Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 46081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
He stroked her clit again, and she groaned.
“It’s not too fast.” His hot breath wafted over the shell of her ear, eliciting another round of shivers. “It’s right.”
The conviction in his words would have done the job if it wasn’t for her always second-guessing every decision.
He kissed her, swallowing her next argument. She melted into him, feeling and trying to stop thinking.
When he drew back, he gazed at her with a grim expression. “I’ve known wrong, Rach. I lived with people who were wrong for most of my life. Prospecting with the Handlers has taught me to recognize when something is right for me. And… you are right.” He drew a heart with his finger on her chest, right over where hers hammered away. “Time doesn’t matter. This does. We do.”
“You’re so sure.”
He nodded. “I am. You feel it too. I know it. But you don’t trust yourself to follow those feelings. And that’s okay. I was where you were before I came here, and I have no problem waiting for you to catch up. All I ask is that you stay here until you do.”
Even if she didn’t have hot water beating down on her, she’d feel warm from the inside out. “I don’t understand how you got your nickname,” she whispered. “There isn’t anything frosty about you. You’re fire.”
He brushed a wet curl back from her forehead. “Well, you’re the spark that ignited it. Stay, Rachel, and let’s see how hot we can burn.”
Tears blurred her vision, making him waver before her eyes. “I’ll stay. There isn’t anywhere else I want to go.”
He kissed her hard as tears of joy rolled down her cheeks. Without warning, he lifted her, pressed her back against the shower wall, and entered her in one thrust as though they were two perfectly interlocking puzzle pieces.
She’d never felt so full—body, mind, and soul.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
AFTER NEARLY A decade of living with anxiety and panic attacks, Rachel knew enough about herself to realize they wouldn’t magically disappear because she had Frost in her life. There would be times she fell victim to an unanticipated trigger or times she might react strongly to one of the guys in the Handlers. They weren’t exactly a group of fluffy kitties, and she couldn’t predict how she’d react if Jinx lost his temper and screamed at someone or threatened someone in her presence.
But a week after agreeing to stay in Florida, she hadn’t had a problem despite spending most of her time in the clubhouse and around the men. Yes, she occasionally hesitated in their presence and would never be called an extrovert, but she’d managed to keep any whispers of discomfort from spiraling into panic.
Major progress.
All thanks to Frost, her brother, the new group of women in her life, and the acceptance she’d found from the club.
She wanted to do something to show her appreciation and found the perfect way. A local woodworker posted an ad online looking for a social media marketer to evaluate their online presence and increase engagement. Right in Rachel’s skillset. She’d contacted them and offered a barter. A custom hand-carved table with the Handlers’ logo in exchange for work on their social media sites. The owner jumped at the chance, and as luck would have it, he had a banquet-size table built and ready for carving. It had been ordered as a wedding gift for a couple who called off the wedding a week before their event.
Their loss, her gain.
Today she’d met with the artist to see the table and review the design. It’d be spectacular when finished, just in time for Christmas. Hopefully, the guys would love the hand carving of their logo on the enormous table. It’d be incredible in the chapel, the club’s room used for closed-door meetings.
She walked out of the small workshop with a smile that matched the bright Florida sun. The sixty-two-degree December day felt surprisingly fantastic.
As Christmas drew closer, she’d worried she wouldn’t feel the holiday spirit without cold and snow, but it hadn’t worked out that way. She was more excited for this holiday season than any before it.
As she made her way to her car, her stomach growled. A reminder she’d skipped lunch, and while it was early for dinner, she might as well grab something to eat. She had about forty minutes before Brooke was expecting the return of the SUV Rachel had borrowed. Instead of walking to the car, she jogged across the street to a small sports bar. A burger and beer would hit the spot.
She pulled the door open and walked into the dimly lit, empty restaurant.
“Good afternoon,” a man called from behind the bar where he stood drying glasses. “Grab a seat anywhere you like. Won’t get busy in here for another hour or so.”
“Thank you.”
“Waitress will be by in a moment.”