Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 124923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
I clear my throat, and her eyes snap to mine.
“You read?” I ask, gesturing toward the book that’s now in her lap with the flick of my chin.
“Only when I’m held hostage. Is the power back on yet?”
I make a show of flipping the light switch next to me. “Nope. What’s the matter? Not having any fun?” I give her a pointed look.
“I was until you interrupted.”
“You were asleep,” I point out. I stay by the door, making a point to keep my eyes trained on her and her alone. This room reminds me of a time when my mom actually gave a shit about being my mom, and the less time I spend in here the better.
Brown eyes narrow in my direction. “Exactly. Sleeping happens to be my favorite. In fact, my plan is to sleep through this whole thing until we can get the hell out of here and go home.” I envy her. I can’t so much as remember a time that I didn’t dread sleep. Ironically, people assume the opposite since I’d pass out during class or sleep until noon, but that comes with the territory of insomnia. Last night, though? I slept better than I have in years. It was a fluke. Or maybe it was Valen and the way she slid her pussy up and down my cock like she was born to do it. I didn’t even get to feel her from the inside, but it was still the best sex I’ve ever had.
“How long have you been standing there, exactly?” Valen asks, bringing my attention back to the conversation at hand.
“Long enough. Are you hungry, or are you going to hide in here all day?”
“I’m not hiding,” she says quickly. Too quickly. She’s one hundred percent avoiding me after last night. I’m sensing a pattern. The question is, is she ignoring me because she regrets it? Is she embarrassed for some reason? Or is she already dying for a repeat like me?
“Of course not.” I smirk. “I’ve gotta get the fire going again before the pipes burst and do some other shit.” Translation: busy myself with whatever else I can to distract my thoughts from straying to what she looked like with her legs spread, tits in my face as she ground herself against me. How she sounded when she came. How she felt. Valen’s jaw is set hard, but she’s looking at me the way she did last night. I grip the doorframe harder to keep from giving in to the impulse to do it all over again. I don’t want to be up here longer than I have to, but I might just make an exception if she keeps looking at me like that.
“I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”
My words seem to cut through her thoughts and she blinks, as if ridding herself of the same images that are plaguing me, and I force myself to walk away before she can respond.
I start with the fire first, needing to take the chill out of the house, but knowing it won’t be enough, then I throw some more layers on, grab a shovel from the garage, and head outside to clear the snow. When I open the front door, I’m faced with a wall of snow that comes up to my thighs. Fat, heavy flakes fall steadily, showing no sign of stopping any time soon.
“Awesome.” I blow out a breath, the air so cold that I can see it. At least this’ll keep me busy for a while. And it does. I shovel the entrance, walkway, and driveway. Who the fuck knows how long we’ll be waiting for a plow to come by. We’re not exactly a priority way out here, but I need to keep it clear for when Thayer’s able to get to us. By the time I’m finished, I’ve ditched my coat, hoodie, and beanie, down to nothing but a t-shirt, my sweats, and boots. I’m sweating my ass off, even with the frigid temperature, and my muscles are sore as hell. The snow has slowed down some—thank fuck—and the sun is starting to break through the gray sky. With any luck, the power will be back on soon, and I’ll be able to warm the hot tub up. Even better if I can get Valen to join me again.
I grab my discarded clothes and beanie on the way inside. I’m not even through the door yet when I start to peel off my shirt with my free hand, knowing the house is about to feel like a sauna after being in the cold for the past couple hours. Just as I grip the handle, the door is pulled open from the inside, and I nearly knock over a surprised Valen. I straighten to my full height and step inside as she backs up. I close the door behind me, looking down at her. She’s eye level with my chest, starting straight ahead rather than looking me in the eye, a plate of food in one hand. Is she—is she blushing?