Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 103721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Though, I’m more floored by the fact that my brain actually shut off so I could focus on Benson.
I hold his hand as we head back to his apartment. He hasn’t said anything, and I don’t know what to say to make it better. All I know is that my brain can go fuck itself because I’m not letting it deter me from being there for him. It’s apparent how much he cares, how much he loves them, and I wish I could take away the fear and pain in his heart, to relieve him of those emotions.
I’ve always been a firm believer that blood isn’t thicker than water. The one person I trust more than my mother is Callie, and I know Benson feels the same for the Adlers. Hell, I’m surprised he hasn’t asked for them to adopt him and then take their name. That’s how apparent it is that he is theirs. As a son and a sibling, Benson is an Adler. He fits in, and just like the rest of the family, he is beside himself with worry.
I run my thumb along his knuckles as I study his profile. His jaw is so tense, and I can tell he’s thinking a million different things. Unable to handle it, I say, “I’m sure she’ll be okay.”
He nods slowly. “She has to be. This world is better with her in it.”
“Absolutely.”
“Have you met them?”
“I did, at Owen’s wedding.”
“That’s right,” he says before clearing his throat. “You were there, hiding in the back.”
My lips quirk at the side. “Not hiding, just keeping a low profile.”
“Nope. Hiding from me.”
He might be right, and what he doesn’t know is that I actually left before the first course was served. Mostly because seeing him still wrecked me. Not that he doesn’t wreck me now, but in a good way. I bring his knuckles to my lips. “Are you okay?”
He shakes his head. “Nope. Scared out of my mind.”
My heart aches as I kiss his knuckles again. “Anything I can do?”
“Being with me is all I need, Cam.”
I smile against his knuckles, but I know it doesn’t reach my eyes. We ride in silence, and when we pull up to his apartment, he gets out without a word. I wait, as I know he would want me to, and he comes around to open my door. He holds out his hand and I take it, before he pulls me into his arms, burying his face in my neck. “Thank you for being here.”
Emotion clogs my throat. “Of course. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
He kisses my neck and then threads our fingers together before guiding me into the apartment building. Neither of us says a thing as we ride the elevator up or even when we enter the apartment. After locking the door, he kicks off his shoes and throws his keys in the bowl by the door. I expect him to turn on the lights, but he doesn’t. Instead, he takes my hand and brings it to his lips. He kisses my fingers and then my wrist as he pulls me along with him. His tongue slides along my wrist, and heat flourishes deep within. I reach to take him by his shirt, yanking him to me for our lips to crash together. Our kiss is all tongues, desperate, wanting to get lost in each other to forget the outside world. He cups my ass, lifting me with ease, and I wrap my legs around his waist without thought.
Then we’re moving.
As I eat at his mouth, I hear the bedroom door shut. Moments later, he gently lays me down on his bed. I hear a thunk, and I grin against his lips. “My bag was meant to hit the floor tonight.”
“Facts,” he mutters against my lips before pressing his head into mine. “I want to lose myself in you.”
His eyes flutter open, and I cup his face in my hands. His eyes are basically black and swirling with lust, but also a bit of fear. My heart catches as I rub my thumb along his bottom lip. I want to care for him. I want to be lost with him. “Let me please you,” I whisper against his lips.
His breath catches as he glides his nose along mine. I press my palm into his shoulder and push him, though I know he’ll roll us until I’m on top. I straddle his hips as I reach for the hem of my dress and pull it off, leaving me in only a thong, a scarf, and my boots. His hooded eyes take me in as his lips part, and he squeezes my hips with his fingers.
“Fucking stunning.”
A little grin pulls at my lips as I unwrap the scarf, throwing it to the side. “If I wasn’t wanting to feel your hands on me, I’d tie you to the bed with my scarf.”