Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66233 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
My scalp starts to tingle, and my breathing stops when his thumb circles my clit, and just like that, I’m done for. With my core pulsing around his fingers, I feel his hips jerk against mine and warmth splash against my belly.
Out of it and now thoroughly exhausted, I can’t even help him clean us up, and I’m totally useless when we get out of the shower. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to mind helping me dry off and get into my pajamas.
As he’s putting on a pair of boxers, I fall onto the bed and pull the covers up over my shoulder, swearing I hear him laugh. Through my closed lids, I see the light go out, and a moment later, I feel the bed move as he gets under the covers with me.
“Come here,” he whispers, pulling me against his chest, and I curl into him like a sleepy kitten. “You seem okay.” He slides his hand up the back of my top.
“I’m sure I’ll stress myself out about what happened tomorrow, but I’m too tired to do that right now.”
“I have a proposition for you.” His hand slips down the back of my pants, and he palms my ass.
“If you offer me money to sleep with you, Jace, I swear your mom will never find your body,” I say tiredly, and he laughs.
“You and I both know I don’t need to pay you to sleep with me, Penny.” His fingers dig into my skin. “You want to sleep with me, and I want to fuck you, which is why I suggest we let the cards fall where they may.”
Burrowing my face in his ribcage, I think about what he’s suggesting. Like everything else I’ve done this week, it would probably be stupid to agree to go along with him. Then again, what’s the point of fighting it when any defense I’ve built up has been blown to smithereens without him even trying?
And that’s my last thought before I fall asleep without responding.
Chapter 21
Karma
“Can someone explain to me why all the women are currently sitting down by the lake, covered in mud?” Daniel asks, stepping into the kitchen through the sliding glass door, and I look at Janelle when she laughs.
“My cousin Meredith swears that yesterday after she got some mud on her face, her skin was smoother than it’s been in years. She told everyone about it this morning, and now they are all trying it out.”
“You women are fucking nuts,” he mutters, shaking his head.
“Women are fucking nuts!” Dash shouts his agreement from the table, and I giggle at the oh-shit expression on Haylee’s face.
“Sorry,” Daniel says to Haylee, then he looks at Dash. “We don’t say that, bud.”
“Okay.” Dash sighs like he’s put out.
“How’s the chili coming?” he asks, walking to the stove where Janelle is standing.
“I think we got a real shot at winning this year.” She smiles at him over her shoulder, and he kisses the side of her head. “I just need to add in the jalapeños once Penny is done cutting them up, and then we’ll let it all simmer until it’s time to eat.”
“It smells delicious,” he tells her, then he looks between Haylee and me. “Where are those sons of mine?”
“Brice went on a hike with Harper,” Haylee answers without even looking at him, and his gaze comes to me.
“Jace is still working.” I shrug, assuming that’s the truth. This morning when I woke up, he was not in bed with me, and when I went to the kitchen, he wasn’t there either. Eventually, I asked Janelle if she knew where he was, and she told me that he was in her library upstairs. Curious—first, because I had no idea she had a library, and also just needing to see him for myself—I made him a cup of coffee and found him exactly where she said he would be.
But since he was standing at the window on the phone with his back to me, I didn’t bother him. I placed the coffee on a table and left before he even knew I was there. Or maybe the truth is I left before he could dismiss me like I’m not important. Because I already feel like I’m not, especially after what happened last night and him not even sticking around for coffee this morning.
I just keep reminding myself that just because he gave me an orgasm and told me that he wants to sleep with me, it doesn’t mean things are different. This isn’t some kind of fairy tale or one of the books my mom became so fond of while going through her treatments.
Whatever. I’m not going to overthink it. I’ve kept myself busy all day by helping Janelle get ready for one of today’s competitions, which is a chili cook-off, and tonight there will be a game of trivia that I’m looking forward to joining in on.