Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 387(@300wpm)
Finally, my gaze fell to the faucet.
In the movies, sometimes people would splash cold water on their face to calm or recenter themselves. Should . . . should I do that now? It’d ruin my makeup, but did I care about that?
I slowly reached out and turned the water on. It poured into the sink and began filling the pan that had been discarded there, the one I hadn’t noticed when I’d been in the kitchen earlier.
It was a familiar task, so I went on autopilot. I grabbed the dish soap and sponge resting beside the sink and got to work scrubbing. I’d just finished when footsteps approached from behind. I didn’t have to see to know it was him.
“Charlotte.” Noah’s voice was quiet and unsure. “I thought we said Wednesday.”
“We did. My plans fell through, and I was around, so I thought . . .” Rather than face him, I pulled a towel from the nearby drawer and used it to dry the newly clean pan. “I sent you a text about it. When you didn’t respond, I thought that meant you weren’t home.”
“I was,” he paused, searching for the right word, “busy.”
It just popped out. “Yeah, I noticed.”
The tension inside me was so taut, I worried I was going to snap, but instead I turned and finally faced him. He was dressed now, wearing a pair of shorts, a dark green t-shirt, and an unreadable expression.
I was suddenly irrationally angry at everything. With Brianna for canceling the dress fitting. Myself for not going home when he didn’t answer my text. With Noah for what he’d just been doing and who he’d been doing it with.
And most of all, because despite everything, he still looked so damn sexy to me.
My tone was harsher than any chemical in my cleaning arsenal. “You think her husband likes that you’re fucking his wife?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation and no guilt. “He’s the one who asked me to.”
A needle dragged across a record in my brain. “Wait. What?”
He rubbed a hand over his jaw, making his whiskers brush quietly against his fingertips. “You remember how I told you I don’t do traditional relationships?”
I didn’t get a chance to answer because the woman, who was now dressed, appeared. She strolled over to stand beside Noah and flashed a friendly, reassuring smile.
It made my face burn even hotter, only this time with embarrassment. My gaze dropped to the island countertop. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled, “for walking in on you. I didn’t think anyone was home.”
Her laugh was light and warm. “Oh, honey, don’t worry about it.” Her casual tone drew my focus up, and when my gaze met hers, she pulled her lips into a provocative smile. “I don’t mind being watched. In fact, I love it.” She glanced over at him. “Maybe Patrick could watch next time.”
Was that her husband? The one who’d asked Noah to sleep with his wife?
He didn’t look like he knew what to say, so the only acknowledgement he gave was a tight nod.
With that settled, the woman glanced at the screen of her phone. “He’s about to pull up out front.” She put a hand on Noah’s shoulder. “Thanks. You were great.” And then she leaned in and dropped a chaste kiss on his cheek. “You’ll definitely be hearing from us again.”
I stood, dumbfounded. Was she going to climb into her husband’s car and then rate her afternoon with Noah?
Performance was great! Five stars.
He continued to look at a loss for words and stood motionless, his gaze locked on me. When she turned to leave, he came back to life.
“I’ll walk you out,” he said.
While I was alone in the kitchen, I stared at my bucket of cleaning supplies and urged myself to move. This was my chance to escape this awkward situation, and yet, I didn’t want to. I had so many questions I was dying to ask.
So I remained by the sink, waiting for his return. I heard the front door open and then close, and the slow footsteps that led him back to the kitchen. When he reappeared, he seemed unsettled and raked his hand through his already messy hair.
I did my best to keep my tone light and teasing. “For a guy who just got laid, you look really uncomfortable.”
He set his hands wide on the island and leaned over it as he considered something. His expression abruptly shifted to one that loudly read fuck it. “Have you heard the term ‘bull’ before?”
Was this a stockbroker thing? “As in, a bull market?”
He shook his head. “As in, a single male swinger.”
My breath caught.
“Swinger,” I repeated.
“Do you know what that means?” He asked it earnestly.
“I think so.” The tension inside me tightened like a screw get another full turn of a screwdriver. “It’s, uh, couple swapping. And maybe group stuff.”