Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84295 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
When I finally make it to my car, I start to open the door when an arm comes out of nowhere, and a hand lands on the door, stopping me from opening it.
“Wait,” he breathes right next to my ear. “Who are you?”
I don’t answer him, but I can’t resist. I turn around to where I’m looking up into his blue eyes. I blink but still can’t utter a word.
I look at his full lips with longing before turning away again.
“Cassie? Is that you?” he asks.
Gavin
Her head drops between her shoulders, and I hear a muffled, “Yes.”
Without second guessing myself, I put my hands on her shoulders and turn her around. I stare at her and take her in from head to toe. She’s here. She’s really here.
Her blond hair is in a high ponytail. Her hazel eyes are big and wide and don’t hide a single emotion that crosses her face. Her body is trembling, and I don’t know if it’s from the cold or because she’s nervous.
She was hard to resist before I ever saw here… now I have a face to go with her name, and I know that I’ll never be able to get her out of my mind.
“You’re here. You’re really here,” I tell her, my hands sliding up her shoulders to wrap on each side of her neck. I angle her face so she’s looking up at me.
She grabs on to my forearm. “I’m here. I hope that’s okay.”
I stare at her in wonder. How did she find me? What is she doing here? “Come in, I’m sorry, what am I thinking?” I tell her as she shivers again.
I put my hand to the small of her back and walk her back up the driveway, up the front steps, and inside the house.
“Here, let me take your coat, then you can sit by the fire.” Her teeth start to chatter, and I help her quickly out of her coat. I almost miss the clothes rack because I’m staring at her as she moves toward the open flames. It was hard to tell in the bulky winter jacket, but now there’s no denying it. Cassie has a body made for sin. She brings out every one of my savage thoughts. Her waist leads into wide hips, and I have to stand my ground so I don’t chase after her to put my hands on her. She’s tempting, and the insecure way she looks at me over her shoulder tells me that she has no idea how tantalizing she really is.
I take a deep breath and follow behind her. “Have a seat,” I tell her as I lay a blanket over top of her.
“Thanks,” she says. “So I bet you’re wondering what I’m doing here.”
I just shrug and try to hide my smile. I don’t care why she’s here. The only thing that matters to me is the fact that she’s here.
“So I know you probably think I’m a stalker.”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t.”
She giggles, and the sound is probably the most glorious thing I’ve ever heard. “Okay, that’s good. Well, I’ve thought a lot about our emails, and well, I know that you didn’t plan on us talking anymore, but I had to come and do this.”
I move to the end of my seat and lean forward. There’s a decent distance between us, but with how tall I am, our knees are almost touching. “Do what?”
“All I’ve been able to think about is you here by yourself at Christmas. I came because I wanted to repay you. I didn’t want you to be alone. I wanted you to experience Christmas.”
I sit back in my chair, stunned. I never open up with anyone, but with her I did. She knows that I never celebrate Christmas. And now she’s here… to share it with me.
“What about your sister?” I remember her telling me that she and her sister and sometimes her stepbrother spend every Christmas together since their parents moved to Florida and usually take a cruise at Christmas time.
She holds her hands up and laughs. “Don’t worry. I called in reinforcements. She won’t be alone for Christmas.”
I’m still a little shaken up by what she’s saying. “So… you’re going to spend Christmas here… with me?”
Her eyes widen. “Well, I mean, gosh when you say it that way it sounds really presumptuous. I can just leave everything. I don’t have to spend Christmas here. I can just set it up and go.”
“No! I mean, if you’ve come all this way, I think it’s only right I get the full effect, right?”
She starts to take the blanket off, and I panic that she’s about to leave. She covers my knee with her hand, and I can’t look anywhere except at her soft hand with pink tipped fingernails. “You can tell me the truth. I can leave if this makes you uncomfortable.”