Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 88456 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88456 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“Oh, it’s my fault?” She wraps the towel around her after twisting her hair up in one. “How is this my fault?”
“Should I show you?” I wrap my own towel around my waist.
“No,” she snaps, “we are going to be late for work.”
“We aren’t going to work,” I tell her. “I’m taking you out on a date.”
“During the day?” Her mouth hangs open.
“Yup, made all the arrangements.” I smirk at her. “We’re going for a drive in the clouds.”
“I don’t even know what that means, and you just got back from two weeks off.” She follows me to the closet, where I look at her clothes hanging. “Kailyn said you are swamped.”
“Don’t worry about what Kailyn says.” I grab a white sundress with little sleeves and small purple flowers all over it. “Wear this and comfy shoes.”
“Nash.” She shakes her head. “This isn’t smart.”
“Zoey.” I say her name. “I’m thirty-two years old.” I drop the towel from around my waist and grab a pair of boxers. “I work hard, I make a lot of money, and if I want to spend the day taking my wife on a date”—I pick the towel up off the floor—“I’m going to take my wife on a fucking date.”
“But—” she starts and stops when I put my finger in front of her mouth.
“Comfy shoes. We leave in an hour,” I tell her and then walk out of the room without giving her a chance to say anything else.
One hour later, she’s walking down the steps wearing the dress I picked out for her with her hair in a ponytail on top of her head and white Converse sneakers. “I’m going to go on the record and say two things,” she says, standing in front of me. “One, I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Noted.” I smile at her.
“And two, I’m very excited about driving in the clouds, if that is a real thing, and not us having sex in the car.” I can’t help but laugh at that. “Either way, I think I win.”
I shake my head. “If you think you win in all of this, Zoey”—I slide my hand in hers—“you would be wrong. Waking beside you every single morning, sharing most of the day with you, sharing all of the nights with you, I’m the one who wins.” I kiss her fingers as I walk out of the house with her and get into the car.
Stopping at the little bakery I know, I buy stuff for a picnic before I grab her an iced matcha and get back in the car.
“Do you know what?” she says, taking a sip of her matcha.
“Matcha is gross?” I ask, pulling away from the curb.
“No.” She laughs. “I don’t think I’ve ever played hooky before.” Her face is so fucking beautiful when she smiles. “I also have never had a picnic before.”
“You live in New York.” I drive away from the city toward the hills. “You have Bryant Park, Central Park.” I laugh. “Lots of parks.”
“I know, I’ve just never done it.” I shake my head as I reach over for her hand, putting it in my lap. “Now that I think of it, it’s just sad that I didn’t pack a blanket and have a picnic, even with myself.”
“Well, I’m glad I’m going to take you on your first,” I tell her as she smiles and looks out the window.
“I’m glad also.” She watches the scenery as we drive toward the hills. On my side, it’s the mountains, and on her side, it’s the coast. “It’s so pretty,” she admires as I go up and around the hills.
The higher I get, the cloudier it gets. “This is what I mean,” I say, pointing out the window. “A drive in the clouds.”
“Nash,” she gasps and looks all around us, “it’s magical.” She takes out her phone and starts snapping pictures. “You can barely see.” She looks over at my side. “It’s like we are in another world.” Her smile is everything. We finally make it out of the clouds when I pull over at one of the clearings. “Are we there?” she asks, and I look around.
“I’m hoping,” I admit, “I’ve never really been here before, so I’m not sure. If anything, we can eat at that table.” I point over at the picnic table that has seen better days. “From what I found online this morning, there are trails.”
“You don’t even know where we are?” she gasps but opens the car door anyway and gets out. “You could be up here feeding me to the wolves.”
I meet her at her side of the car, gripping her hips in my hands. “Baby, the only wolf you have to worry about”—I kiss her lips—“is me.”
Twenty-One
Zoey
I get out of the shower, the back of my neck tingling with nerves. As I walk over to my closet, my stomach is filled with knots. The whole week has been strange, to say the very least. After our picnic, Nash has been very in my face, showing me how amazing he is, but I know he’s thinking of tonight. He hasn’t brought it up, but he also hasn’t made any plans for tonight. Usually, by the afternoon, he’s already asking me what I want for dinner. But not today.