Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68697 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68697 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 343(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 229(@300wpm)
“And when will it end?” I ask.
“Let’s give it a month,” he says.
A thirty-day option.
Well, I did ask.
Tonight was the most relaxed time I’ve spent in ages. Learning about the man and chatting with him as we dined made for a truly enjoyable evening. I’d like to do it again, and his terms are clear. This affair can only be one thing—a tryst with an expiration date.
But even though I want him, I won’t say yes tonight. I need to think about his terms. Make sure I’m not about to lose myself in him.
So, I call up all my bravado and my best blasé shrug. “I’ll think about it when I’m in New York destroying the Comets.”
Then I go to the door and open it, inviting him to leave and, in doing so, to wait for my answer.
Coolly, Rafe strides across the lobby, stopping inches in front of me, studying me like a puzzle.
“Let me convince you,” he says, then he crushes his lips to mine. The kiss is deep, passionate, and dizzying. I hold tight to the open door so I don’t fall over as he takes my return kisses and swallows them down. He breaks the kiss to stare at me fiercely. “I can’t bear the thought of anyone else touching you. I’ll be waiting for your yes.”
With that, he slides his hands off me. He turns, takes the steps down to the street, and gets in his car. The stretch limo pulls away, and I realize Rafe managed to get the last word before he left.
24
THIS IS YOUR WARNING
Gunnar
In the morning, I don’t have an answer to Rafe’s proposal, but I have a message waiting for me in my inbox.
I’m standing at the kitchen counter, eating scrambled eggs and checking my phone, and I spot the email the Dragons’ PR guy sent me. In it, Owen lays out details of the one-off sponsorship from Boyfriend Material. The dating app wants me to do a video on how to send a thirst trap.
I smile as I read:
As I’m sure this won’t surprise you at all, the picture you posted last week was quite popular. It generated a lot of conversation, and Boyfriend Material wants to partner with you. I sent the info to your agent, and I’ll let the two of you figure out if it’s right for you.
But if you get a chance, I’d love to chat with you about this and something else, too. Can you meet me for a cup of coffee before the team plane takes off before our New York trip?
Frowning, I read his note again. Owen is usually happy to get things done over email.
Does he want to meet about this sponsorship deal or something else he’s not telling me yet? I’m curious as hell so I reply I’ll be there. I scroll through my email until I find one from my agent, Josh Summers, which spells out the finer details of the sponsorship. If I do a how-to video breaking down the style of my thirst traps, I’ve got a five-figure payday coming to me. Josh finishes the note: This seems right up your alley. Let me know what you think. As your agent and as your friend, I’d tell you to accept. But of course, it’s up to you.
Fuck yeah, I’m accepting.
Every little bit helps. You never know how long you’re going to be able to play ball. I need to make—and save—as much as I can.
After breakfast, I lob in a quick call to my little sister, Jamie.
She answers right away. “Hey, I’m on my way to class right now. But I had to take a call from the superstar,” she says, teasing.
I roll my eyes, packing for New York while we chat. “I’m not a superstar.”
“I’m glad you said that. If you’re not famous, I didn’t see that image of you in your underwear,” she says.
“Don’t look at my Instagram. I’ve told you that, Jamie,” I chide.
“I didn’t want to. Everyone was sharing it. Trust me, I averted my eyes,” she says.
“Good. You’ve learned well,” I say. “How are your classes?”
She rattles off what she’s studying in her pre-med courses, and her happy excitement is everything. I want to help her achieve her dreams, and if a picture of me in my skivvies can do that, I’ll keep snapping.
When she reaches the building for her bio class, we wrap up our goodbyes.
“Love you, kid,” I say.
“Love you too,” she answers.
I hang up and do my best to focus on business, baseball, and family. If I think too much about Rafe’s offer, I might become more obsessed with him than I already am. It’s a good thing I’m going away.
After the last two nights—which felt like non-stop Rafe—I need some time apart from him to consider his offer.
I weigh the pros and cons as I head to meet Owen. On the one hand, there’s my libido—my dick wants an extended ride on the Rafe coaster. But if the man takes up this much space in my mind now, what’s my head going to be like after thirty days as his lover?