Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 107667 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107667 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
I need more. I deserve more.
“Did you ever get him to choke you that one night?” Josie asks, and I scoff as he starts for us. Since he knows we’ve been talking about him, I appreciate the confidence he’s portraying as he comes toward us. Still, it does nothing for me.
“Girl, he told me he couldn’t do it. He didn’t feel right cutting off my airway. Said it couldn’t be safe.”
She snorts. “You should have done it to him.”
“I tried, and he panicked,” I say softly. “It’s my fault. I should have known the first time we hooked up.”
Lindy makes a face. “You were younger and didn’t know what you wanted yet.”
“She’s right. This on-again, off-again thing has been a problem for a long time,” Josie adds, and I nod in complete agreement.
Denis and I have dated on and off since I was sixteen. We were each other’s senior prom dates, my first time, and we dated a lot through college, but he never actually fulfilled me. He has done right by me, but I was the one to finally end things. Everyone blamed it on me being the young one since he’s two years older than I am, but it wasn’t that. He isn’t it. While I truly care for him—and I know our parents have been planning our wedding since we met—when we broke up, I knew that was it. We were really done, and we needed to be done for both of us to move on.
“Why is he here?” Lindy asks, and I shake my head.
“Momma got involved once more.”
“I mean, he is nice to you,” Josie reminds me, and I flash her a dark look.
“But I want more.”
They both sigh deeply as Denis comes toward us, a nice grin on his face. He meets my gaze and then leans in, kissing my lips like we haven’t been broken up for three months. “Hey, Tennie.”
“Hey, Denis. How are you?”
“Good,” he says, grinning. He then hugs and greets Josie and Lindy. “Hope y’all don’t mind me crashing y’all’s little celebration. I’m in town for a dentists’ convention and wanted to celebrate with y’all.”
Another thing about him that drove me crazy—his obsession with teeth. I bet right now I can put my hand in his pocket, and he’ll have a toothbrush. He always tasted like spearmint to the point I now despise the flavor of it. His mouth is always clean. Always. And I know that should be a good thing, but sometimes I want to taste the beer on a guy’s lips. Denis didn’t even like to give oral because I’d complain when he’d go to brush his teeth after. God, he’s so fucking wrong for me.
I almost remind him that we aren’t getting back together because he has that gleam in his eyes, but I refrain, not trying to be a bitch.
“No worries. Let’s go,” Josie says. “Let’s see what the night holds.”
I go to link arms with Lindy, but Denis threads his fingers through mine. I look up at him, and he kisses my knuckles. “You sure do look gorgeous, Ten. You’ve slimmed down.”
I look at Lindy, and she scowls as she links arms with Josie, walking ahead of us. Instead of responding to his comment, I decide to ignore it and, instead, walk face first into this clusterfuck I call my celebration night.
When we get to FGL House, Denis is quick to pay for everything. Our drinks, our food, and of course, Josie and Lindy don’t complain. Mostly because it won’t fall on them; it’ll fall all on me. As I lean on the rail around the rooftop that overlooks the city, I ignore my phone that is going off in my pocket. It’s my mom, texting to see how things are going. I’m pretty sure she already has my wedding venue picked out.
With that thought, I can’t help but be reminded of Dart. I wonder if he’s having fun as the dude of the bride and if he’s thought about me like I have him. The look in his eye as I accused him of hitting on me has me grinning from ear to ear.
Fate.
I should have convinced him to take me with him. I can’t help but think of those shoulders of his and how great it’d be to dig my nails into them. I bet if we’d gone upstairs to watch that movie, he wouldn’t treat me like he’d hurt me. I bet he’d throw all control out the window and leave me begging for more.
And I’d have no issue begging him.
I swallow hard as I look out at the city. I love Nashville. I thought about working here, but it’s entirely too close to Knoxville. Plus, I know Lindy and Josie would try to stay with me on the weekends to party, and that doesn’t work for me. Like now, they’re not hanging out with me. They’re at the bar, laughing and flirting with guys. I tried to hang, but it’s hard to flirt with guys when I have Denis watching my every move.