Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55153 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 276(@200wpm)___ 221(@250wpm)___ 184(@300wpm)
“Not really. I’ve never done the whole formal date thing, like this. Eric and I got together in high school, and we stayed together. He wasn’t a flowers and love letter kind of guy. He was there for me, always, but he was the kind of man who showed his feelings by building me a table or doing the dishes, you know?”
I don’t know, but I wish I did. If I had a chance to love Kylie, I’d do anything I could to put a smile on her face.
“Kind of,” I say. “I had a serious relationship once, but it was a long time ago.”
“What did you do to show her you loved her?”
I grip the steering wheel harder. Kylie doesn’t know what a hard subject this is for me, and I don’t want her to feel like she shouldn’t have asked. But I also can’t answer her directly.
“Nothing as cool as building a table,” I say. “Do you still have it?”
“I do. It’s in my basement. I got off topic, though. My point is that practice dating is good for me. It’s nice to have a reason to put on makeup and get out a little. I haven’t done that for a long time.”
She tells me about her favorite patient at The Canyons, Lyndon, and I love simply driving around and listening to her. Even her voice is beautiful, its musical tone making me feel lighter somehow.
“Ready to do this?” I ask as I pull up to the valet parking station at the hotel the dinner is being held at.
“I think so. I just need you to hold my hand.”
“Anytime you want,” I say, wishing I could hit the gas and take her back to my place right now.
Fuck this party and all these people. There’s only one person I want to be with, and it’s Kylie. I want to do so much more than just hold her hand.
“So I don’t fall,” she says with a grin. “I’ve never worn heels like this before.”
“Ah. Well, I’ve got you.”
The valet has already opened her door when I get there, so I take her hand in mine and we walk from the portico into the hotel, which has a clean, modern design. Kylie’s heels click against the white stone floors in the lobby, and she grips my hand. I think she might be nervous, so I lean close and say, “Hey, anytime you want to bounce, just tell me and we’ll go.”
“Thanks. I should be fine as long as there’s actual food here. If they try to feed me fancy pâté and raw veggies, I’ll get hangry. And wasted.”
I can’t stop myself from kissing her temple, her honesty amusing and sweet at the same time.
“Same,” I assure her. “If there’s no good food, we’ll head to the nearest burger place.”
As soon as we walk in the room, a server with a tray of meatballs on sticks stops to offer us a small napkin, and Kylie grabs a meatball and eats it, giving me a satisfied nod.
“We’re good,” she says.
“Hey,” Pike says, walking over with Indie at his side. “You guys clean up okay.”
“You, too,” Kylie says, letting go of my hand and instead taking my arm.
I’m beyond attracted to Kylie, and she’s an amazing woman, but standing here with her, like I’m half of a couple, brings back feelings I want to keep buried. Hector’s approach to keeping feelings off the ice works well for getting through life, too. Some things are best forgotten.
“Want a drink?” I ask Kylie.
“I’d love some champagne.”
Pike and I head to the bar for drinks, and he claps me on the back as we walk.
“I know how you look at women you’re interested in,” he says.
“That’s…a little creepy, but okay.”
“I’m dead serious right now, man. If you sleep with my sister, our friendship is over.”
I scoff. “Nice.”
“I’m just keeping it real. She’s been through too much. She deserves someone who’s going to love her and only her forever.”
“And what, I’m not capable of that?”
He glares at me. “When was your last serious relationship?”
“None of your fucking business,” I snap.
“Exactly.”
“We’ve known each other for a year,” I tell him. “But there’s a lot you don’t know about me. And Kylie’s a grown woman capable of making her own decisions.”
He narrows his eyes. “So you admit this isn’t fake and you really do want her.”
“I didn’t admit shit. Let’s not do this here.”
We make it to the bar, where I order drinks for the four of us and put down cash to pay for them. Pike and I wait in silence, beyond small talk. When the bartender places the drinks on the bar, I take mine and Kylie’s and walk toward her, not waiting for Pike.
He thinks he’s got it all figured out. I’d never take advantage of Kylie. I’ve avoided being around her so my feelings wouldn’t show, and then I fucked everything up when I told Cassidy we’re together.