Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“Ouch,” Sully said, pressing a hand to his heart in faux offense. “So, what are you gonna make?” he asked.
“I’m gonna start with a bracelet too,” I said, gathering my own beads.
I was going to make something for him.
Did most men wear beaded friendship bracelets? No. But I had a feeling Sully would be one of the wonderful few who just might.
And despite never actually having any friends most of my life, I’d gotten really good at intricate beadwork friendship bracelets.
So I gathered the turquoise blue—to represent the calming feeling he offered—and the yellow—for his sunny disposition. Then I got some black and gold, just for contrast, and got to work.
“Romcom marathon in three, two, one,” Sully said as he held the remote up to the TV.
So then we made bracelets and watched Never Been Kissed.
I held onto my bracelet once I finished it, tucking it into my pocket, not quite ready to offer it to him, so I worked on a simple one for myself as he finished up his single-row bracelets for each of the girls.
Funnily enough, I could pick out which one went to Layna, Luna, and Gracie based on the colors alone. Which really said a lot about Sully—that he knew women so well that he could associate colors with them.
“Okay. My fingers are glad that’s done,” Sully admitted. He’d really struggled with his big fingers and the tiny beads.
“What’s next?” I asked, sure I could do this forever.
“Well, a quick trip to the snack station,” he told me, waving toward a table in the kitchen that I’d missed before. It was loaded down with snacks and bottled drinks. “Then we are working on mosaic tile drink coasters. The lady at the craft store wanted me to make sure to tell you that the edges of the glass tiles are sharp,” he told me as we went into the kitchen.
“Duly noted,” I said, feeling like I was floating.
“Having a good time?” he asked, glancing sideways at me as he loaded his plate.
“The best,” I told him, meaning it.
One movie rolled to the next as we made our coasters, then moved on to the next table.
“Air dry clay. The lady at the store said that I had to get all the colors because we can’t paint until it’s dry. And I wanted finished products. I was thinking we can make fridge magnets.”
And that was exactly what we did.
Sully made a longneck dinosaur, a duck, and a margarita glass.
I focused on exactly one very intricate piece.
“A Hawaiian shirt?” Sully asked, beaming at me when I finally put all of my parts together. “I love it,” he added, the soft look in his eyes making my belly swoop.
“Now?” Nave asked, coming up from the basement, looking at Sully for confirmation.
“Yep. We’re about to do our last craft.”
I had no idea if Nave was going to follow us after he finished in the kitchen. And I was surprised how disappointed I felt at the prospect. It was nothing against Nave. I was just enjoying selfishly having Sully all to myself.
“What’s the last craft?” I asked as we both stood.
“Bookmarks,” he said, practically bouncing on his heels at the grand reveal. “I got several different options. Coloring book bookmarks, pressed flower ones, stamps, and embroidery. Which is probably asking too much of me, but you might be able to do it.”
“It’s not so hard. I can teach you,” I assured him.
But we started with the others first.
“Nope. Wrong one,” I said when his needle started to go in through the wrong pre-punched hole. My hand went on top of his, navigating the needle the right way.
It wasn’t until I glanced up to find him watching me, not the needle, that I realized just how close I’d moved to him. My breast was actually pressed into his arm. The second I realized that, I swear my nipple decided to harden. And when his arm moved, it brushed right against it, stealing my breath.
“All set,” Nave said, making us break apart.
“Thanks, man,” Sully said, but his jaw was tight, and the words came out grumbly.
“What else do you have up your sleeve?” I asked, but I didn’t move away.
“Just a little something,” he said, shrugging. “But you have to help me finish this damn thing first.”
Which meant I got to stay close.
So I was all too happy to play instructor for those last few moments.
“I do have a question, though.”
“Okay…”
“Are you afraid of heights?”
“Surprisingly, no,” I admitted. “I know, I’m shocked too,” I said at his wide eyes. “Are we leaving?” I asked, more than a little uncomfortable with that idea.
“Nope,” he said, reaching down again for my hand. And so what if my fingers maybe slipped between his? The second they did, his hand gave mine another of those little squeezes as he led me… to the basement?