Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 148704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 744(@200wpm)___ 595(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 148704 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 744(@200wpm)___ 595(@250wpm)___ 496(@300wpm)
“Anyway, I don’t know.” I shrug. “It’s nice to loosen up sometimes. I still won’t keep it in the house. Never. Just…”
“Just in case.”
Nodding, I meet his gaze.
“That’s why you had me throw out that bottle that had…” He pauses, thinking. “Twenty-three percent left in it?”
A low laugh leaves me, and I settle farther into the chair. “Yeah, that’s why.”
Crew grins then but looks away before it can grow any wider.
“Why do you do that?”
His gaze comes right back, confusion tightening his features. “Do what?”
“Stop yourself from smiling or laughing when I know you want to.”
Now he’s the one who looks guilty, so I offer a small grin.
“You know I’m happy for you, right?” I ask. “Like, I love that you have new friends, a new… family, so to speak. I want that for you, wished for that for you.” Crew swallows. “You deserve all the happiness after everything. I could cry knowing there are people out there who love you like I love you.”
Crew’s eyes shift between mine, a crease forming along his brows. “No one could love me like you, Sweets.”
“Well, yeah, obviously,” I joke, and this time, Crew does laugh.
He laughs, and it’s low and husky, and his eyes, they’re so damn gentle as they cling to mine.
The waiter reappears, who knows how many minutes later, and I clear my throat, thanking him as I look to Crew again.
“You know,” I tease. “If I knew about this little adventure today, we could have put it to good use.”
Crew arches a brow, taking a slow sip from his glass.
“This could be a solid lesson on first dates. We both know I need one on the subject.”
He studies me for a moment, and then he shoots from his seat, walks around the table until he’s dropping into the wooden chair on my right.
Crew yanks mine closer, draping his arm around the back of it, until his fingertips are brushing along my bicep.
He looks into my eyes, lowering his lips to the exposed skin of my shoulder, blindly reaching for my margarita. He lifts it until the straw is teasing against my lower lip, so I use my tongue to pull it inside, and his attention snaps to my mouth.
I suck on the cool liquid slowly, avoiding a brain freeze like the pro–Slurpee drinker I am. Of course, as it slips from my mouth, a small glop of margarita dribbles over my lower lip, and I dart a finger up, lapping up the access.
Crew’s fingers twitch along my bicep. “Do that on a first date and you’ll send a vibe you might not be ready for.”
“I’m ready for it all.”
His dark gaze lifts to mine, and slowly, his tongue runs along his bottom lip. “You are, aren’t you?”
He says it as if he’s only just realized, as if he didn’t believe me before when I said I was ready.
I am. I want it all. Everything.
I want it with you…
We stare at each other a long moment, and I jump when a woman walks over, setting a plate of bacon-wrapped shrimp in front of us.
I don’t wait for him to go first, I pick one up and blow on it, touching the tip of my tongue to the end to be sure it’s not too hot. I take a small bite, and the bacon uncurls, falling along my chin. Laughing, I tip my head back and push it into my mouth. I reach for a napkin, doing a double take when I catch Crew staring again.
“What?”
His brows jump, and he shakes his head, taking his arm off my chair, so he can eat with me. “Trying to figure out how no one has grabbed you by the neck and kissed the shit out of you yet.”
“That’s… random.” I swallow and I force myself to ask, “What makes you say that?”
“’Cause every time you open your mouth, it’s all I want to do.”
I go to speak, but nothing comes out, and when Crew looks up, it’s nothing more than a quick side peek. I don’t miss the pleased gleam in his gaze.
He loves rendering me speechless. Always has.
It doesn’t take long for us to kill the entire plate of shrimp, and only then, do I realize we haven’t ordered our meals yet, but just before I can suggest we order, the chair across from us scratches against the concrete.
“Sorry we’re late! I had to pee twice on the drive, and you’d be surprised how many of the gas stations on the way here don’t allow you to use their bathrooms.” Layla smiles, stealing Crew’s water for a quick drink.
“The last one only let her in ’cause she cried and said she was going to piss in the aisle if not.” Willie grins, coming over to my side of the table and leaning down for a quick, one-armed hug. “Hey, gorgeous.”