Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
“One date,” I say against her lips. “I’m not above begging.”
“Duke, I don’t know…”
I take her hand and hold it over my beating heart. “Can you feel that?” Lila bobs her head, and I continue, “I’ve never felt like this about another woman.”
She shakes her head. “This is crazy.”
“And I’m crazy about you.”
Lila sucks in a deep breath. Her soft expression hardens, and her tone grows serious. “Please don’t make me regret this.”
“This isn’t a hookup to me,” I confess. “You’re the real deal, Doc.”
She glances up at me. “We have to take things slow. Don’t rush me. Don’t push it. I’m not a puck bunny. I’m not going to hop into bed with you on the first date.”
A smirk tugs at the corner of my mouth. “On the second one, then?” I laugh, and she smacks me on the arm. “Duly noted.”
“You know what I mean,” she groans.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow at eight.”
Chapter Seventeen
DELILAH
Duke stands in the doorway, dressed in gray slacks and a black button-down shirt. His eyes travel down the front of my dress and linger at my breasts. I chose a strapless red dress that stops mid-thigh and scoops down in the front.
“Damn, Doc.” He puts his fingers in his mouth and whistles. “You’re either trying to kill me or test your rule about no sex on the first date.”
“Oh, this,” I say, waving my hand at my side. “It’s nothing. Just something I found in my closet.”
After I dropped Max off at her dad’s house last night, I went shopping. I bought this for Duke, but he doesn’t need to know that.
He pulls me into his chest with his big hand on my back and plants a kiss on my lips. “You look beautiful, Lila. If I wasn’t pretending to be a gentleman tonight, I’d rip this dress off you and skip dinner.”
I laugh so hard, I snort. “Good thing you’re pretending to a gentleman, then.”
When I turn around, Duke taps me on the ass, causing me to jump.
“Hey.” I rub my backside, pretending it hurt.
He shuts the door behind him and follows me into the living room. Duke slides his hand to my stomach, and the other falls to my ass, right where he smacked it. He holds me in place, and every inch of my body hums with electricity.
“You’re testing me, woman,” he says against my neck. “I think I might have a medical condition.”
I laugh. “Since when?”
“I don’t know if I can get rid of this erection any time soon… Not with you in this dress.”
“That’s not a medical condition,” I point out with laughter in my voice. “That’s your body’s natural response when excited.”
“I don’t know, Doc.” He rocks his hips into me, so I can feel his length. “I think it might get worse as the night goes on.”
“Duke,” I warn. “We had a deal.”
He breathes against my neck, and I fall back into him, leaning my head back on his shoulder. My nipples are painfully sore and digging through the thin fabric.
“Excited, Doc?” He laughs and then runs his finger along the side of my breast.
I want him to keep touching me. It’s been years since I last had sex. Wow, that makes me sound pathetic. I was still married for two of the three years.
“Can I tell you a secret?”
“Is it dirty?” I can hear the smirk on his lips. “I like dirty secrets.”
“No.” I hesitate for a second and then mutter, “I’ve only ever been with one man.”
He lifts his head from my neck. “You’re a good girl, huh?”
I nod. “So, it’s important to me that we take this slow. I don’t want to rush into anything until we’re both sure that this is going to work out.”
Duke turns me around until we’re facing. “I like you.” He slides his finger beneath my chin until our eyes meet. “And sex is not what’s keeping me around.”
“I know,” I say, peeking up at him. “I want it to mean something.”
“It will,” he says. “Because you mean something to me. You’re the only person alive who knows the real me, and for some reason, you’re not terrified.”
“Why would I be? The real you is pretty great. You should let more people in.”
He gives me a genuine smile that illuminates his handsome face. I reach up to touch his cheek, and he grabs my hand, holding it in place. We stay this way for a few seconds before he kisses my hand.
“My name will only hold our table for so long,” he says. “You ready to go?”
Smiling like an idiot, I grab my purse from the couch. I can’t believe I’m going on a date with Duke Baldwin. None of this feels real. I had my doubts about this date, but when we’re together, all of my concerns tend to fade away.