Total pages in book: 184
Estimated words: 186756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 934(@200wpm)___ 747(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 186756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 934(@200wpm)___ 747(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
His lips twitch. “Are you done?”
“With what?”
“With pillow talk.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Why?”
His eyes flick back and forth between mine. “Because I’d like to give you a bath before finally fucking going to bed.”
“A bath?”
“I may be an asshole who broke your dreams of a romantic blow job and instead fucked your throat into submission, but I’m an asshole with manners. It’s called aftercare.”
“And that includes a bath?”
“And ginger and honey tea for your throat.”
I smile again. “A cuddler, a hugger, and a tea maker with a deep, dark secret. You sure you’re real? Because I think you live in a romance novel. That I will finally break my no-reading rule for.”
He takes me in for a final time before, he says, “Yeah, you’re done.”
And then he picks me up from the bed and carries me to the bathtub for the aftercare part as I burrow in his chest and laugh, and when I do that, I swear I hear him chuckle.
Chapter 14
The Next Night…
I’ve misplaced my fiancé.
Or at least that’s what it feels like. Because I don’t know where he is. I haven’t seen him in over twenty-four hours.
I know he’s been busy with practice, so I understand why we couldn’t meet up all day yesterday and when he must’ve come back from it, I was with… his twin brother. And today has been all about getting prepped for the game, so again I understand our non-communication. But I was at the game tonight. I waited for him through all his interviews and press conferences and all the other formalities that he’s had to go through. And yet he managed to slip through me.
I even texted him and called him, left a voicemail and nothing.
God, it’s annoying.
But I’m not leaving this city without getting to talk to him. I need to tell him that it’s over. As hard as it might be, I need to tell him the truth. I’m not going to betray him like I did before.
That’s why I’m here.
At this stupid party.
It’s a victory party, but it’s not happening at a bar like all the other parties I’ve gone to. From what I understand—I had to text Isiah to get the info on the party—this is someone’s house. Someone from the other team and it’s crowded. Plus super loud. I’m not sure how I’m going to find Shepard here because everyone looks drunk and stoned, but I have to try.
Because I do not have much time.
I need to get back before he finds out that I’m at a strange party.
I don’t like lying to him or hiding things from him either. Not again, not anymore. But if I told him what I was doing, he’d lose his shit. He’ll think I did it for him—which I kinda did—but not because I expect him to love me back or something similar. But because I can’t keep lying to myself or to Shepard. It’s not fair to either of us.
So I’ll figure out a way to tell him after I’ve actually broken things off. But for now, I have to do this and the fact that Stellan’s in a meeting with Coach Thorne right now—I checked—works in my favor.
As I navigate the crowd, I try to find a familiar face so I can ask them about Shepard. But so far, I’ve had no luck, not downstairs at least. So I make my way upstairs and look through all the open doors. When I can’t find anyone here either, I start looking behind closed doors.
By the third door, I’m losing hope and I’m about to close it when I detect movement on the balcony. In the shadows, I see two people and they’re extremely close together. I see them moving, rocking and… Oh.
Oh shit.
I think I’ve stumbled upon people making out.
Yikes.
Very uncomfortable and I’m about to close the door when either they hear me or need a break anyway, so they come apart and turn my way.
And holy shit.
My search is over.
Because it’s Shepard. And he’s making out with a girl.
I’m about to apologize and then I’m about to close the door and give them privacy. But then I realize he’s my fiancé. My fiancé is making out with another girl. And I… Well, I still want to apologize and give them their privacy so they can continue.
And yes again, it is the most twisted thing in the world that I want to do that. That when he whispers something in the girl’s ear and she makes her way to the door, which means me because that’s where I’m standing, I want to call out to Shepard, good choice. Because she’s pretty with dark hair and porcelain skin. She also gives me a sweet smile, which makes me like her even more that she’s not being catty at my interruption.