Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 25920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25920 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
“Hmmph, that’s not fair. Do you know how silly I’d look if I even attempted to do what you just did?” His fingers lace between mine, and he leads me back to the covered patio.
“I’d enjoy the show all the same.”
“Of course, you would. Naked, too, I’m sure?” He looks over his shoulder, licking his lips and causing me to shudder in my steps.
“Promise?”
“Maybe. Dry off. I’ll go make you a cup of coffee.” Skinny dipping isn’t something we’ve done yet. That will probably change since opening my mouth planted a seed of hope in Samuel’s head. I walk into the house. The tile beneath my feet is cooler than the pool deck, and I’m half tempted to abandon my task of making him a cup of coffee or even refreshing mine to do something about warming myself up.
“There’s no maybe about it. It’s happening. This weekend, if I have my way.” I was barely out of his sight for thirty seconds when he walks through, announcing his presence. My back is to the door, my eyes on the task at hand when he comes up behind me, engulfing me with his heat.
“We’ll see about that.” He dips down, bracketing the outside of my legs with his, pushing closer to me until I can feel his length press into my body. Samuel Kavanaugh doesn’t play fair, and he knows I won’t put up a fight.
“Yes, we will.” My hands shake as I pour his cup of coffee, then my own, a tremble caused by the way my body reacts to his. Thankfully, he backs away, right as I’m turning around to hand him his cup. I take a deep breath of air, knowing that I’m about to admit exactly how I feel about him.
“Samuel.” His eyes don’t close as he takes his first sip; instead, they’re laser-focused on mine, brows arching up in an answer. “I know it’s been a few months of us being together, but I need to get this off my chest.” A flurry of nerves hits my stomach, causing me to stop from carrying on.
“Eden, if this is you breaking shit off with me, it’s not fucking happening.” Well, okay then, not sure how he came to that conclusion, but we’ll go with it, though I do have to say it does make my heartbeat beat rapidly knowing that he cares so much. It should make getting this out that much easier.
“No, no. it’s not that. It’s definitely not that. It’s the other way around, really. I’m falling for you, Samuel Kavanaugh. I know we have to keep things quiet because of my contract, but there’s no way I can hold this in any longer.” I hide my hands beneath the sleeves of his hoodie in order not to wring my fingers together in nervousness. My head is tipped down, anxious about how he’s going to respond to my admittance.
“Then it’s a good thing I’m falling for you, too, Eden Powers. I’d say fuck your contract, the bullshit red tape they put you through. Unfortunately, you love your job too much, and I’m not so much of a dick that I’d ask you to leave either. We’ll get through this, figure things out. If you think for a second about leaving me, I’ll follow you and bring you right back here to me.” That’s all he needs to say. My insides turn to mush. Samuel prowls the short distance between us, coffee mug abandoned, and dips his head until his nose slides along my cheek in a whisper motion, not realizing that he’s given me more than I could have ever asked for.
CHAPTER 10
Eden
“Hello. If it isn’t my long-lost daughter,” my mom says as I open the door to my parents’ house the Monday after I spent the weekend with Samuel. Now that we both laid it out, acknowledging that we mean something to one another, I told him it was time I tell my parents about the man who’s swept me off my feet, well, minus the sexual stuff, that is. There are certain things a parent does not need to know, and our sex life is one of them.
“Hello to you, too, Mother.” I close the door behind me and drop my small wristlet bag on the entry table. “I’m your only daughter, your only child for that matter. Where’s Daddy?” It’s well after six o’clock. His truck isn’t in the driveway, but I knew Mom would be home from my phone call to her during lunch today. Which reminds me I need to call my best friend, Amelie. An update on each other is a necessity, like, yesterday.
“You might be my only child and only daughter, but it’s always, where’s Daddy. Not a hug for your mother, I see.” She’s sitting on the couch, knitting a blanket for someone at her work who’s having a child, and yes, we’ve had that talk, too—husband, kids, the whole spiel.