Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
“Hey, hey, hey.” North stood to his feet, his frantic tone stopping me midturn. He searched my face as if looking for some kind of answer. Then he let out a little huff as he rubbed the back of his neck. “The song is about you.”
Stunned, I gaped at him.
His lips turned up at the corner. “You didn’t know?”
“H-how could I k-know?” I stuttered in shock.
North’s smile stretched into a sexy, wicked grin. “It’s about a melody I can’t get out of my head.”
I frowned, not understanding at all.
He chuckled. “Aria … your name is Aria.”
And an aria was a song. A melody. Oh my god. I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment and annoyingly, I was flattered. “Oh.”
“Right. Oh.” He smoldered at me and my heart rate picked up. “So, why did you really come here?”
It took me a minute to answer because I was running the lyrics through my head, and they were definitely about sex with me. Specifically, going down on me.
Arousal flushed through my body like liquid lightning, and when North’s expression turned fierce and alert, I knew he could see my chest heaving with shallow breaths.
He looked at me like he wanted to eat me alive.
That, along with the song, bolstered my confidence. “Let’s do it. Let’s have one night together.”
North’s eyes flared and the muscle in his jaw flexed as he stared at me until I wanted to melt into a puddle of embarrassment.
“Or not.” I shrugged like I didn’t care.
Holding my stare, North bridged the distance between us, and my entire being seemed to hum toward him. My legs trembled so badly I wanted to rest my hands on his shoulders for support. Instead, I tried to stay as composed as possible.
“You sure it’s what you want?”
Insecurity pricked at me. “If you want. I mean, if you don’t, we’re cool.”
“Oh, I want,” he growled, and I felt a rush of tingles between my legs in response. “But I want to know exactly what you’re asking of me.”
The thought of laying myself bare to any man would usually have me running in the opposite direction, but North already knew about the insecurities planted by my exes. “I … I want one night. To … to see … I mean … I just … I want to prove to myself that I’m not a terrible lover. That I can feel attractive and s-sexual again.” My cheeks were on fire.
North’s pupils dilated as he leaned into me, his cologne tickling my senses. “We’re going to prove that to you many, many times tonight.”
I sucked in a breath, excitement and nerves thrashing in my stomach.
“Let’s go.” He nodded toward the stairs.
This was it.
I was really doing this.
We thankfully made it to his room without bumping into anyone, and now I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me. After carefully returning his guitar to its case, North turned around and asked me to take off all my clothes.
Swallowing hard, I hid my hands behind my back so he couldn’t see my fingers nervously threading together. “Uh … maybe we could do this without getting undressed.”
“Fuck no,” he said with casual but forceful resolve. “I want you naked.”
I glanced around the room, looking for a means of escape.
North cursed under his breath and then crossed the room to me, drawing my skittish gaze back. Was he already regretting this?
To my surprise, he clasped my face in his palms and shook his head. “I’d like to skin those bastards alive,” he murmured, and I gathered he was referring to my exes. “How can you be so confident in everything else you do but this? It pisses me off.”
“Maybe we shoul—”
“Don’t.” He caressed my cheek with his thumb and then slowly slid his hands down to rest on my neck. Goose bumps prickled in the wake of his touch as he stroked my throat. There was a gentle dominance in his touch that my body definitely liked. “Don’t say we shouldn’t do this. Not if you want it.”
I swallowed hard, and I knew he felt it beneath his hands. “I do want to. I just …”
North leaned in so close his lips almost touched mine. I shivered as he whispered, “Talk to me.”
Be brave.
Be brave!
“I’m afraid if I get undressed, you …” I suddenly wanted to burst into tears, and that wouldn’t do at all. “I can’t.” I pushed away from him and turned toward the door. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this.”
But North was in front of me, blocking my exit. His expression was patient, worried. “I will get out of your way if that’s what you want. But I don’t think it is.”
“North …”
“Talk to me, Aria. Whatever you say won’t ever leave this room. I promise.”
I would not cry. I rarely cried, and I wasn’t about to start now in front of North Hunter. “I’m a mess. This isn’t sexy. Who wants this? No guy wants this.” I moved to shove past him, but he grabbed hold of my biceps, tugging me close. My tears spilled over with no warning, horrifying me. “Let me go!”