Total pages in book: 296
Estimated words: 284055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1420(@200wpm)___ 1136(@250wpm)___ 947(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 284055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1420(@200wpm)___ 1136(@250wpm)___ 947(@300wpm)
“You were saying?” he asks against my mouth.
“Don’t be a smartass.” I can’t help but smile and chuckle against his lips.
“Just felt like you needed a reminder of last night, ya know, in case you’d forgotten.” He releases his hold on me but slides one hand down the length of my arm and threads my fingers with his.
“Uh, no. I actually have a great memory, so I don’t forget much at all,” I retort, remembering every inch of his hard, sweaty body against mine.
“Good to know. Well, I’ll just come out and say it then. I had a real fucking good time last night, and I’m pretty sure you did, too. In fact, I know you did, several times. I’d hate for us to stop hanging out, because like I said, last night was a fuckin’ good time. So if you plan to spend the rest of the week playing hard to get, I’d just like to know so I can make sure we’re on the same page. Otherwise, we can go ahead and continue where we left off last night.” He winks, brushing his fingers across my bare arms, causing goose bumps to cover my skin.
Swallowing hard, I try to steady my racing heartbeat. I should’ve known a guy like Alex Bishop wasn’t going to let me off easy, especially with the way I kicked him out this morning.
“Trust me when I say I’m not the girl you want.” I’m trying to convince him, or maybe myself, but either way, he doesn’t let me continue. His finger reaches up and softly covers my mouth, stopping me.
“You don’t know what I want, River.” His voice is low and sincere, but his demeanor is serious as he searches my face. “And you’re wrong.”
All the words I wanted to say to him disappear with a single breath, and I’m left speechless. I’m insanely attracted to him, there’s no doubting that, but the last time I allowed myself to get caught up in a guy is the very reason I’m here on this vacation—to escape the drama men seem to bring into my life.
“You can’t deny there’s something between us—a connection. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I felt it the first time I saw you, and if my instincts are right, you did too.”
I nod in agreement but don’t offer him anything else just yet.
“But if I go back to Texas knowing I didn’t try my hardest with one of the prettiest and most stubborn women I’ve ever met, I’ll live to regret it. And I’m sorry, darlin’, but I don’t like to regret anything in my life. So, as I said, we can go about this the hard way or the fun and easy way. I’m even willing to play all the games you want, but we’re runnin’ out of time here. So I’m going out on a limb and cutting to the chase.” He tilts my chin, so our eyes are locked. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since that first time we met, so while we’re both here, why don’t we explore this connection we have?”
My heart beats rapidly in my chest, and I feel like I’m dreaming because his words are perfect—a tad too perfect. I’m tempted to pinch myself just to make sure I’m not. Being my typical logical and cynical self, I can’t help but have questions and concerns. But just as I get ready to voice them, I dig deep and ask myself, what do I have to lose?
Nothing.
“Please say something, River,” he demands.
“I’m sorry. It’s just… I need a little bit of time to think about this. I’ve been burned before, and I can’t just jump into your bed because you’re good-looking and say all the right things at the right time with that damn accent. It’s all confusing to me,” I blurt out, needing to catch my breath. “It’s like there needs to be rules or something, but how can there be rules when we only have days left of our vacation? Oh God. Now I’m rambling. I’m making this more difficult than it needs to be, aren’t I? Like always. Spoiler alert?”
Alex cracks up, a sound I could actually get used to hearing.
“I like rules, sweetheart. How about this? I’ll promise to always make sure you come first. When you beg to be fucked harder, I won’t hesitate for a minute. But I’ll also take you out because I’m not a complete asshole. I’d love to go out and explore the city together. No strings attached, just fun.”
“Just fun?” I confirm, my brows rising.
He nods. “And to be fair, you haven’t jumped into my bed…yet. But I can check my schedule for tonight.” The smile on his face grows as the heat hits my cheeks.
Instinctively, I bite my bottom lip while last night replays in my mind. I could do just fun, right? I mean, I’ve never done casual before, but Alex sure makes it sound really good.