Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 38053 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 190(@200wpm)___ 152(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38053 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 190(@200wpm)___ 152(@250wpm)___ 127(@300wpm)
“I didn’t realize or even consider you may have been hurt too. You’re right, I do feel the need to protect myself, but when I’m with you, I seem to forget that, until I don’t.” She swallows, and I swear I feel her heart pounding in her chest. “I saw you as my competition, as someone who wanted to destroy what I was working so hard to build.”
“February—” I begin, but she cuts me off.
“But you keep doing things like opening your shop to me, making me dinner, singing, making me laugh, and standing up for me, which makes me see you differently.” She licks her lips as my pulse races and my dick smiles. “It’s scary, but I’m willing to take a chance,” she whispers.
And then she does it. She moves that breath closer and our lips connect.
My fingers sink into her hair as I deepen the kiss. She moans lightly, and I growl in response. I pull her onto my lap and she straddles my legs. There’s no doubt she can feel my hard cock pressing against her because she rubs against it and we both moan.
Like a bunch of teenagers, we make out, dry humping in the woods, and the heat I feel has nothing at all to do with the fire.
Chapter 13
February
“Ifeel like I’m back in high school making out with the prom king,” I tell Lennon the following morning as we stand outside my coffee shop.
“Is he a good kisser?”
I raise a brow. “Phenomenal.”
She clasps her hands over her chest. “I knew it. You’re going to fall in love,” she singsongs.
I swat at her arm. “No, I’m really not.”
I think about being out at the lake with Harrison. How free I felt. How Harrison told Drake he wasn’t welcome in his shop anymore. I’ve never had anyone do anything like that for me before.
It was eye opening.
“What kind of pants are you wearing?” I ask Lennon.
She does a little twirl. “Lululemon. Do you like?”
“You look like you just got a BBL.”
She laughs as she touches her butt. “Why thank you. I take Brazilian butt lifts seriously.” She laughs harder. “As if I’d ever get that surgery, but I guess that means you think my ass is poppin’.”
I shake my head at my best friend. “Well, it really is. I guess I need a pair of those pants.”
“So you can wear them around Harrison?”
My cheeks burn red. “No,” I say, carrying out the long vowel sound. “Not everything I do is for him.”
She points to my lips. “I don’t think I’ve seen you wear lipstick in over a year.”
“That’s not true.” It’s really not. Normally, I like to wear lip gloss, but I’m out. Fine—I wore the lipstick for Harrison. But I’ll never admit it to Lennon, although I think she knows.
She side-eyes me. “What are we doing here anyway?”
“I wanted to pick up a few things to take to Harrison’s. Today’s the day where we’re going to make our lattes and let the customers vote.”
Lennon smiles. “I’m definitely voting for you. I don’t even need to try his.”
“Phew, at least I know I’ll have one vote for me.”
Lennon and I step into my shop, and I nearly gasp at the appearance. Caution tape is hung haphazardly over the far wall, and there’s a giant orange cone standing in front of the entrance to the restrooms. There are paint buckets, random tools along the bar, and a drop cloth lying on the floor behind the counters.
“Could be worse,” Lennon says.
I blow out a deep breath. “Yeah, I just have to remain positive. Because if I focus on the negative, I’ll give up. I can’t look at what everyone else has. I need to focus on the things I’ll one day have again.”
Lennon wraps an arm around my shoulders. “You’re being really good about this.”
I stare at her. “If it wasn’t for you and Harrison, I’d probably crumble.”
She tugs me into a hug. “I’ve got you, girl. Now let’s go get your things so you can crush this competition and kick Harrison’s ass.”
Hearing her mention Harrison’s butt reminds me of making out with him down by the lake. The way he kissed me. Touched me. How he made me feel like I was the most important person to him in the universe. It’s hard to explain how somebody can make you feel that way just from a kiss, but Harrison Riggs did.
Lennon and I grab all the things we need and head over to Harrison's shop. Half the town is here when I enter through the front doors. A few people applaud and I smile.
Harrison spots me from behind the counter and rushes around to help Lennon and I with the things we brought.
“Hi,” he says.
“Hello,” I say back.
“I set you all up over here.” He leads me to the side of the shop where he’s removed his things from the counter so I can set up. Minus the machines, because he’s letting me borrow his.