She had to know what she looked like. She had to know that there were very few straight men alive who wouldn’t take her up on the invitation to come inside. And then only reason I was trying to walk away was because–
“Then why?” she repeated, her voice softer now. “If it’s not Noemi, and it’s not Andrew, why won’t you come in? And don’t tell me it’s a bad idea again.”
“Because I’m not good for you,” I snapped, hating that she was making me say it. “I’m a damn good crisis manager, but I’m not Andrew Quinn. I can’t help you just by holding your hand at a fucking premiere. The only way I can help you get your career where you want it to be is by working in the background, orchestrating what the public sees. If they see you with me, especially when you’re supposed to be with Andrew–”
“I know all of that!” Destiny hissed. “But none of it answers my question. I’m not asking you to marry me. I’m asking you to–” She clamped her lips shut, refusing to say it.
“Asking me to what?” I asked quietly. If she said it, she would cast a spell. I wouldn’t be able to say no again.
“Answer my question first.” She raised her chin. “Why didn’t you take what I was trying to give you the night of the Halloween party? Tell me the truth.”
“Because,” I said reluctantly, feeling like the words were weeds she was tearing out of my chest by the roots. “I care about you.”
Destiny’s eyes widened. I’d surprised her, even though I thought for sure she had to know. “You care about me?” she repeated, her voice incredulous. “Then why–”
“You’d regret it.” I hated having to say it. “You’ve been waiting for the right person, and we both know I’m not him.”
“No,” Destiny said slowly. “I’ve been waiting to be ready. It had nothing to do with finding anyone. I wanted to find myself first.”
“And you just happened to find yourself when we met?”
“Yeah, lucky for you.” Destiny tilted her head, a curious smile on her lips. “So, you care about me?”
I could have thrown Noemi’s name into the conversation like a blanket over a fire. Well yeah, you’re like Noemi’s little sister. Something like that. My crisis manager instincts were screaming at me to do it. But I couldn’t. “Yeah, I care about you,” I said, reluctance roughening my voice. “Why is that so surprising?”
“Because not many people in this industry have over the years,” she said and held the door wider. “Are you coming in or not?”
There were a few seconds I could have walked away, but then she reached for my hand, and I was lost.
Inside, she shut the door and then leaned back against it, staring at me, still holding onto my hand.
“I’m not a kid, Garrett,” Destiny murmured. “I think you know that by now.” She stepped forward and pressed her lips to my throat, her hands skimming up the plane of my chest.
My hands came up automatically, holding her. “You’re a virgin,” I muttered, trying to get it through my head. “But I still don’t get how.”
I felt her laugh as a burst of warm air against my skin more than I heard it. “I never wanted to be with anyone enough to risk it before.”
My hand was curved around the back of her head, practically holding her against me rather than pulling her back like I should have. I curled my fingers into the thick brunette mane again. Told myself to pull her away and then walk away. This game had gone too far. I’d known for a long time that I should walk away. I didn’t need the money I’d get from this deal. And there was no amount of money that would be enough to make it worth it.
The conundrum I was in made me want to punch the fancy stucco walls of the villa over and over again until they looked like Swiss cheese. Destiny wanted me, and I wanted her more than anything I’d ever wanted in my life. Wanted to sink into her softness, push past her resistance and fill her. I wanted to see the look in her eyes when she came…
But then I’d hate myself.
I’d have to.
“You have to go,” I said, my voice harsh and a decibel too loud. I forced my fingers to close, to tug her back. I unwound my arm from her lower back and held it out at my side, then let her go altogether.