Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71651 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71651 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Finn had never done anything like that before. He pulled back, inches away from my face. He hung there for a moment, with a question in his eyes.
Something crackled between us.
And then Finn leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips.
My heart lurched right back up to my throat. It was as if the rest of the world disappeared around me. All I felt was him, his lips hot against mine, and his hand, gripping the top of my thigh.
You can’t kiss me, I thought, even though I wasn’t pulling away. What the hell are you doing?
My body flooded with heat, melting against him.
My cock responded almost instantly. The kiss was light at first, but hungrier a moment later, his mouth opening to mine in desperation. Like he was quickly taking something forbidden before I really did disappear.
What. The. Fuck.
His hand moved up my thigh and as we broke off for a breath, I could feel the slickness on my lips. I was dizzy, like I’d just spun into some alternate universe.
“Don’t ever get down on yourself for leaving town, Ori,” he said in a low voice. His eyes were half-lidded, and he finally pulled his hand away from my thigh. “You needed to do it. I was proud of you. I am proud of you.”
“You just kissed me.”
“I know.”
“You just fucking kissed me.”
He shrugged a shoulder. “You looked like you needed it.”
I swallowed. “You really are too nice to me.”
“I know that, too.”
We both let out a small laugh, the real world coming back a little bit.
“Thank you,” I said softly. “For… that. And for saving my life, or whatever.”
“Saving your life? Quit being dramatic. Just helping make that prick get out of your face. But you know how to save your own ass, Ori.”
I glanced over toward the bar doors, then back at Finn. “Tell me the truth about something.”
“Anything.”
“Did… did you just want to kiss me because Thomas said we were on a date?”
Finn looked off toward the other side of the patio, breaking eye contact with me. “Oh, come on,” he protested.
“Did you get possessive, Finn?” I asked him, in a slightly teasing tone. “You want to make sure you claim me before he comes back outside? Big ol’ cowboy ego, much?”
I’d been mostly joking, but the look on Finn’s face was serious.
Suddenly it was as if there were miles and miles between us again—but this time, something about it was different. What the hell was going on in his mind? Why did his eyes look wild when I mentioned Thomas?
I had a thousand questions.
But the patio doors opened a moment later and Thomas came out, smiling at us. “I’ve got you a platter of good stuff,” he said. He was carrying a tray of water glasses, ibuprofen pills, and sliced apples and oranges. “The cure to any fucked-up bar fight, am I right?”
8
FINN
Keep your friends close, and your tongue inside your childhood best friend’s mouth.
…That’s not the saying. Definitely not the saying.
I looked over my Google search history on my phone, my body getting hotter with embarrassment as I read back each line.
How can you tell if you like a guy?
How can you tell if you’re gay?
How can you tell if you’re straight, but want one guy?
Is asking to have sex with your best friend a really bad idea?
And the last one, which turned out to have a real gold mine of information: dick sucking tips.
I stared at the screen, feeling like I was a teenager who had just hit puberty instead of a 24-year-old man. I may as well have started searching for how to act normal again, because this week, it didn’t feel possible.
I glanced at the time and jumped up off the couch.
“Shit,” I muttered. I was late for the horses. It was already seven in the morning, way past when I usually left for Mason’s ranch.
I grabbed my keys and headed out to my truck. The horses would be fine, although they knew their schedules pretty well and they’d certainly be a little agitated. But my whole day was going to be thrown off. I usually helped with the horses at six so that I could come home, shower, and have plenty of time to get to my massage clients afterward.
I was going to need to be speedier than ever. My truck roared down the road as the sun rose behind a cluster of clouds.
Thunderclouds.
Not good.
Spring rain was great for the pastures, but I knew Maisie and Chomp absolutely hated when it rained. I usually liked to spend extra time with the horses who hated storms, but I wasn’t going to be able to do it today.
I pulled my truck into the dirt patch and cut the engine, hauling ass out toward the stalls.
“I’m here Maisie, I’m here,” I hollered out, already hearing her making a huff down the way.