Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 21094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21094 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 105(@200wpm)___ 84(@250wpm)___ 70(@300wpm)
She tilts her head to the side. “So you’re saying that when you came home, you wanted—” she stops and clears her throat as a pretty blush comes across her cheeks.
I cross my arms over my chest and stare at her. “I wanted you.”
She blinks. “And now?”
I smile and shake my head. “Oh, honey, I still want you. There’s no reason for me to deny it, but we’re practically strangers. I wish I could say I’m ready for us and our marriage, and I know I’m an ass to even ask this, but I need some time, Jane. I have some things I’m working through, and I need to get my shit together so I have something to offer you.”
She scrunches her nose up. “Something to offer me? I don’t need any ‘thing.’ I need you. That’s all.”
I put my hands on her thighs and lean toward her. “Let’s get to know each other. We skipped that in the beginning…”
She nods her head. “Okay. I think it’s a good idea.”
She opens her mouth and closes it again.
I shake my head and squeeze her legs. “If we’re going to do this, you have to talk to me. If you have something to say, say it. You can tell me anything.”
She covers my hands with hers and lifts them between us. I look at our intertwined fingers and wait for her to answer. She starts by saying, “You can tell me no.”
“I’m not going to tell you no.”
The smile on her face lets me know I said the right thing. She squeezes my hands. “Okay, so seriously, you can tell me no, and I’d completely understand. My friend has planned a welcome home party this Saturday. It’s at the park…”
She stops talking, and I know it’s because of the frown on my face. I try to soften it, but it’s no use. The idea of a party makes me want to run away. There’s no part of me that wants to mingle with people I don’t know.
Jane shakes her head. “Forget it. I’ll tell her to cancel it.”
There’s no hiding the disappointment on her face. “Jane, parties are not really my thing.”
She nods. “Okay, I completely understand. It’s no big deal. She’ll understand.”
The fact that she’s smiling at me and not pouting at the fact I told her no has me changing my mind. For her, I can do anything. “If I do this, will you stay by my side the whole time?”
Her head jerks up, and she scoots to the end of the couch. Her legs are between mine, and I squeeze them. She looks at me worriedly. “First of all, you’re probably going to be sick of me by Saturday and wish I’d give you some space. But seriously, we can do it another time.”
The fact she thinks I’m going to get tired of her has me wanting to do this for her. “It’s fine. I’ll go.”
She bites on to her lip. “There’s something else.”
“What is it?”
She sucks in a breath and blows it out slowly. “My friends all think we’re really married.”
“We are really married.”
She nods and searches my eyes. “Right, well, they think we’re in love.”
I open my mouth to say we are in love, but I don’t think she’s ready for that. The idea of this party is getting better and better. I will have no trouble at all acting as if we’re a real couple and that I love her. “It will be fine.”
She raises her eyebrows. “Are you sure? I can cancel.”
“I’m sure.”
She nods her head, and I lean forward, pressing my hands to each side of her face. “Jane.”
Her eyes widen. “That day we got married, I wish I had kissed you. That I really kissed you… Can I do that now?”
“Yes,” she whispers.
I don’t waste another minute. I lean in and press my lips to hers. I try to hold back, I really do, but as soon as our lips touch, I’m completely overwhelmed. I’ve imagined kissing her for what feels like forever, and now that I am, I don’t want it to end. I tilt her head and deepen the kiss. When she gasps, I slide my tongue along hers. Her whimper is my undoing, and I know I need to stop before this gets out of hand.
I pull away, and her eyes are shades darker and filled with desire. She touches her fingers to her lips and stares at me with surprise. I swipe my thumb across her swollen lip. “That was even better than I imagined, Jane.”
She smiles and nods.
So I continue. “I don’t want you to feel pressured. We’re going to take this slow…”
“Okay. I don’t feel pressured. But okay.”
I’ve barely slept in the last three days, and there’s no holding back the yawn that takes hold of me. As soon as I do, she pops up. “Go to bed, Grant. We can talk more in the morning.”