Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79932 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
It was a hell of a view, for sure, but I had a feeling she wasn’t looking at me for a reason.
“Hey,” I said, standing next to her and gliding my hand comfortingly along her arm. “I am glad, Aspen.”
She finally looked away from the view, glancing up at me with shining eyes. “How is that possible?” she asked, her voice almost a whisper. “You could’ve picked anyone, but you somehow managed to find the most baggage-ridden and furthest economical person from your world.”
I furrowed my brow. “And you say I sell myself short? Come on, Aspen, you know better than that.”
“Do I?” she asked, blowing out a breath. “Everything with you is surreal and complicated and extraordinary. I ask myself at least twice a day why I’m here, how I ended up here.”
“I’ve always been honest with you,” I said. “I know we struck a deal, but do you think I did that lightly? I was drawn to you from the very first moment I laid eyes on you. And everything since has just gone in my favor, because the person I made a deal with to be my fake girlfriend happened to be pretty fucking awesome.”
She laughed roughly, shaking her head. “There’s that cocky charm again.”
I grinned down at her. “Not charm, just facts.”
She nodded, accepting the compliment even though it looked like a struggle for her, and then she schooled her features. “Okay, then,” she said. “What’s on the agenda for tonight? A club opening? A charity gala? A—”
“I just wanted to see you,” I admitted, reaching up to smooth my hand over her cheek.
Her lips parted, and she leaned into the touch.
“Is that okay?” I asked, shifting closer to her like a magnet pulled us together.
“Why wouldn’t it be okay?” she whispered.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Everything is getting blurry for me, Aspen.”
“Why?”
“I want you on a level that has nothing to do with the deal we made,” I said, the confession rolling off of my tongue easily, and I knew that was all because of her. She was just so damn easy to be myself with.
“But you haven’t…we were in the same suite all week and you didn’t try…”
“Like I said....” I shifted closer, her body moving with mine as she turned, her back pressed against the glass. “I don’t want to cross any lines you don’t want me to.”
“I’m pretty sure we erased those lines the moment I came on your face, Crossland.”
“Fuck, Aspen,” I groaned. “That mouth.” I dragged my thumb over her bottom lip, doing my best to keep from bringing her body flush against mine.
Her hands lightly grazed my chest, her eyes never leaving mine.
“Did you want me to try something, then?” I asked. “When we were in India?”
She visibly swallowed. “Honestly?”
“Always.”
“I’ve wanted you to try something since the moment you left me in that bed in Charleston.”
I shuddered, liquid fire pumping through my veins.
“And it has nothing to do with our contract,” I said. “Correct?”
She shook her head.
“You don’t feel obligated to say that?”
“No,” she said. “It’s you. Just you.”
“So whatever happens next, it’s just between us. Not as business partners, but as…” Fuck, what were we? What would taking this to the next level make us? Panic crept up my throat at the unknown—
“Friends,” she offered. “Right? We’re friends?”
I breathed out a sweet sigh of relief.
“Friends,” I said. Yes, that made perfect sense. I loved spending time with her, loved talking and laughing with her, loved challenging and joking with her. Of course, we were friends.
“You want this?” I asked one last time for clarification. “Because I want to be very clear,” I continued. “You’ll always be in control, Aspen. Just because we do this tonight doesn’t mean we have to continue doing it. But if you let me, I’m going to spend the next two months worshiping that goddamn irresistible body of yours so much that you’ll feel me long after you move on.”
Because she would move on.
We both would.
Neither one of us was built for the long term, we’d already established that, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t thoroughly enjoy each other.
“If any of that makes you uncomfortable—”
“It doesn’t,” she said, her hands fisting my shirt. “I’m in. I want you.”
“Thank fuck,” I said, dipping down to capture her mouth in mine.
She met me with equal hunger, parting her lips to let me in, our tongues rubbing and exploring and claiming. Fuck, kissing her sent lightning streaking through my veins. Each stroke, each nip, each suck wound me up, my thoughts emptying except for the primal need to devour her.
I broke our kiss, grinning down at her as I moved to the line of her jaw, then the spot behind her ear, and lower. I quickly tugged at the hem of her shirt, pleasure rippling through me when she lifted her arms, more than eager to be rid of the barriers separating us. She made quick work of her pants, and I did the same until I was just in my boxer-briefs.