Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 93307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Roaaar. Wildcat.
Katy
When Mack finally comes out of the hallway bathroom, I’ve managed to rinse the shampoo out of my hair and throw on some clothes from my bag. Luckily, I’ve also succeeded in washing away some of the bad feelings too.
I’m not saying I’m feeling a sense of camaraderie and am ready to sing “Kumbaya” around a campfire with him, but I’m not wielding a pitchfork either.
That said, it might be because I didn’t have the foresight to pack one in my luggage.
His hair curls around his ears, beads of water still clinging to the strands, and his bright-green eyes shine with an intangible mix of mischief and good nature. I don’t know what to make of him—I never know what to make of him. But in this environment, without the pressure of professionalism, it’s as if the power of his smile is a little—okay, a lot—more potent.
I’m so annoyed with the situation we’re in—and with the abysmal way he’s handled it—but for whatever reason, all I can think about is the way his bare ass looked when he dropped his drawers in the middle of the hallway. Tight and toned and…juicy.
Sweet Jesus. I’m losing it. It’s been wayyy too long since the sun has shone on the Prideland, if you know what I’m saying.
Since the flower has been watered. Since the pipes have been cleaned out. Since…I’ve had an orgasm from something other than myself and a vibrator.
I suck my lips into my mouth as he comes over to the couch I’m sitting on and takes a seat on the other end. I chew on the inside of my cheek and pull my knees up to my chest as he crosses his ankle over his knee and smiles a downright gorgeous smile at me.
Handsome freak.
No wonder everyone loves him so much…
“Listen…” he starts, holding up his hands almost nervously. Almost contrite—a different look from him entirely. “I feel a little bad. We’ve gotten off on the wrong foot here. We shouldn’t be bickering. We should be making the best out of this free vacation, you know? I don’t want to be your enemy, and I don’t intend to get in the way of your fun.” He meets my eyes, and his lips bend down slightly at the corners. “I shouldn’t have been so flippant about getting in the shower when I knew you were upset. I’m really sorry about that, Katy.”
His words completely disarm me, and a soft sigh escapes my lips as I search the depths of his green eyes to gauge his honesty.
I expect games and jokes and facetiousness, but all I find is an obvious genuineness. A certified truth.
No red flags. No obvious tells. Just straight-up facts.
I flit my eyes away from the strength of his mesmerizing gaze and stare down at my hands.
As annoyed at him as I am, and as easy as it would be to keep fighting…he’s right. I don’t want to be stressed the whole time I’m here, and I don’t want to leave. I want to go to sleep without my always-tension-filled shoulders touching my ears, for God’s sake. And watching him strip himself on the way to the shower is so ingrained in my thoughts at this point, I can’t even pretend to complain about it.
Although, there’s no way in hell I’ll let him know how affected I was by it. So, I keep my response simple and focused. No discussion of sexy, toned butts, whatsoever.
“Okay, fine,” I agree and meet his eyes. “I’m willing for both of us to stay here this week…but only if we establish boundaries first.”
His smile is back in Mack Mode—downright playful. “Boundaries?”
I nod seriously, showing my yin to his yang right out of the gate.
“And what kind of boundaries do you have in mind?”
“Well, for one, no getting naked in the hallway would be a good start.” It would surely help my sanity, that’s for damn sure.
Unbidden, a visual of his toned ass and thighs pops into my mind, and a sharp heat migrates to my cheeks.
Stop it. Stop it right now. Think about anything else but that. Politics, slow cooker recipes, the smell of urine in the subway tunnel…anything else but that.
All the while, Mack searches my eyes and my face, the hint of a smile making one tiny dimple appear in his right cheek.
Casseroles. Expired milk. The smell of Barry’s fish sandwiches in the teachers’ lounge.
“Okay,” he eventually responds. “No getting naked in the hallway. I can handle that. What else?”
“Um…” I pause and try to think through all of the possible things I need to survive this vacation without murdering him. Or jumping his bones out of desperation. “No eating my food or drinking my wine unless I offer it to you. No annoying me on purpose. Clean up after yourself. And…you sleep in the guest bedroom. I get the master bedroom because I was here first, and my stuff is already in there.”