Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67991 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Willa’s eyes widen. “You mean, he’s paying for everything?”
“Maybe,” I admit, circling my finger over the edge of my flute. “He’s tried to pay me the extra five thousand dollars for my fake girlfriend services and I wouldn’t take it. I’m wondering if he offered it to my mom.”
“Did you ask?”
I shake my head. “No. Because I don’t want to put my mom in a position of lying to me, nor Rafferty, for that matter.” My cheeks warm at what I’m about to admit. “And part of me is… relieved. I really want to finish college. I mean, I know it will be tough being so far away and worried about my mom and Cooper. And it’ll be hard being away from Rafferty, but my degree is within my grasp. I want it and I feel guilty wanting it, and I feel ten times more guilty for letting Rafferty do this.”
“Stop,” Mazzy says, a little harshly. “When a man loves a woman, he wants to protect and help her. If that’s what’s going on, you let Rafferty do that. That’s nothing more than you accepting that love.”
“But it’s so much—”
“Stop,” Mazzy says again, holding up a palm. “And you accepting that gives back to him probably tenfold because that means you trust him and you treasure what he’s doing and that you’ll love him even more.”
I’d never thought of it that way. I’ve never been one to take handouts, having been taught the value of hard work because the reward is always sweeter.
“Swallow your pride, Tempe,” Mazzy advises.
“Swallow it deep,” Willa adds.
“We are T-minus ten minutes until the ball drops,” Foster yells out and we swivel in our seats to see him standing a few feet away. “Everyone get into the kitchen, grab your champagne.” He searches the room until he finds Mazzy. “And you, beautiful girl… get your ass over here and get those lips ready to be loved on.”
Mazzy groans with feigned embarrassment, but the smile on her face tells me she is not averse to such a notion.
We all stand up and I see Rafferty coming inside, his eyes locking on me. He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t motion me forward, but that look he’s giving me… my feet move his way as if in a trance.
When I reach him, he takes my drink, pushes it at Atlas who hesitates before taking it, and then both his hands cup my cheeks. He bends down, kisses me slowly and deeply, for so long we earn a few catcalls. When he lifts his head, I find that my fingers are clenching the lapels of his suit coat so desperately, they’re wrinkled when I let go.
“That was a little premature,” I murmur. “There’re still like nine minutes left until midnight.”
Rafferty smiles, and it’s so loving and tender, my belly flips over. “I don’t ever need an excuse to kiss you like that.”
No, he doesn’t. He doesn’t need an excuse to do anything where I’m concerned, and that includes if he wants to help my mom. I’m not going to ask him or her about it, but merely accept… he does this for us because he loves me.
CHAPTER 24
Rafferty
I’m pulled out of the hottest dream I think I’ve ever had. Tempe’s skilled mouth on my cock, sucking and licking and I’m racing toward a fast orgasm. It’s the light scrape of her nails across my chest and a rumbling moan from her that vibrates straight through to my balls that has me opening my eyes.
In the early-morning rays coming through the blinds, I see I’m not in a dream at all. Tempe’s head bobs up and down on me. The realization that she’s woken me up with a blow job has my hips punching upward and she makes a slight choking sound, followed by a laugh.
“I see you’re enjoying that,” Tempe murmurs, her eyes locking with mine, a mischievous grin on her lips.
My chest swells along with my dick, feeling a rush of pleasure not only from the sensations of her mouth on me but also from her show of desire. “You certainly know how to wake a man up,” I manage to say, my timbre rough and low.
Tempe chuckles, planting a gentle kiss on the tip of my straining erection. “Just lie back and enjoy while I finish you off.”
As I watch Tempe, I revel in the intensity of our connection, and it’s been getting stronger day after day. It’s as if we’ve known each other for lifetimes and yet, we’ve only just met. This feeling fuels my desire for her even more, making every touch, every kiss, all the more consuming.
Tempe slowly takes me deeper into her mouth and I close my eyes to concentrate on the sensation, letting out a low groan of pleasure. Her hands gently cup my balls, massaging them tenderly, and when she sucks extra hard on the head of my cock, I bark, “Fuck, that’s good.”