Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 93002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
He’d said, “I have plenty of ideas, but I won’t act on them,” and I hadn’t been able to stop wondering—exactly what kind of ideas? His words were a tease in my brain. What was he imagining doing to me? I knew what I’d had in my head, starting with pulling down that white sheet and seeing more than his bare, muscled shoulders.
Body and soul, no one had ever made me feel like Forrest. And it had been a year without him. Lying in bed beside him, I’d felt every one of those long, lonely days. He was right there, close enough to touch. I’d tried to sleep, tried to ignore him. Nothing worked. And then my body made the decision for me. It hadn’t even occurred to me that he would turn me down, which on reflection, made me feel like kind of an asshole. I’d just assumed he wanted it, too. Why? Because all men wanted sex? Because he loved me? I was so wrapped up in all the ways he’d hurt me, I hadn’t stopped to think about the ways I could hurt him.
At the time, I’d just wanted to touch, to feel, to go back and bring a slice of memory to life. I’d promised him I wouldn’t blame him later. My chest ached. He hadn’t asked for sex. That was all me. All Forrest needed was the promise that I wouldn’t hold it against him if he gave me what I wanted. I didn’t know what I thought about that.
The sex was even better than before. Was that even possible? Maybe I was just sex starved. Forrest had always been deliciously bossy in bed.
Pinch your nipples.
The memory of the roughly growled order sent a shiver down my spine.
Forrest glanced over. “Are you cold? Should I turn down the AC?”
“I’m fine,” I said quickly, turning my head to look out the window so he couldn’t see the flush on my cheeks. It felt like my face was flaming red.
I’d lied to him. I told him it didn’t mean anything; the truth was I didn’t want it to mean anything. But if it didn’t mean anything, I wouldn’t be sitting here obsessing over it, would I?
In so many ways, I’d gotten my life together. I wasn’t using alcohol to escape from life anymore. I had a job I liked. I was studying for a new career. I’d been keeping that part a secret, but still, I was making forward, positive progress in every aspect of my life. I was closer to my siblings than ever. I actually kept my room clean. And yet, I couldn’t seem to get the slightest handle on my love life.
Forrest flicked on his blinker and looked over his shoulder as he steered the car into a small gas station opposite the on-ramp to the interstate. I checked the dashboard. Half a tank. More than enough to get home.
“Why are we stopping?” I asked.
“The only thing you took from Callum Leary was his business card?” he stated, his raised eyebrow making it a question.
I wasn’t following, but I nodded. “That’s it. Just the business card. Why?”
He put the car in park next to the gas pump, unclipped his seat belt, and shifted to look at me. “Then how did they track us to the lake house? I know they’re not tracking your phone. I’m pretty sure Hawk is the only one who can do that.”
“What if they were tracking you?” I asked, turning the questions over in my head, a little surprised I hadn’t thought of it first.
Forrest shook his head. “I doubt it. My phone probably isn’t as locked down as yours, but it’s company-issued, and my understanding is that those go through the same security process as the family’s.”
That threw me for a second, but then it made sense. Forrest worked closely with my older brothers, Royal and Tenn. A lot of their personal information, like schedules and contact numbers, would end up on Forrest’s phone, as well as company information they’d want to keep secure.
“So, if it’s not our phones…” I glanced around for Callum’s dark sedan. It wasn’t in sight, but now that Forrest had asked, I felt them watching us. I shivered again, this one far less pleasant.
“That’s why we’re getting gas,” Forrest said. He got out, did the thing at the pump with his credit card, and started pumping the gas. Once it was set, he left it to fill the tank and walked around the car.
He circled the car once. On the second lap, he leaned over and disappeared from view. I’d been so distracted by second thoughts over my late-night seduction and looking for the Learys, it took me that long to realize what Forrest was doing. I unsnapped my seat belt and jumped out, going to my knees behind the front right tire, looking up into the undercarriage.