Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 88992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“You were saying?” she asks, her voice soft.
I have no fucking idea.
Her smile grows as she tosses the jacket to the edge of the mat. “You were going to teach me how to throw a punch.”
Heat grows between us, curling and building until it’s ready to explode. Anticipation hangs in the air, humming with possibility so thick that I can nearly taste it. And as the moments pass, Audrey’s shy smile smashes into me with the power of a heavyweight’s jab.
“Okay, hands up,” I say, clearing my throat. I can’t blow this off, because it’s important. If she wants to walk into a room full of dickheads, knowing she can knock one on their ass—or give them a black eye at the very least—I’m happy to help her feel confident about it. “You want to make fists with your thumb on the outside and your fingers facing each other. Like this.” I demonstrate what I’m looking for her to do. “See?”
“I always thought you put your thumb inside your fist.”
“Only if you want to break them. Tuck your elbows in tight. You want to be a unit so if I throw a punch at you, you can block it with your elbows.” I extend an arm like I’m throwing a punch and tap her forearms. “You can protect yourself like this.”
She gets into it, moving around as I throw baby punches her way. “Okay. Okay. I think I’m a natural.”
I laugh, taking a step back. This girl is too adorable. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
“Well, you were the champ. You should know talent when you see it.”
“Oh, someone’s been looking me up online, huh?”
She shrugs nonchalantly. “I was bored.”
“Sure. I bet you got off to my fight pics last night, didn’t you?”
“Maybe.” Her cheeks turn bright red. “You had a fight against this guy named Malone.”
Oh, my fuck. She did look me up. “Yeah?”
“Your body in that fight was impeccable. Peak performance.”
I close the distance between us, my cock hardening with each step I take. My fingers itch to grab her and haul her into me. I’m desperate to trace every inch of her with my tongue.
I can imagine how she feels. How she sounds. How she tastes.
Her lips fall apart, and a sweet breath slips between them as I stop in front of her. If I told her to undress right now, she’d do it. She’d bend that juicy ass over the bench in the corner and let me fuck her. Suck her. Eat her pussy until she busts all over my face.
She gazes up into my eyes with an innocence and beauty that quickens my heartbeat.
I’m not nearly good enough for this woman. If she knew my secrets, she’d walk away, and I’d never see her again.
“When I’m with you,” she says softly, her chest rising and falling in tempo with mine. “I feel free. I can be whoever I want. Say things, do things … act on things I’ve never been able to express in my life. Thank you for that.”
I reach out, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.
For the next week, until she leaves for Boston and I hopefully getting good news about heading back to Vegas, we’re going to be together. But what will that look like? Will she be able to be free, to be who she wants, if we’re here in Sugar Creek? Because people will talk and they’ll speculate, and some might even tease her if we went into Piper’s together for dinner. I’m not sure if that’s the best way for her to find her confidence, and I know how nice it would be for me to get the hell out of here.
“Are you doing anything particular that means you need to stay at Gray’s cabin next week?” I ask.
“Um, I was hoping I’d be doing …” She smiles as her voice trails off. “No. I have nothing happening that means I need to stay at Gray’s. Why?”
I return her smile. “What if we get away? Me and you. We can take a road trip and get away from everything and everyone. We’ll just relax and have fun.”
“Yeah. I think I’d like that.”
Me, too. “As long as I can find a babysitter for my son, we’re good to go.”
She pulls back, her eyes wide. “Your son? You have a kid?”
“He’s five. A terror, really.” I roll my eyes. “If I knew how much of a mess they’d cause, I might’ve thought about it before I brought him home.” I fight a grin. “Is that a problem?”
“Oh, no. No. No problem. I think single dads are sexy.”
“Great. You’re going to love him. His name is Otis. He’s orange with the best whiskers and the longest tail that he uses as a feather duster.”
She bursts out laughing before she smacks my chest. “A cat? Otis is a cat?”