Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
I’d rather Delaney destroy me in private, thank you very much.
We ordered what I figured might just be our last supper together, and then the waitress left us in peace.
“Private room, huh? Swanky.” Delaney cupped her face in her hands and leaned on the table, sending the candlelight flickering over her features.
“I don’t get as much time as I like with you, so I prefer not to share it,” I told her as my smile faded. “Look, there’s something we probably need to talk about.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Oh?”
“You know that I love you.” My stomach tightened and turned in the same moment.
“I do.”
“Right. And when we first got together, I didn’t trust anyone I didn’t already know. Especially not women.” Was it hot in here? I tugged at my collar.
“Just like I didn’t trust men, I get it.” She nodded encouragingly.
“Right. And there are things…” I picked up my water and drained half the glass, trying to get the knot out of my throat. “There are things you don’t know about me. Things that might change the way you feel about me.”
Her entire expression softened. “Logan, of course there are things I don’t know about you. We’ve only known each other for a few months. I don’t expect to know everything. It’s not like you know everything about me, either.”
“Right, but I doubt the things I don’t know about you would send me running for the hills.”
“You don’t know that.” She tapped her cheek. “Okay. I like to eat fruity pebbles for breakfast.”
“Okay?” My brows drew together.
“You don’t think it’s heinous that I like kid cereal? Mr. I-have-twelve-pack-abs?”
“You can’t physically have twelve-pack abs. You know that, right?” The corners of my lips lifted.
“No!” she gasped melodramatically. “If you’re telling me you don’t really have a twelve-pack underneath that very nice suit, I’m running for the hills right now.”
I laughed.
“Let me see…” she tapped her cheek again. “My idea of a perfect weekend is renting a beach house and doing nothing but reading, but I bet yours is running or something, right? Is that enough to scare you off?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I’d just buy the beach house for you and run on the sand while you read. I don’t think vacationing together has to be about smothering one another or forcing each other to do the things we don’t like. I think it’s about relaxing and loving in an environment that allows both people to do it.” I shrugged.
“Perfect answer. Damn.” She tapped again. “I snore.”
“No you don’t,” I laughed. “You forget that I’ve slept next to you. Try again.”
“I can’t drive a stick shift?”
“You drive mine just fine.” I smirked and shifted in my seat.
“Logan!” She dropped her jaw in utter surprise, but then laughed.
“What else do you have?” I asked.
“Hold on a second, I’m still hung up on the beach house vision. Me, sunning in the shade—”
“You can’t sun in the shade.”
“Shhh. This is my fantasy.” She shook her finger at me. “Now where was I? Oh, right, sunning myself in the shade—delicate skin, you know. And as I look up, there you are, running down the beach in slow motion. Over and over again, just running toward me in slow-mo. Those muscles all shiny and wet...mmmmm.” She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip.
“So what you’re saying is that you’d like to go to a beach house once the weather warms up?” I shifted again. How the hell could this woman manage to turn me on while I was trying to confess to her?
“Are you saying you’ll go to one with me?” she asked with a grin.
“Delaney, I’ll go anywhere you ask me to.” The honesty of the words hit me like a sucker punch. I was head over heels for this woman.
I loved her so much that I knew we’d be okay. We had to. Even if she walked away from me, I’d go after her. I’d jump whatever hoops were necessary to earn her forgiveness for my lie, and then I’d spend the rest of my life making it up to her.
Delaney knew me. She knew my heart, my soul, and the way I felt about her. She’d understand. She wouldn’t hold me to the standard that asshole had set when he hurt her. She knew I’d never treat her—treat anyone like that.
“Look, you know how much I love you,” I started again.
“I do, and I’m telling you right now that if there’s something you’re not ready to tell me, then just...don’t tell me. The last thing I want is for you to feel like you had to lay yourself bare because I did. I didn’t tell you any of that to pressure you to open up. We can discover each other piece by piece. Unless you’re really a serial killer who preys on librarians?” She arched an eyebrow.