Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 36478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
“I think so, but feel free to tell me again.”
I chuckled before telling him seriously, “You’re a beautiful man, inside and out.”
“Thank you.” After a moment’s pause, he asked, “Will you tell me what you look like?” The question caught me off guard, and at my silence, he added, “I’m sorry, is that weird?”
“No, not at all,” I replied quickly. “I am just trying to think of a way to answer that won’t make me sound like I look like a toad.”
Sterling snorted again. “That’s not possible. You’re beautiful on the inside, and I’m sure you are handsome on the outside too.”
“I don’t know about all that,” I replied, and Sterling folded in his brows behind his sunglasses in an irritated but adorable expression. “Let’s see…” I knew that he had vision for about half of his life, so he would recognize colors, so I began, “I have olive skin, which unfortunately has some wrinkles on my forehead and around my eyes.” Even if the description wasn’t the most flattering, I wanted to be honest.
“My eyes are brown, and my hair and beard used to be black, but they’re both pretty heavily gray now. I’m average height and build; not overweight but not really fit, either.” I scrunched my nose and finished, “I’m nothing special.”
“You sound pretty damn special to me,” he argued, and my heart did a somersault. Sterling slowly lifted his hands towards me and asked, “May I?”
He never had to ask to touch me anywhere, and as much as I wanted to tell him that, all I could manage was a quiet, “Yes.”
Sterling’s fingertips touched my neck, and he slid them up onto my jaws, stopping to rub through the hair there. “Your beard is much softer than mine.” When he touched my mouth, it ached to kiss his hands. “Your lips are soft too.”
All too soon, they were gone, traveling up the side of my face and onto the top of my head. “Your hair is longer than I thought it would be,” he said as he combed his fingers through my locks.
“Did you picture a balding chrome dome?” I teased. I understood if he had, but luckily, I’d been blessed with good genes and never had a problem with hair loss.
“No way,” he chuckled. “I just imagined it shorter for some reason, but I like it like this.” Sterling’s hands moved onto my ears, and he smiled as he traced their shells. “Such cute little ears.” It was amazing how he could ‘see’ with his hands. I wondered how closely his mental image matched my looks, but all that mattered was that he seemed happy with what he pictured.
Though I loved the feel of his hands on my skin, my fingers burned with the need to touch as well. I slowly lifted them and barely rested them on his chin before asking, “Is this okay?” Sterling swallowed hard before nodding.
His beard was shorter and more coarse than mine, but still felt like heaven. His skin was soft and smooth, like silk against mine. When my fingers bumped against the frame of his sunglasses, I paused and asked permission before I made another move. “Sterling, may I see your eyes?” They were a window to the soul, and I wanted to see what wonders they held.
He swallowed hard again. “I know what they used to look like; they were blue and I always thought they were nice. But my doctor and parents have mentioned that they’ve changed since I lost my sight. I don’t know what they look like now. I don’t know what you’ll see.”
I knew. I’d see another lovely part of the man I was quickly falling for. He didn’t have to be self conscious about what I’d find. I just wanted to see him; all of him.
He held his breath as I removed the plastic frames to reveal his closed eyelids. Sterling took the glasses and after a long sigh, opened his eyes. I gasped at what I found; they were blue, but with slightly milky gray swirled within. They looked like beautiful melted silver.
“W-well?” he finally stammered in a whisper.
I stroked my thumbs along his cheeks as I reigned in my amazement to reply, “They’re perfect, Sterling.” The name suited him even more now; my silver-eyed man.
Not only were they gorgeous, but they held so much within them; nervousness, hope, excitement…I could lose myself in them, and do it gladly. They drew me in like magnets; I moved closer to him, not even trying to fight the pull. My lips tingled with anticipation when we were only inches apart.
But just when our mouths nearly touched, Sterling turned away, clearing his throat. “What time is it? We don’t want to miss our reservation.”
I blinked, wondering if I’d done something wrong. Maybe he didn’t realize that I was moving in for a kiss, but he had to feel the electricity between us…right? I tried not to think too much of it as I leaned back into my seat and checked the time on the dash.