Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 135604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Jamie lost his smile. Instantly. His face wiped clean of amusement. He didn’t look angry, but he looked … something. Disturbed or disappointed. Maybe a little saddened. I couldn’t tell.
And why did I suddenly feel sorry for calling him out on his suggestion?
Really?
He was the one suggesting it!
“Didn’t mean it like that,” Jamie said, voice steady and assuring.
I straightened up, stared at him for a beat, and read his honesty. Then getting that, I informed him without sass this time, “Fine, but that’s how it sounded.”
“Yeah. I’m gettin’ that.” He dropped his arms and exhaled heavily, still holding that look I couldn’t read. Then he took a step back out into the hallway and turned sideways, facing my room. “We doin’ this?” he asked.
This would’ve been the moment to change my mind. To let my hundred and one reasons rule my decision. To stay not-knowing and stay away from never-forgetting.
This was it.
But instead of opening my mouth or shaking my head, I kept hold of my towel and moved forward. I stepped out into the hallway. I wasn’t going to look at Jamie. I was going to turn and walk to my bedroom and wait.
But a hand on my stomach stopped me, and because I wasn’t expecting that hand, I turned my head, tipped it back, and looked at him.
Jamie didn’t need to say a word. And thinking back, I almost wished he hadn’t.
Staring into his eyes, I heard his promise to me before he even shared it.
“Wouldn’t be like that with you,” he said, and I felt his hand press deeper with the breath I pulled in. “Had that with women before. Made it known that was all it was and made it known up front. If there’s an expectation there, I squash it or I move on. Messed up not to and shit just causes drama I don’t fuckin’ need.”
He stared down at me after he was done speaking, keeping that look.
“Okay,” I replied, not really understanding why he was sharing past women with me, and feeling the need to question his motives. “Why are you telling me this?”
Jamie bent down. His fingers tensed on my stomach.
“’Cause I’m tellin’ you to have an expectation, babe,” he shared, voice like a hot touch moving over me and breaking my body out in chills.
I blinked. Air caught in my throat. Lord …
I had no idea how to respond to that, and before I opened my mouth and said something stupid, like “okay” or “are you sure” or “I’m expecting you not to hurt me,” I turned my head and my body and moved toward my bedroom. I did not look back.
God. My heartbeat was nothing before.
I stepped inside the room and looked around. The light was already on and the corner of the comforter was wrinkled.
Jamie had been in here. This was where he’d been waiting.
I moved to the side of the bed and spun around when he entered in behind me. Both hands clutched at the fold in my towel.
“Get on the bed,” Jamie ordered. His tone was severe.
My toes curled against the carpet. I didn’t move.
I watched Jamie reach over his shoulder and grip his shirt. He pulled it off and tossed it on the chaise recliner next to the window, met my eyes when he turned his head, and again ordered, “Get on the bed.”
I trapped my lip between my teeth, staring at his broad chest and hard muscles. I didn’t move.
Jamie unbuttoned and unzipped his gray, loose-fit cargo shorts. He pushed them to the floor, standing in black boxer briefs that clung. He was already hard.
“Tori.”
My eyes snapped up at the sound of my name.
“You never call me Tori,” I said, feeling the need to remind him of that.
He bent down, picked up his shorts, and pulled a sleeve of condoms out of his pocket. “About to get off on you. You’re gonna be hearin’ your name a lot,” he pledged, keeping hold of the condoms and tossing his shorts on the recliner to join his shirt.
I huffed out a breath, draining the air from my lungs.
Wow. That was honest.
Then, because I knew he was going to order me to do it again and also because I wasn’t sure my legs could hold me up much longer, I let my towel fall to the floor and quickly climbed onto the center of the bed.
Head on the pillow. Body stretched long. Thighs pinching tight. I looked down at my nakedness, at my breasts rising and falling rapidly, the tops of my knees and my hot-pink toes, then I lifted my eyes and saw Jamie was looking, too.
“Jesus,” he mumbled, bringing a knee to the bed and putting weight on it as he stared, eyes trailing up and down and lingering in certain areas. He blindly tossed the condoms next to my hip, then he gripped my ankle, pushed back, and opened me up.