Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36209 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 181(@200wpm)___ 145(@250wpm)___ 121(@300wpm)
“I would love to take you up on your offer, but since I’m starting a new job soon, I’m sure my new boss wouldn’t appreciate me taking off.” She thinks she’s wiggled her way out of it with that reply. I’ll let her keep thinking that for now. She’ll find out soon enough that I’m the new boss she’s speaking of.
When she finishes her cake, I worry that she is going to try and leave. I could tell from the second the reception started that she was eyeing the door.
“You want to give me a dance?” I ask, trying to keep her here with me.
“I don’t know how to two-step.” I take her teasing me as an invitation. I stand, taking her hand.
“It's a slow one.” I’m fucking dying to feel her against me. To get another deep breath of her vanilla and lilac. To feel every single one of her curves as her body moves in sync with mine.
“I don’t know if I can even reach all the way up there to wrap my arms around your neck.” She giggles. Fuck, I love the sound of it. I pull her in when we make it to the dance floor.
“Put them on my chest.” I move them there myself. Lev is damn tiny. It evokes a level of protectiveness that I have never experienced before.
“You know, I don’t think I have ever slow-danced before.” She peers up at me through her lashes.
“I’m honored.”
“How about you, cowboy? You partake in a lot of slow dances?”
“With my mom a few times.” I try to think back. “Maybe a cousin or two at a family wedding and whatnot.”
“What about prom? I bet you were prom king.” Lev has tensed a fraction. I’m not sure that she’s even aware of it, but I am.
When you don’t want to spook a horse, you have to pay attention to every breath they take. These questions mean something to her. She’s trying to feel me out without asking a direct question that will give away what she’s truly after. That’s not very Lev of her. Which makes me think I might be different for her. Good.
“I was in college at fifteen. There was no prom or homecoming.”
“Holy shit.” Her mouth falls open. “That’s more than excelling in school.” I shrug. “Was that hard? Being in college so young?” Her brows furrow together. I wonder what school was like for her.
“Been a big guy since I was about fourteen. I could blend in pretty well, and I kept to myself. I wasn’t as adept at hiding my accent back then.”
“I like it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, darling.” I let the term of endearment stretch out and add a hint of softness to it, giving Lev what she asked for. She lets more of her body melt into me. The music transitions from one song to another until it ends.
“Oh God,” Lev whispers, distress in her voice.
“What?” I look around to figure out what's causing her panic.
“They’re going to toss the bouquet.”
“And that's a bad thing?” Lev gives me an expression of horror. “All right.” I snag her wrist, leading her out of the ballroom area.
“Where are we going?”
I slide my fingers between hers. “I thought you wanted out of there before you got roped into catching it.”
“Roped.” She snickers. Yeah, I might have phrased it that way just for her. “This place is pretty cool.” Lev says this as I turn down one of the many hallways. "It's not as big as that house in The Shining, but it's close." She suddenly stops walking. A slow smile spreads across her face. A mischievous one.
I don’t know what she is about to say, but I know I’ll fucking do whatever it is.
5
LEV
“Think this place is haunted?” I whisper.
“Are you trying not to scare the ghost off?” Eros whispers back.
“Right, they can go through walls and shit. I’m sure they can hear a whisper.”
“If I were a betting man, I’d agree.” The more time I spend with Eros, the more his Southern twang slips through. I had no clue how hot an accent could be. Then again, I also didn’t know how hot the all-American man would be either. I’m supposed to be with a rocker in a shitty band.
Gross.
“So should we peek around?”
“If you want.”
“I do.” Everyone is still at the reception. The place should be pretty empty for now. I’m sure people will start to taper out and head into each of their rooms.
“Let’s go, then.” Eros nods down the hallway. I realize that he still has a hold on my hand. I should pull it back, but I don’t.
“I’m thinking down, right? To a basement or cellar?”
“All right.” Eros is rather agreeable. I'm beginning to believe that he could truly mean it when he says that all I need to do is ask.