Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 29718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 149(@200wpm)___ 119(@250wpm)___ 99(@300wpm)
"And that's why I could never risk hurting you. I saw how hard it was for Aunt Aggie, when Uncle Billy was still on active duty. It killed her every time she had to let him go for another tour, and I didn't want that for you. I wanted—-"
"For me to belong to someone else?"
Landon was never the type to lose his temper, but the expression that flashed over his features was so vicious it scared even her.
"That's never going to happen."
Her knees knocked against each other even as the dangerous softness of his voice made her shiver.
"You're mine, Charles—-"
"Then stop pushing me away! Even if you think it's for my own good, just don't. I'd rather fall in love," she said fiercely, "and risk getting my heart broken rather than to never have either tasted pain or love."
"God, Charles..."
Landon reached for her face again, and this time she simply kept still until her cheeks felt the warm, tender brush of his fingers.
"You really are a hopeless romantic."
A growl escaped Charlotte, but just as she moved to kick and punch him, Landon only laughed and pushed her back against the door.
"No one would probably ever believe me if I told them that you watch Pretty Woman every night before going to bed."
"Shut up."
"Then again..." Landon's tone turned musing. "I've always liked the fact that I'm the only one who knows these things about you."
Charlotte stared up at Landon in frustration. She always had a hard time figuring out when Landon was saying something as a joke or his seemingly casual words were merely a prelude to something deeper. "Land—-"
Dark eyes gleamed down at hers, and Charlotte's confusion grew. So was he joking or not?
"You win."
Won what?
He cupped her face. "I love you, Charles."
Her breath caught.
"I know it's selfish for me to say it, but if not giving you the words is going to make you cry..."
Tears rushed down her face, and she could only cry harder when she felt Landon brush them away with his thumb.
"Say it again," she sobbed.
"I love you, Charlotte."
Her mouth parted in shock. Didn't he keep telling her that he'd only call her that if—-
Whoa!
Charlotte was too stunned to do anything when Landon suddenly swept her up in his arms, and—-
Whoa!
They were already in his bedroom by the time she realized what he was planning, and he already had her laid down on the bed while she was still trying to figure out how she felt about this. Weren't they moving too fast? But...hadn't she also always thought she had been waiting for him since forever?
And besides...
Although she was graduating the same time as Landon's, she was actually a year younger than him. If she was still a virgin by the time he turned eighteen, that might mean they'd have to wait at least a year before their relationship could be completely legal. Wouldn't it? So perhaps it was better—-
Landon suddenly cupped her face. "Stop thinking."
"I just—-"
His mouth covered hers, and Charlotte realized that even if he hadn't told her to stop thinking, she would have. Her brain had immediately ceased to function the moment their lips touched, and oh God, this first kiss was everything she dared...and didn't dare to fantasize about.
Landon's kisses were always something she dreamt about, and most of the time she had imagined his first kiss as something sweet and gentle. But instead, it was the opposite. From the moment he kissed her, everything was blatantly sexual, and while Charlotte would never admit the truth out loud, this was also exactly how she had secretly hoped their first kiss would be.
Rough and wild.
Hot and deep.
And oh yes, yes, yes—-
Charlotte couldn't help but moan as Landon's tongue immediately pushed in to possess every inch of her mouth. Every stroke of his tongue made her burn, and all she could do was wrap her arms around his neck as his tongue explored depths that she didn't even realize were accessible.
They kissed for what seemed like an eternity, and yet she still couldn't get enough of his lips. His mouth. His tongue. Oh God, she had been dreaming for this for so long, and oh my Lord—-
A cry broke out of her as she felt something long, thick, and hard swell against her body. She knew what it was, of course, but to actually feel it was a different thing altogether, and when Landon's hand went under her shirt—-
Charlotte broke the kiss between them with a sharp wrench of her head, but even as Landon's dark gaze met hers, his hand was still moving under her shirt until it had completely engulfed one of her cotton-covered breasts—-
"Land!"
But Landon only held her gaze captive even as his fingers slowly tightened into a squeeze.
Landon was squeezing her breast!
"Do you like it?"
She had never heard Landon purr like this, and she loved it.