Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 83800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83800 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
I towel off, purposefully avoiding looking at myself in the mirror. I can't recall another time in my life when I felt ashamed for being who I am. I could throw myself at a group of men and they'd smile and ask me when their turn was, but I'm in the slow lane here, catching all this grief for it.
It doesn't seem fair to me, and that's the conclusion I come to as I pile my wet hair on top of my head and get dressed in very comfortable clothes.
I'm debating what I should do for the rest of the evening as I apply moisturizer to my face. It would probably be frowned upon to have a delivery service bring me food, but if everyone is already disappointed in me, then why not give it a go?
I pick up my phone with every intent to sabotage whatever goodwill anyone in the house might have for me, but I notice a text I must've missed while I was in the shower.
Robert: Dinner ready in ten minutes. My room.
It was sent fifteen minutes ago, which stresses me out more than it should.
I shove my feet into a pair of comfy shoes and bolt out of the door.
His room is only a few doors down from mine, and we're both adults, but that doesn't keep me from looking around before lifting my hand to knock.
"You were invited," he says the second he opens the door. "You don't have to knock."
"Is that an open invitation?" I ask, my mind letting go of all of the bullshit that went through it while I was showering.
"It can be," he says, closing the door and pressing his body against my back.
One arm wraps around my waist as he buries his nose in my neck.
"You smell delicious."
"So, I'm what's for dinner?"
His chuckle is warm on my skin, sending goosebumps down my arm and tightening my nipples.
I could climb this man like a tree right now, but my insecurities, along with what Bandera said earlier, make me think it's best to pump the brakes a little.
I press my palm to his chest, my resolve fading very quickly.
The kiss isn't surprising, but what shocks me is the care he takes to cup my jaw as he presses his lips to mine.
My fingers curl in the fabric of his t-shirt, knowing I'll follow wherever he guides us. The slightest moan of delight slips past his lips, and I swallow it down, obsessed a little with the way it settles in the middle of my belly and radiates outward to the tips of my fingers. I can feel him everywhere on my body, and I don't know that I've ever had that with a man. It makes this situation both thrilling and scary.
"How was work?" he whispers against my lips when he pulls back a fraction of an inch.
"Fine," I return, angling my head back so I can look into his eyes.
The embrace feels very intimate, considering what we could be doing right now, and I just want to melt into him.
"I got your favorite Thai food," he says, his smile growing wide when my eyebrows raise.
"Green curry from Khao-Wan?"
His smile grows even wider as he dips his head in acknowledgment.
"I would ask how you know my favorites, and it should be very creepy to me, but for some reason, I'm just glad that I don't have to eat more Hot Pockets."
He gives me one more quick kiss before taking a step back, and as cliché as it sounds, I miss the warmth of his body against mine. The space he creates between us gives my brain too much space to think. I want to get lost in this man, and knowing that makes me understand just how dangerous all this is for me. I'm already growing attached to him, and as a woman who has strictly done no-strings-attached relationships, I don't know what to do with myself.
It makes me nervous and something I can only describe as a little shy around him. Fear that I'll manage to do something that messes up what we could have between us hits me in the chest.
Maybe Bandera was right. Maybe getting involved with Robert creates problems where none existed before I came along, and I don't just mean in my own life. If things go sideways, the rift already forming between him and his teammates could get worse, and I don't want to be a burden to anyone.
"What's this?" he asks, closing the space between us once again and holding my face gently when I try to look away.
"What's what?" I ask, letting my eyes drop even with his hand on my face, directing my gaze to his.
"One of these days, you're going to learn to trust that you can speak to me about your problems with the faith that I'll help you solve every one of them."