Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 102016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102016 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 510(@200wpm)___ 408(@250wpm)___ 340(@300wpm)
First, I start with the affirmations for today.
I am smart.
I am a good teacher.
I am worthy of love.
I am a good friend.
I deserve to be in a happy relationship.
I bite my lip on that one.
I can hear Bridger’s door open and close softly and then, just a few seconds later, the sound of his footsteps as he makes his way across the street. He doesn’t stand over me this time. I notice he’s in another hoodie, similar to the one I’m wearing, and he lies down next to me, linking his fingers with mine.
He pulls in a deep breath and lets it out.
“Hi,” he says, and just that one syllable has my stomach tightening.
“Hi.” I smile, still looking up when his fingers squeeze around my own. “Your sister’s store is amazing.”
“Yeah. It is. She said you were there.”
“I was there.”
Our words are soft, meant only for each other, before they’re carried away on the crisp early autumn air.
“Bridge?”
“Yeah, kitten?”
I smile at the endearment.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“You can ask me anything. You know that.”
“Okay.” I press my lips together for a long minute, not sure how I should phrase this, and it reminds me of that first night that we were out here, just a few weeks ago.
Bridger and I have always been honest with each other, so I should just say it.
“Is it a hard question?” He’s not mocking me at all. I can hear the curiosity in his voice, and it softens me a bit.
“Kind of, yeah. An uncomfortable one, anyway.”
He pulls his hand out of mine, and I feel him roll onto his side, resting his head in his hand so he can look down at me. His other hand glides up my thigh and under the hoodie, resting on my belly, and it feels warm and soothing.
“Look at me.”
I rub my lips together, but I don’t look his way, and then his fingers are on my chin, turning my head in his direction.
“Talk to me, beautiful. What do you want to ask me?”
“Are we just … fuck buddies?”
Chapter Eleven
BRIDGER
Before I can even process that question, let alone answer it, Dani keeps going, the floodgates open.
“I mean, it’s okay if we are. It’s totally fine. I just want to make sure we’re on the same page because it’s been such a confusing week. God, not that that’s your fault, I just … we had such a good time last weekend, and then all hell broke loose, and I’ve hardly heard a peep from you until earlier today when you stormed over here and railed me in the garage, which was totally fun, and I’m a big fan, but I just need to know if we’re only going to have sex when we have the opportunity and otherwise I won’t hear much from you so I can just prepare my brain and my heart for that because my loins are in. As long as it’s monogamous, though, because otherwise, gross.”
She takes a breath, and I take that opportunity to cover her mouth with my hand, and she frowns at me.
“Stop talking for two seconds, okay?”
She nods, watching me with those expressive eyes that shine like diamonds in the moonlight, and I move my hand back down to her belly, under my hoodie, against warm, soft skin.
“It’s not okay,” I begin, “to just be fuck buddies. Jesus, I can’t believe you said that.”
“I got nervous.”
“So, you swear when I’m inside of you or when you’re nervous?”
She starts to say something and then pauses. “I guess that’s right, yeah.”
“Baby.” I brush my thumb back and forth over her skin. “No. We’re not just anything. This week was a shit show, and that might be the case until we catch the fucker that’s decided to play with fire, literally, and there’s not much I can do about that.”
“I know, I just—”
“My turn, remember?” I lean in and kiss her cheek, nuzzling it with the tip of my nose. “If you need me to keep reassuring you, I will. I have no problem with that. Because eventually, you’ll believe me and the doubts won’t fuck with you anymore. You are all I see, Dani. Just you. I hate that I had to say goodbye to you on Sunday, and then I barely saw or spoke to you until today. It was fucking torture. Last weekend was a big deal, right?”
“I thought so,” she whispers, and that earns her another kiss, this time on the lips.
“Yeah, me, too. This isn’t just sex for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s the best fucking sex of my life, and I plan to be inside you as much as humanly possible, but that’s not all it is. Every minute with you is the best part of my day.”
She smiles and reaches up to cup my face. “Aww. Same here, Chief.”