Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 101736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 509(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
But, fuck, I wanted to.
She didn’t say a word when I picked up my beer and drank the last few swallows, but her intense gaze drilled into me, impatiently waiting for me to acknowledge what I’d said. It had just slipped out, and the most surprising thing to me . . . was it felt good to put it out there.
Like coming clean.
“Yeah.” I set my empty glass down. “So, you’re my girlfriend.” I held her gaze, challenging her to look away. “It’s not a big deal.”
She didn’t blink, but her chest rose with a deep breath as she considered it. “You’re right.” The smile that broke out on her face was downright victorious. “It’s not.”
I blinked my sleepy eyes, annoyed that I’d woken up because I’d been in a deep sleep, and I could tell by the soft light coming through my bedroom window that it was way too fucking early.
I flopped over on the mattress, and my arm hit something soft and warm beneath the covers. What the hell was that? I pulled down the comforter at the same moment a fist banged on my bedroom door, and everything inside me tensed, snapping me alert.
“Preston,” my dad called from behind the door. “You need to get up.”
I stared at Sydney on the other side of the bed, who wore an expression of sheer panic and absolutely nothing else.
“Oh, fuck,” I whispered to her.
Once we’d left Urban Axe and returned to the house, I brought my girlfriend downstairs to my room and made good on my promise. I bent her over my couch and fucked her from behind, loving the way she’d told me my dick felt huge inside her. And because the sex had been so intense and fucking amazing, we’d had to collapse on my bed afterward to rest for a few minutes.
That few minutes had lasted much longer than we’d wanted it to.
We’d slept through the night.
“Did you hear me?” My dad’s tone wasn’t exactly angry, but it was urgent. “Sydney’s parents are in the living room.”
“Oh, fuck,” I groaned again, then lifted my voice so he’d hear. “Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute.”
His footsteps grew quiet as he turned and headed for the stairs.
I flung off the covers, scrambled out of bed, and was yanking on a pair of underwear before I realized she hadn’t moved. Sydney was still nude and nestled down in the sheets with only her stunned face visible. She looked very much like a person going into shock.
This had to be the biggest mistake she’d ever made in her parents’ eyes. One she probably couldn’t recover from. She hadn’t just blown her curfew—she’d spent the night with a guy. And not just any guy, but me. Even if we lied and said nothing happened, that we just fell asleep, they’d never buy it.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay.” I aimed for a soothing voice as I pulled on the same shorts from last night. “Do you need help getting dressed?”
She spoke so softly it was barely audible. “I can’t.”
I knew what she meant, how she didn’t want to face them. “Yes, you can.” I did my best to distract her from her dread. “And trust me—the conversation we’re going to have with them will be a lot easier if you’re not naked during it.”
She looked so timid, so terrified, I couldn’t stand it. A sharp ache banded across my chest.
When she’d accidentally nicked herself with her knife, she’d barely worried about it. But this? The threat of her parents cutting her out of the family was so scary, it left her immobilized.
It was because after Colin, she knew this was a cut that wouldn’t heal.
I put a knee on the bed and crawled over to her, scooping her up into my arms. “It’s going to be okay.” It spilled from my lips. “I promise.”
And before she could question how I could possibly make that promise, I claimed her mouth in a kiss that was too mind-numbing for either of us to think anymore.
It seemed to bring her back to life, though, and when it ended, she hurried into her clothes, combed a hand through her hair, and grabbed her phone.
Her face was somber as she pressed a button on the side and got no response. “My battery’s dead.”
The stone in my stomach grew heavier. Who knew how many times her parents had tried calling her last night? I took a deep breath and puffed up my chest, slathering on a brave face for her. We couldn’t avoid it any longer. Time to get it over with.
Mr. and Mrs. Novak stood in the living room, and they looked like hell. They probably hadn’t slept at all last night, and I actually felt guilty about that. Their wary gazes landed on me, and Mrs. Novak straightened sharply, visibly uncomfortable at the sight of her daughter at my side.