Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“Please. Stop.” She held up her hand. “I don’t want to hear this part.”
There was so much hurt shining in her beautiful eyes, and I had put it there. I hated myself.
“I have to tell you. Because what you saw isn’t what you think. I set you up. I wanted you to hurt like I had when I saw you kissing Townes.” I walked over and took her hands in mine. “I didn’t sleep with her. I couldn’t even fuck her. She came over several times, and I was trying to make sure you saw her, but you didn’t. So, I set it up—her wearing my shirt first thing in the morning. I invited her to breakfast. Gave her a time. Told her we would swim after. She got there. I had her take her sundress off and put my damn shirt on.”
Gypsi chewed on her bottom lip as she listened to me. “Really?” she asked, sounding scared to believe me.
That was my fucking fault too.
“Yes. I won’t lie; the first night I was going to fuck her. But she wasn’t you, and I couldn’t.”
Gypsi let out a long breath. “Wow. I wasn’t expecting all that.”
I cupped her face in my hands. “I’m sorry. I will apologize for the rest of my life if I need to. I just need you to forgive me. I want my Lollipop back.”
Tears filled her eyes, and that gutted me. What did it mean? Was she about to tell me that ship had sailed?
“Don’t cry on me. You’re scaring the shit out of me.”
She sniffled. “I’m sorry. I just … I didn’t think you’d call me that again,” she said, reaching up to wipe the tears off her face.
I moved her hands and did it for her. “We can’t mess up your makeup. Dad will be even more pissed at me than he already is.”
A soft laugh escaped her then, and all I wanted to do was wrap her up and take her to my room and keep her.
“She didn’t sleep in your bed then?”
I shook my head. “Only you, Lollipop.”
She smiled up at me then, and my heart began to pound against my chest so hard that I was sure she could hear it.
“Am I forgiven?”
She nodded.
“I want to kiss you, but if I let myself, I’m going to fuck you. Dad is going to notice we are missing soon. I’ve got to get us back in there.”
A small frown touched her face. “I don’t know if … if we should …”
“Fuck?”
She nodded. “This was hard. Really hard. And the loving you thing didn’t just go away. I guess … I don’t need you to love me. That’s not what I am saying. But to be intimate with you and love you, I at least need to be special—”
“Stop.” I put my finger over her mouth. “Listen to me.” I leaned down, caging her in with my arms, and looked her directly in the eyes. “What you heard was me struggling with my dad telling me I couldn’t have you anymore. That I had to end things with you. I was angry. I wanted it to be true. I wanted it to just be about the sex. But I knew it wasn’t, just like Sax knew I was fucking lying. You are special to me. So very, very special. I swear it, Lollipop. You don’t know the lengths I would go to in order to protect you.” Like torture and kill a man.
She blinked several times. “I am?” she asked me quietly.
“Yes. I swear to God.”
She smiled then. “Okay. That’s enough.”
Thirty-Three
Gypsi
The rest of the night felt like one of my dreams, and I was afraid I would wake up in my room, alone. Trev never left my side. He introduced me to people. He stayed with me when Garrett wanted to take me around. When it was time to eat, he made the man who had been assigned to the seat beside me change places with him. Garrett’s scowl did not go unnoticed, but Trev didn’t seem to care.
Several people made comments about having me under the same roof with Trev and how that was a temptation for him.
Trev would laugh and say things like, “You have no idea,” and, “I’m just glad they’re getting married so I get to keep her around.”
Mom would laugh, but many times, her eyes would meet mine with curiosity. The ride back in the limo was a very different experience. Trev didn’t sit in the corner on his phone, but he wasn’t pressed up against me either.
I was going to get questioned by Mom soon. She didn’t seem bothered by it though, just confused.
“That was a fun evening,” she said, smiling.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Garrett said to her while holding her hand in his. “Did you have a nice time, Gypsi?” Garrett asked.