Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 124(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 124(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 83(@300wpm)
“Nah, thanks, man.”
Dave shrugs. “All right. First shot at Maggie’s is on me then. I figured I’d get Grandma’s number. Maybe she could teach me to crochet, ya know?”
I smile, but barely. “Not tonight. Thanks, though.”
“Oh, I get it. You’ve already got plans.” He gestures behind me, and I look to see Michelle standing by a blue BMW parked up front.
I almost can’t believe what I’m seeing. What is she doing out here again? Doesn’t she know how much trouble she is putting herself in?
She’s wearing simple ripped blue jeans with a white blouse and green flats, and the way her hair spills so naturally down her shoulders has me flexing my hand just to get a fistful.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Dave says before walking away.
I never take my eyes off her as I walk up the slope to where she stands, looking like a goddess. So innocent. So radiant. I didn’t even notice until this moment, but her eyes are a soft brown with almost crystal-like shards of lighter amber radiating throughout them outward from the pupil.
They’re almost hypnotic.
“Aren’t you worried?” I ask.
“Worried?”
“That your fiancé will know you’re here and come track you down?”
A tiny smile twists her lips, and she pulls her phone from her back pocket. “Taylor’s brother is a tech genius. He found the app,” she says. “No one’s tracking me anymore.”
“Good move.” I drag my eyes up her body. Christ, the hips on her. “So why are you here, Michelle?”
She takes a deep breath, causing her breasts to heave. She twists where she’s standing, accentuating the shape of her hips. I’m already excited. It doesn’t take much around her. I’m like a hormone-filled high schooler again.
“I wanted to apologize for last night.”
“Apologize?” I ask.
“For the way things went. For Taylor, and how rude she was at the beginning.” She clears her throat, clearly nervous. “And then for Jerry and…and all the things he said–”
“Cut the crap, Michelle.”
My words cause her to look up and lock eyes with me. Her cheeks are red. She’s blushing hard, and it has nothing to do with this supposed apology she came here to give.
“I–excuse me?”
I step forward, closing the gap between us. “You didn’t come here to apologize. We both know that.”
“No, I–I did. I wanted to apologize about last night–”
“Michelle. You don’t risk removing the tracking app on your phone just to apologize.” I reach out and take her hand in mine. She’s shaking slightly, but she doesn’t pull back. Her skin is smooth. She’s been raised with wealth too, but I don’t hate her for it.
“You came here for something else, didn’t you?”
There’s a long pause. Her lips part as though she’s about to speak, but after a moment, she turns like she’s going back to her car.
“I should go–”
“No you shouldn’t,” I reply, pulling her back to me. “Why don’t I show you some of the house?”
She looks up, her eyes so innocent. The crystal-like shards gleam in the light of the setting sun. “Some of the house? It’s not finished yet, though.”
“Parts of it are. Some of the rooms.” I squeeze her hand. She’s so nervous. It’s actually adorable. “I could give you your own private tour. No one else has had one. Not even your father. Or…Jerry.”
There’s just something about this girl that gets me. Just standing here, it’s like she has an unbreakable hold on me. She knows why she came here this evening. We both do. But like a person who has never danced before, she just needs someone to lead.
“A private tour?” She smiles. “That sounds nice.”
Blood rushes to my center. My heartrate skyrockets.
“Okay then. Let’s go.”
We walk hand in hand like it isn’t our first time. The anticipation is killing me. All I want now is to get her inside and be alone with her. I glance over at her as she walks, and she looks like she isn’t wearing an ounce of makeup. It’s just pure, natural beauty radiating out across the construction site, causing every urge inside me to come alive.
“This is the first half of the main room,” I explain, taking her inside. “Watch your step.”
I lead her upstairs to the second floor, half of which is finished. The view from here is spectacular, with plate-glass windows looking out over the lake. I smile as she looks out and keep my hand on hers as I take her into the master bedroom and close the thick, white oak door behind us.
I hear the latch shut, and that’s it. That’s when my ability to control myself ends.
I’m on her. I press her up against the wall, pinning both of her arms up beside her head, and stare directly into her eyes. They’re lit up with shock, and her cheeks are blooming red with blush.
“I’ve wanted you since the moment we met,” I say.