Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 24578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 98(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
“Probably,” Josie agrees. “Have you been working much, Mad?”
“No.” And the guilt of it takes up residence in my stomach. “And trust me when I say I’m going to get an earful about it from my boss on Monday.”
“Why?”
I turn at Dylan’s question. “What do you mean?”
“He knows you’re on a holiday vacation with your family. You shouldn’t be expected to work at all.”
“You’re preaching to the choir,” Josie mutters.
“I know it seems that simple.” I can’t even muster up any anger at Dylan’s point. “You know the expression: You teach people how to treat you?”
“I’ve heard it,” he replies.
“Well, I’ve basically taught my boss that I’m available twenty-four-seven and will put in all the extra hours he needs. It’s my own fault, really.”
“Then unteach him.” Dylan looks almost frustrated as he sits forward in his chair. “And if he doesn’t like that you’re no longer at his beck and call, find a different job.”
“The family has no less than a dozen businesses that could use you,” Josie reminds me.
“I know, but I always felt like that was cheating in a way. That I had to find a job that had nothing at all to do with the family.”
“That’s kind of bullshit,” Brax says, surprising me. “You have a skill that could help your family, and you know you’d make a good living working for it. Also, they wouldn’t take advantage of you like your current boss.”
Three sets of eyes stare at me, and I can’t help but squirm under the scrutiny.
“I might have to think about it. Maybe it’ll depend on the reception I get when I’m back in the office next week.”
“Why are you guys being so serious over here?” Haley asks when she walks up. “We need to swim and dance and enjoy ourselves before we go back to the real world tomorrow. Come on.”
“I’m up for a swim,” I announce and stand, pulling my coverup over my head and tossing it aside. “Why don’t any of the women in our family wear one-pieces?”
“We do. We just didn’t bring them,” Stella answers, still in the water. “Now, get in here. The water is divine.”
I dive in and swim a whole lap, back and forth, before surfacing and opening my eyes.
Dylan watches me hungrily from the edge of the pool.
“You’re right. The water is excellent.”
“He looks like he wants to eat you alive,” Stella whispers to me.
“Yeah.” I sigh and watch as he hops into the water. “Isn’t it hot?”
* * * *
“You know…” My voice is a whisper in the darkness. “We haven’t slept at all.”
It’s past three in the morning. Dylan and I hung out with the family until close to midnight and then returned to his room to ring in the new year together. We made love—twice. Once in the shower and once in the chair by the window.
Then we climbed into bed and have been talking ever since.
“I’ll have plenty of time to sleep later.” He pulls me closer, and I wrap my leg around his hip.
“I’m so glad I had this time with you. It was unexpected and a lot of fun, which I haven’t had much of in a long time.”
“Promise me you’ll make time for it more often. And tell your boss to go fuck himself.”
I can’t help but rest my forehead on his chest and laugh. “I’ll see what I can do. Where will your next adventure take you? Somewhere exotic like Chile or Argentina, or the Maldives?”
“London,” he says, surprising me. “We’re doing a documentary on Windsor Castle. Not necessarily about the royal family but the castle itself. Should be interesting. I’ve been doing research for a long time, and now it’s time to do it on-site.”
“I’ve always wondered about London.”
“Never been?”
I shake my head. “No, but maybe I’ll see if a few of the cousins want to take a girls’ trip and go sometime.”
“You should.” He drags his fingers down my cheek and looks like he wants to say more.
Instead, he leans in close to press his lips to mine.
When he rolls me onto my back, the lovemaking is slow and sweet this time, still full of heat but with none of the usual urgency or white-hot passion that usually comes with sex with Dylan.
It’s almost sad as we move together.
As his hands roam over me, it’s as if he’s memorizing every line so he can recall this moment in his memory after we’ve said goodbye.
I want to tell him I don’t want to say goodbye tomorrow. That I want to stay in touch and maybe even see him whenever he’s in the US.
But we agreed from the beginning that this was a holiday fling, and that was it.
No strings attached.
Our sighs are muted in the quiet darkness of the room, and when we both surrender to climax, it feels like an ending.