Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 147540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 590(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 590(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Film crews and actors crawling over that, maybe doing damage, I hoped they never did.
“Wow,” I said.
“Yup. Pretty much the shit. Nice way to start the day, hey?”
I looked up at him with a small smile. “Hey.”
He had shades on, but still, his mood was so good, it felt like he was twinkling at me.
As I was being bedazzled by his twinkle, he shifted my world on its axis.
He did this tossing an arm around my shoulders, adjusting our position so our backs were to the valley, and saying, “We can’t waste this opportunity. Get in here. Pretend that you love me.”
And he was extending his long arm out, his phone held in his hand in that way cool dudes held their phones for a group selfie, holding it horizontal, with his long fingers cupping the back.
But I was frozen stiff.
“Babe, shove in,” he commanded, tightening his arm around my shoulders.
Okay.
Uh.
No.
This wasn’t going to be doable.
He smelled of dust and man and sun, and my sports bra was buttery soft, comfortable and lined, but it wasn’t padded, and that was currently a gigantic issue.
His phone arm went down and he called, “Alex.”
I was still staring where the phone had been.
And then I wasn’t, because his finger was under my chin and pushing it up.
My sunglasses hit his, and they stayed there even when his finger went from my chin so all of them could wrap around my upper arm.
“This is how you do it,” he said gently, his hand trailing down my arm to get to my wrist.
He pulled it in front of him, tucked it around him.
He then said, “Leave it there, hold on.”
I nodded mutely and did as told.
He retrieved his phone from wherever he’d put it and then ordered, “Cheek to my chest, Alexandra.”
Oh God.
I nodded again.
Then I took a breath and laid my cheek to his chest.
Soft fabric, hard muscle underneath.
Beautiful.
“You’re smack in vast, sweetheart,” he murmured. “You can open up here. You can let it out. Close your eyes.”
I closed my eyes.
“Do you feel it?” he asked.
It took a second (probably more like twenty), then I whispered, “I feel it, Rix.”
“Okay, baby, open up and smile.”
I opened my eyes, smelling dust, man and sun, feeling his strong arm tight around me, the power of his chest under my cheek, the warmth of the morning sun on my skin, the air fresh, but still all around us.
And in that moment, it was just Rix and me.
No one would ever have that moment.
No one, but us.
I was his, and he was mine.
For then.
So I smiled.
His phone clicked.
He didn’t let me go immediately, and when he did, he turned into me so we were toe to toe, shifted his other shoulder to my side, and held up the phone in front of us.
“Our first picture fuckin’ rocks, woman,” he declared.
He was right.
It did.
My smile wasn’t huge.
But it was content, and my dimple was out.
Rix wasn’t smiling.
But there was no mistaking he was happy to be right where he was.
We actually kinda looked good together.
The phone fell away, and he muttered, “I’ll text it to you. You can text it to your sister.”
Right.
Pretend.
“Cool,” I mumbled.
Even if it was pretend, nothing could dampen that moment for me, standing there with Rix.
We stared at the rocks, we took in the vista, and at the exact same second I was about to do it, Rix turned to me.
“Breakfast down in that sun room, or room service? And my vote is, room service. On one of our balconies. Our views are better. We get back, text me your order, I’ll call it in. We can shower, get ready, by that time, they’ll have the food up. We’ll eat, and then we can hit the road.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
He did something with his hand, it moved up an inch, then fell, and I sensed he was going to touch me.
But he didn’t.
Because we were pretend.
That produced a hint of melancholy.
But I shook it off and turned toward the trail.
Rix followed me.
I had a shower and was dressed and very ready for breakfast (in other words, there was a rumble in my stomach).
I also had a text that just came in from Rix that said, R&A Excursion 1, Operation Learnalot Nerve Center is my room. Breakfast on balcony T minus now.
And I was thinking he really was funny.
I was also thinking I could love a guy that was that funny.
Then I stopped thinking and started to head out.
I had my door open and was about to step into the hall when my phone rang.
I expected it to be Rix, telling me to get my butt over there, because he was funny, but I was also noticing he could be impatient.
It wasn’t Rix.
It was Chloe.
Considering what happened last night, I stepped back into my room, let go of the door and took the call.