Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 23191 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 116(@200wpm)___ 93(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23191 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 116(@200wpm)___ 93(@250wpm)___ 77(@300wpm)
“I’ll be right there,” I say, quickly fixing my hair.
My heart pounds with anticipation as I head down the hall. Duncan is in the kitchen cutting strawberries. He smiles as I walk in and I realize that there’s no other place in the world I’d rather be than here in this kitchen with him.
“I hope you like crepes with real maple syrup,” he says as he washes his hands.
“What’s not to like?” I ask with my stomach grumbling as I pull out a stool and sit at the island.
“Good, then eat up,” he says as he joins me. “We’re going on a big hike today. We’re climbing a mountain.”
I’d like to climb him instead.
“A mountain?” I say with a gulp. “A big one?”
“The biggest.”
“Think a city girl can handle it?” I ask teasingly.
He grins. “After last night, I don’t think there’s anything too big for you to handle.”
My cheeks get all red and hot at the double entendre. “Maybe,” I say as I flash him a playful glare. “Or, maybe it wasn’t as big as you think.”
He laughs, not self-conscious at all. I guess if you have a cock as big as he does, you don’t get self-conscious with jokes about its size. It’s as big as they come.
“I checked out your fashion line,” he says as he turns back to the stove. He takes a crepe off the pan, lays it out on a plate, places some cut strawberries along the center, then wraps it up and places it in front of me. “Don’t forget the syrup. Your clothes are beautiful.”
“You looked up my brand?” I ask, getting nervous as I drown the crepe in maple syrup. “When?”
“Last night. I googled it. When are you going to make men’s clothes? I’d buy up the store.”
“I don’t think my factory has enough material to cover your giant frame.”
He laughs. “Seriously though, Vivian. I’m impressed. You’re so talented and the fact that you built up a successful brand and a fashion empire by twenty-four years old… You’re amazing.”
I look at him to see if he’s teasing me, but he’s not. He’s dead serious.
“It would be amazing if the clothes were environmentally sustainable,” I say with a sigh. “I’m not loving that I’m contributing to fast fashion.”
“Stop. You’re incredible. And if you want to start over in the future, there’s nothing stopping you from giving it another go and implementing the lessons you’ve learned along the way.”
That would be amazing. Just selling it all and walking away clean and worry-free. I could spend some time out here, maybe with Duncan if he’s interested, and eventually start over with a sustainable luxury brand for outdoorsy people. I keep looking at Duncan’s big muscular frame and picturing all sorts of nice clothes on him.
“Maybe,” I whisper as I stab a piece of strawberry and crepe with my fork. I bring it to my mouth and oh my god! “This is the best thing I’ve ever had in my mouth!”
He grins at me like it’s too easy. “I hope it’s not the best thing…”
And I finish the crepe with my cheeks blushing darker than ever.
I’m sweating buckets by the time we’re two-thirds of the way up the trail. And out of breath. And desperate for a break.
Duncan is barely bothered at all by the heat and the insane incline of the mountain. His shirt has a little bit of sweat on his chest, but it just makes him look even sexier. Meanwhile, I have streams dripping down my face and my tank top has big gross wet circles under my armpits. I must look like a wreck.
“How often do you do this?” I ask in a breathless tone. I also have a sharp jutting pain in my ribs and it hurts to speak.
“Hiking?” he asks, speaking as easily as he did at breakfast. “Pretty much every day. I love getting out here in the mountains. It’s food for the soul.”
“Totally,” I say, holding in a wheeze.
It is beautiful. The views are incredible and I love being under all of these tall trees. I would like to be as fit and able as Duncan though. One day, I’ll be able to keep up with him and barely break a sweat. One day…
“Is that a river?” I ask when I hear flowing water in the distance.
“Yeah, come check it out.”
We step off the trail and hike through the forest until we emerge next to some giant rocks next to the river, some taller than me. Beyond the massive rocks is a gorgeous river of crystal-clear water. It looks so tempting and refreshing as it runs over smooth river rocks before gathering into little natural pools all over the place. My hot sweltering body craves it.
Duncan seems to notice my yearning for it and grins. “Want to cool off?”