Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
I feel it way beyond my hand, a fluttering in my tummy, a hitch in my breath, and warmth spreading everywhere. “Can I ask why you think I’d make out with you when we’ve known each other for less than two weeks?”
“That’s easy.” He guides me past the carts and the garden center. “Making out happens before undressing. Since I had to undress you at the park, we’re now ahead of schedule. Just like babies should crawl before they walk, we were supposed to make out before getting naked. Therefore, we need to step back and hit that milestone.”
The way he glances over his shoulder to grin at me while I purposely hang back a step is sexy beyond words.
“I’m hungry.”
He laughs. “This won’t take long.”
“Yes. But you’ve added making out to our plans. And I won’t want to make out after I’ve eaten falafel unless I brush my teeth.”
He suddenly turns right and then left until we’re in the corner of the store, by the flooring and a mammoth hanging display of area rugs.
Then … he kisses me. It’s intense yet too short. With my face in his hands, he lingers a breath away from my lips. Surely, he’ll kiss me again.
“I knew it would be good,” he says with a grin.
“Me too,” I whisper with what little breath I have left.
“Must be that foreplay perfume.”
I grin. “I’m wearing Tease Me tonight, not Foreplay.”
He leads me back toward the wire. “Is there a difference between foreplay and teasing?”
“Of course. Tease Me has citrus with a hint of vanilla. It should make you curious but not ravenous.”
Koen can’t entirely hide his grin, but I enjoy watching him try. “Not what I meant.”
“I know.”
He plucks a spool of wire from the shelf, and we don’t say another word while heading to the self-checkout, but we exchange plenty of sexy glances and knowing grins.
“What is falafel anyway? Isn’t it like lamb balls?”
I snort while he pulls out of the parking lot. “I can’t say for sure. I haven’t had lamb balls. Do lamb balls taste like chickpeas with herbs and spices? Do you eat yours with tahini sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, and onions?”
“Have you finished that puzzle?”
“So we’re jumping from lamb testicles to the puzzle? You’re not boring.”
“You’ve met my grandpa. The Sikes men are never boring.”
“Just awkward and creepy.”
He smirks. “Exactly.”
We get our lamb balls and hummus to go and return to my place with the unfinished puzzle.
I can’t stop thinking about the kiss, but I also can’t stop thinking about Price Milloy in the building just outside my trailer. I’ve been perfectly content with my stagnant love life for years, and in a matter of weeks, I have two men in my life who evoke powerful emotions.
“Is something wrong with your food?” Koen asks while I stare at my wrap.
I quickly shake my head. “No. I was just thinking about the new employee.”
“Do you want to check on them?”
I take a bite of my wrap. Do I want to check on Price? No. He’s fine. I know him too well. “The new employee is a man I dated years ago when I lived in Philadelphia.”
Koen eyes me, pausing his chewing for a second. “Oh.”
Yes, “oh” is the best response.
“Did he reply to a job listing?”
“No. I gave him a job he didn’t want or ask for.”
Koen continues eating. No more questions. No visible response.
“He showed up out of nowhere. We went to dinner to catch up. And when he came into the store again, I suggested he work part-time.”
Koen reaches for a puzzle piece, sliding it into place.
I don’t have to tell him anything, but I like him. And I don’t know what Price coming back into my life means. Something’s off with Price, and I think he needs something from me, but I don’t know what it is, and I’m afraid to ask.
“Did you offer him a job because you need help or want to ensure you see him more often?” Koen briefly glances at me. He seems a little uneasy.
“I don’t own the general store, but I run it. And I’m the only employee. So yeah, I need a little help so I can go to Home Depot with men who pull me from ponds.”
A grin touches his lips before he resumes eating.
“But I’d be lying if I said I don’t enjoy seeing him. He made me rethink my life when I felt conflicted. My friends were in college. And my sister was engaged. And on top of that, my parents were waiting for me to figure out what I wanted to be in life. It was just a summer but the best summer of my life.”
With a thoughtful glance, Koen swallows and clears his throat. “What happened?”
That’s a complicated question I don’t have the answer to.
“He continued with his schooling, eyes set on conquering the world. And I ran as far in the opposite direction as possible. I didn’t want to conquer the world; I wanted to exist in it as peacefully as possible. Goals felt like fifty-pound weights on my chest. I’m sure most people use goals to move them forward, but I couldn’t handle the pressure of waking up each morning with the same goal. After all, what happens when you stop chasing it? Are you a quitter?”