Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Oh, hello there, blue eyes. Come to get me?
“You’re going to hurt yourself,” he yells over the music, but still, that smile plays on his lips. He’s having to war with himself. Punish me or . . .
I shimmy all the way down, lowering myself on the table until we’re at eye level, and then I lean in for a moment, singing, as our lips almost graze. Phillip’s eyes darken with dangerous intent as I peel back and stand again, spinning around.
I’m grinning; of course I am. It feels so good to play this silly game with him, to just be reckless and free and feel all those emotions you’re supposed to feel when you’re young, before the responsibilities of life weigh you down so heavily that you can’t even remember what it is to be carefree and silly. To make mistakes and revel in the consequences.
Phillip’s hand reaches out and grips my ankle, and then it slides higher so that I gasp and whip around. He can’t touch me in public, right? Surely, he won’t.
We’re talking about the world’s most private man! I doubt he’s the PDA type. I can’t even imagine him holding hands with a woman in a public setting, but he’s quickly disproving my theory. His hand reaches up to grip my thigh, and he tugs until I’m tipping down and falling forward, off balance. That’s his intent, of course, because he’s there, catching me around the hips and sliding me down the front of his body.
“I was dancing,” I say with a pouty bottom lip.
He keeps me pinned against him, not saying a word.
I peer to the left to see curious stares aimed in our direction. My cheeks flush with color.
“People are watching us,” I warn him as his eyes fall to my mouth.
And then ignoring my warning, he leans forward and kisses me.
I give in to that kiss like it’s the easiest thing I’ve ever done. Easier even than falling into bed at the end of a long day, sliding into the warmest bubble bath ever concocted, picking up your absolute favorite book.
His tongue slides into my mouth, and I press against him, giving him everything that my sober mind is too scared to relinquish. Take it, I seem to say now. Have everything.
My hands reach around to grab his butt, and he laughs and breaks away.
“Casey.”
“What?” I’m not the least bit contrite. “You have a great butt.”
He takes my wrists and pulls me off him, keeping ahold of my hands.
“You should know . . . the editor of Bon Voyage contacted my assistant, wanting you kicked off this ship. She said you quit today?”
“She can’t have me kicked off! I’m in international waters. Try and get me!”
He laughs and shakes his head. “How drunk are you?”
“Very. Excellently drunk.” The song changes. “Oh my god, more Whitney! Is this some kind of fantasy come to life?”
“Did you quit, Casey?”
My eyes widen with excitement. “Yes! And you know what? Should we have drunken sex? Like really good, shameless sex?”
“That seems like what we’ve already been having . . .”
My shoulders sag. “Oh, true. Hey, hey—remember when I gave you that blow job?”
His eyes pinch closed. I think he’s trying not to laugh.
When he looks at me again, I see a flicker of frustration. I’m not surprised. It was bound to show up eventually.
“I can’t figure you out. You’re all over the place, Casey. Is it the alcohol? I don’t understand why you blew me off earlier.”
“Oh, it’s really simple.” I speak loudly so he can hear me over the music, and then I point between us as I continue. “We can’t date each other! I’m a lost person with no real future plan for myself, and you’re like really put together and great!”
Seems like simple math to me. Two plus two equals Casey and Phillip are destined to be star-crossed lovers. The equation only balances out to tragedy.
He reaches up to smooth his hand around my neck so his thumb can glide over my pulse point. Ooh la la. That’s heavenly.
“You didn’t even give me a chance to explain how I feel about you,” he says sadly.
Panic seizes my chest, sobering me slightly. We can’t go here. “It’s better if we don’t discuss it. Like, obviously I’m attracted to you, and you’re attracted to me; I can see it. God, even now, you look at me like you want to eat me up.”
He smirks. “I do.”
My heart starts to race, but I try to laugh him off. “Jesus, Phillip. You’re so intense.”
His hand on my neck tightens infinitesimally. “I’m not usually this way.”
I puff out a disbelieving breath. “Yeah, right.”
He comes closer, brushing his hips against mine. “You do this, Casey. You make me feel like I’m finally fucking waking up, you know? I’m seeing what it’s supposed to be like.”