Total pages in book: 181
Estimated words: 177690 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 888(@200wpm)___ 711(@250wpm)___ 592(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 177690 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 888(@200wpm)___ 711(@250wpm)___ 592(@300wpm)
“Well, yeah, but I thought I would be meeting you at a country club, or the beach—or somewhere. I didn’t realize the address you gave me was—”
“My house? I don’t want to share you tonight, Casey. So I’m keeping you here. I’m going to spoil you. We’ll swim, I’ll fix dinner, we’ll swim some more and then maybe you’ll let me enjoy you for dessert.”
“Gavin, I—”
“Quit worrying. Let’s see where the night takes us,” he says, kissing my lips briefly.
I’ve looped my hands behind his neck on instinct as he carries me through the house. I get to glimpse briefly at his home. It’s all dark wood, earthy colors and white granite in the kitchen. It’s pretty, classic and feels homey. It’s not exactly what I imagined a bachelor having. His furniture is a worn leather, very masculine and seems to suit him. He takes me through the French doors off of the kitchen. Outside is a stone patio that connects to a beautiful kidney-shaped pool. On one end of the pool is a waterfall. There’s a small house on the far end with landscaping around it and then an area farther out where the pavers end, but there is gravel, a stone fire pit, and comfortable seating around it. It’s like a private outside oasis which is surprising, especially considering Gavin’s place is so close to the city.
“Wow.”
“Do you like it?” he asks, watching my face.
“It’s really nice. Do you plan on holding me for the whole date?”
“Would you let me get away with that?” he grins like a little kid.
“You’re a freak,” I laugh.
“Since you don’t have a bag, I’m assuming your bathing suit is under your dress?” he asks as he gently lowers me down to the ground. I rub my hands against my upper arms, mostly to resist reaching out to Gavin. I miss the connection instantly. I’m starting to worry about my sanity.
“Uh…yeah.”
“Well? Let’s see it!”
“You’re not exactly dressed for swimming,” I tell him, stalling because I’m feeling uncomfortable.
“I was hoping you’d agree to naked swimming,” he grins, his eyes daring me to take him up on his offer.
“That would be a no.”
“But—”
“A hard no.”
“I figured. I’ll go change, after I see for myself that you came ready to get wet.”
“You never stop,” I answer, shaking my head.
“Hey! I didn’t mean it like that. It’s not my fault you have a dirty mind, Casey.”
“Sure you didn’t,” I reply, shaking my head. “Where can I change?”
“I thought you said you were wearing your suit?”
“Well, I am, but it’s under my dress, I was going to…” I stop replying because Gavin moves behind me. His hands move under my hair pulling it to the side and over my shoulder. “What are you doing?”
“Helping you out of your dress,” he whispers, his lips so close to my ear that I can feel tiny goosebumps spread on my skin. I feel like I can’t breathe as he unties the back of my dress. I feel the bow at the back of my neck slowly loosen. His callused finger caresses against the base of my neck, before moving to the side where it repeatedly strokes my pulse point, which is beating erratically. “I ever tell you, Casey,” he whispers and the raw quality to his voice hypnotizes me. I feel my eyes flutter close, forcing me to concentrate to breathe. “…a woman’s neck is one of my favorite parts on her body?” he finishes.
“Gavin,” I whisper and my voice doesn’t sound like my own. “I don’t think we should…” I have to stop talking—partly because I can’t breathe and partly because I have no idea how to tell him what I’m feeling.
“I get that you don’t trust me yet, Casey, I do. But there’s something you need to understand,” he says and I jump slightly when he places a kiss against my pulse.
“What’s that?”
“I’m not playing with you, sweetheart. I’ve wanted you from the moment I asked you out and—”
I have to stop him from talking. I need to pull myself out of the haze that he has me in. I try to pull away, but he doesn’t let me. One hand moves to my hip and bites into the flesh there, holding me in place.
“Gavin, stop,” I all but plead. I hear him exhale behind me, the sound almost sad—regretful. He kisses the inside of my shoulder and the kiss seems so tender, so earnest my eyes close.
“You can try to ignore it, Casey, but I’m convinced this thing between us is not going away. You are mine. You just haven’t accepted it yet,” he says. Before I can digest the words, he pulls my dress down. I step out of it as if I’m in a trance. If his hand hadn’t somehow joined with mine so he could spin me around to face him, I’m not sure how long I would have stayed standing there, looking out over the pool in a daze, with my brain replaying his words.