Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85569 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85569 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“He’s … mysterious and … deep.”
She looked surprised. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not sure exactly, but on the outside, I get the impression of someone powerful and urbane, perhaps even wealthy, but inside he seems sad and broken.”
She frowned. “Hey, don’t you go getting all soppy on him. You’re supposed to have fun. You know? For just once in your life, can you be like Kelly? Let your body be the boss.”
“I’m not going all soppy on him at all,” I denied. “I understand we’re ships passing in the night. You’ll be happy to know he’s booked a room upstairs.”
She nodded approvingly. “Good work!”
“I can’t take credit for that. His car broke down, remember?”
She shook her head. “I wasn’t born yesterday, Missy. That outlaw booked the room because of you. One of us is going to be sweating like a sinner in Church later tonight and it’s not going to be me.”
I flushed but tried to play it cool by walking towards the mirrors. Heck, I sure looked excited. My eyes were sparkling and there were twin spots of color on my cheeks.
Natalie followed me and pulled a tube of lip gloss from her purse. I watched her slide it over her lips with practised ease. Then she met my gaze in the mirror.
“Not much talent here so Kelly wants us to bar hop for a bit, but we’ll be back in an hour. Whatever you do, don’t leave this bar, okay?”
“Okay. Um … is Kelly okay?”
She grinned. “She’s still madder than a wet hen that the man she wanted chose you instead of her, but that’s not your fault. Don’t give it another thought. She’ll get over it, especially if she finds someone she likes in one of the other bars. If we’re late and you want to go up to his room, then just text me when you’re done and we’ll bring the car around to the front. Okay?”
I nodded.
“Right.” She dropped her lip gloss into her purse and snapped it shut. “Let’s go.”
“Don’t you need to use the toilet?” I asked.
“Nah. Do you?”
“Nope.”
She grinned. “Time to return you to your hunk.”
“Natalie?”
“Yeah …”
“Thank you. I really appreciate what you’ve done for me.”
“No need for thanks, but I do expect details.”
I laughed.
We left the Ladies and went back to the bar. As soon as Cole’s tall figure came into view, I felt my heart start to beat a little faster.
“Give him one for me,” Natalie said with a wink.
I watched her walk away before I began my journey towards Cole.
Chapter 9
Montana
Natalie was right.
My approach was all wrong. This was not supposed to be the beginning of a great romance. All I had was tonight. He was a stranger in town and tomorrow he would be gone from my life forever. There was no need to get to know each other better. The less I knew about him the better.
He should be nothing more than a magnificent body with no last name, history, or personality. Talking to him about God or feeling I was making a connection on a deeper level was just madness.
As I reached him, he turned to look at me. When his gaze unashamedly lingered on my cleavage it made my teeth ache with lust.
“I, uh ... we should get going to your room,” I said.
He cocked his head in surprise, and to be honest, I couldn’t believe such bold, nonchalant words had come out of my mouth either. I could feel hot color rising up my neck and rushing into my face.
He smiled … slowly, languorously. And the effect was magical, like the doors of a cage opening, or warm sunshine pouring in through the open windows on the first day of spring. It spread into every part of me. At that moment it felt as if all the damage in the world had been healed. Beautiful heat simmered and pooled in the pit of my belly.
‘Surely, this is not what one-night stands are about,’ a little voice in my head said, but here we were.
I was so mesmerized by him that when he offered his hand to me, I intertwined my fingers intimately with his. So weird, but all I could think about was kissing him. He pulled me towards him until I was flush with his hard body. It was overly sexual to be this way with a man in a bar, but it felt right.
He led me towards the side door that led to the foyer of the hotel.
Soon, we were standing side by side in front of a highly polished wooden staircase. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I was thinking, these freaking slippery steps, these murderous shoes. I’d just decided to take my shoes off and walk up on my bare feet when …
“Oh,” I exclaimed, shocked. He had suddenly swept me off my feet and nestled me inside his strong arms.