Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 448(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
“Wouldn’t change it for anything.” I stand and grab our bowls. “Go relax. I’ll take care of this and be right there.”
“I’ll help. I was just teasing.”
“Nope. This is my last night with you before Sunday. I need you to go get changed and do whatever it is you need to do. Because once I’m done in here, I’m not letting you out of my arms.” I drop a kiss to the top of her head.
“Okay.”
“Love you,” I say softly, but Caleb is sitting so close I know that he can hear it.
In the kitchen, I rinse the bowls, load them into the dishwasher, and move the pot of chili to the refrigerator. I’m wiping down the counters when Caleb walks in. “Of course, you show up when the work is done.” I chuckle.
“You really love her, don’t you?”
Tossing the sponge into the sink, I give him my full attention. “Yes.”
He nods. “It’s not that I didn’t believe you. I did, but it’s just not a side of you I’ve seen before—however, tonight, I could see it. The way you hovered by the stove when she was cooking, the soft kisses, and the constant touching. Hell, you were eating and could barely take your eyes off her, even when her attention was on me.”
“I wish I could explain it to you, Caleb. I really do. I just don’t have the words to tell you what she means to me. She’s a part of me,” I say, tapping my fist over my heart. “Right here.”
He nods. “I’m sorry Dad’s being a dick.”
“As long as she’s still smiling, I can handle it. It’s when her smile fades that you need to worry.”
“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.”
“Now, if you’ll excuse me I’m about to spend the weekend away from my girl, and I need to get my fix.”
Moving to the living room, I don’t see her, so I make my way upstairs. I find her in my bed, with her Kindle. Once inside the room, I close the door and lock it. After stripping out of my clothes, I turn off the overhead light but leave the small bedside lamp on. I grab a condom from the nightstand and toss it at her before sliding under the covers. “I’m going to need that,” I say, pointing to her Kindle.
“You said we were going to cuddle.”
“We are, but what I should have also said is that we get to sleep in tomorrow, so I plan on spending my night buried deep inside you. At least until we’re both too exhausted to keep going. I need something to hold me over until I come home on Sunday.”
“Why didn’t you say so?” She smiles, powers off her Kindle, and hands it to me.
“All night, Sunshine,” I remind her as I move to settle between her thighs. I make quick work of suiting up, tossing the wrapper on the floor.
“Promise?” she asks.
My answer is to push inside her. She should know by now. I never break my promises.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
Joey
“Joey, over here!”
I turn and find Mia and Nathan over by the refreshments table and head that way. “Hey, guys. How was your trip?”
Nathan replies right away, “Good.”
“Uneventful. Isn’t this place gorgeous?” Mia asks, glancing around at the lodge we’re all calling home for the next two nights.
“It is. Crazy to think I’ve never been here before,” I reply, referring to Lake of the Ozarks.
“Me either. This is my third retreat with Jennifer, and she always picks a different place. Last year, we stayed at a big spa in the city. Two full days of massages and body treatments between our meetings. It was heaven.”
I pull out the agenda for the weekend, and while I don’t see massages on the schedule, I do see group activities like fishing and enjoying s’mores around the campfire, which sound fun. “I haven’t been fishing in probably two decades,” I confess, watching as the rest of the team gets checked into the lodge.
Nathan gives me a look full of skepticism. “I’ve never been. I don’t even know how to cast or bait the hook. We can be partners.”
“I’m thinking you’d probably want someone with a little more experience,” I reply with a chuckle.
He shrugs. “We can fumble through it together.” Nathan offers me a quick smile, but I don’t see anything that might indicate he’s flirting with me. He’s about seven years older and has been with Premier for almost ten years now. I’ve been told he was offered one of the senior advertising executive positions years ago, but he turned it down because he didn’t want to lose evenings and weekends with his family.
“I appreciate it.” I chuckle, just as Jennifer calls our attention to gather together.
“Once everyone has checked in, you can get settled in your rooms. We’ll meet back down here in the lobby at five to six. The restaurant is expecting us at six for dinner. After that, you’re free for the rest of the evening. You can explore the lodge and the grounds, take advantage of the pool, or whatever you want. Then, we meet down here at seven sharp to begin our weekend,” Jennifer announces to the seven other team members in the lobby.