Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
“When do I get to meet her, meet her?” Harley said. She put her chin on her fist and looked at me with wide, excited eyes.
“Uh, she’ll be at the fundraiser for Jensen this weekend.”
“Oh, yeah. Jordan sent me an invite,” she said. “And she’s your date?”
“Not…exactly.”
“You keep saying you’re not dating, and I’m starting to wonder if you’ve asked her,” Harley said. “Because if I find out you’re fucking around with her emotions, we will have words, Whitton Wright. Situationships suck, bro.”
“Hold up. She was the one who wanted it to be casual.”
“So, something is happening,” Harley said with satisfaction.
I blew out a breath. “Damn, you’re going to make a good lawyer.”
“I know.” She made a face that said obviously. “So, you’re asking her out then?”
“I’m not going to be bullied into this.”
Even though I wanted nothing more than for Eve to go to this thing with me. I’d wanted it all from the start.
And spending time with her like we had the other night made me want a relationship. I’d never seen Eve vulnerable. Never seen her cry. I could have held her all night if she had let me. We didn’t even have to kiss. I loved the other stuff, but holding her and comforting her were on the same level. I just needed to convince her of that.
“Tell me more about Seattle,” I said instead.
Harley huffed and then dived back in.
Harley’s words burrowed into my brain and stuck there. Eve and I were in a situationship. It didn’t suck as much as she’d claimed it did. I wanted the hot cellar sex and the cuddling on the couch as I rubbed her back. Was that too much to ask for?
I’d said that I didn’t want to be bullied into it, but now, it was all I could think about. I wouldn’t have an answer unless I asked. I’d bent for her. We were as casual as it got. Maybe she’d see that something more was worth it and change her mind, too.
I pulled my Lexus to the curb in front of Eve’s place and strode up the front walk. I knocked twice, nerves settling in my stomach. I didn’t want to ruin what was happening, but I needed to know.
“Whitt!” Blaire said when I answered the door. “Hey, Eve is out.”
“Oh. She said that she was on her way back from the gym. I must have beat her here.”
“No problem. You can come in,” Blaire said with a knowing glint in her eye.
I stepped over the threshold and found Campbell Abbey lounging on the couch with his signature guitar in his hand. He was humming some tune that I didn’t know. He and West were best friends, and so I rarely saw Campbell without him. It was strange to be in his presence without my twin.
“Hey, man,” I said with a short wave.
Campbell glanced up from his guitar and grinned. “Hey, Whitt. Here for Eve?”
“Yeah.”
“Smart.”
Blaire took the seat next to him and plopped her feet into his lap. She reached for her laptop, typing away as he went back to strumming. They looked so comfortable together. My heart ached. Just seeing that made me realize more than ever that I wanted that with Eve.
The jiggle of the doorknob had me turning away from the display. Eve stepped inside, and I froze. She was dressed in high-waisted sky-blue shorts, a matching sports bra, and platform Converse. Her long hair was up in a high-braided ponytail. She wore barely a drop of makeup, and she was stunning.
“Hey,” she said. Her smile lit up her face. “You got here fast.”
“I did.”
I took several steps closer. I wanted to kiss her. Screw the conversation I’d been planning. I wanted to lift her over my shoulder, carry her to her bedroom, and forget the rest of the world.
“I really need a shower,” she said by way of what appeared to be an apology. “All sweaty.”
“I never minded before.”
She flushed. “That’s true.” She nodded her head to the side. “Come see my room?”
“Lead the way.”
Blaire and Campbell said hi to Eve as we passed. Blaire’s knowing look was almost too much. As if she expected us to be stripping out of our clothes before we got to her room. Not that I’d mind…
Eve’s room was bare bones. A bed in a corner, a small dresser, and a full closet. Nothing on the walls or floor, except a few unpacked boxes and her half-full suitcase. As if she was waiting to be kicked out of the place and needed a fast getaway.
“Really moved in,” I joked.
She shrugged. “Oh, yeah, I’m sort of the worst at unpacking. It’s such a hassle.” She dropped her gym bag next to the suitcase and stretched her arms overhead.
“How was the gym?”
“I feel like I was run over. My trainer had me do everything to failure today. He’s a masochist.” She rolled her neck out. “You’re in a suit. I thought you were meeting Harley.”