Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 137433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 550(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 687(@200wpm)___ 550(@250wpm)___ 458(@300wpm)
“That you could get him grounded until he’s thirty?”
She laughs, and her laugh feels so wrong in my ears. “That I could hook up with you.”
That’s definitely a turnoff. “Pass. I’m a little tipsy.”
“I’m dead sober,” she says. “So I’m making the decision for both of us. We should totally check out the Jacuzzi.”
I stare at her, unsure. She puckers her lips and shimmies her shoulders. “I have a new nipple ring, and I need you to tell me if it looks good on me. You’ll be the first one to see.”
Jesus.
There’s only so much a guy can take. And somehow, the fact it’s so un-Bailey-like—and, okay, she does look a lot like Bailey—makes her suddenly more appealing.
We both stand up and walk up the stairs to Austin’s parents’ room. Seeing as they saddled the world with the human answer to a chia pet, I’m not feeling too bad about the prospect of having my jizz circulating in their two-hundred-grand hot tub.
Thalia unlocks the glass door to the waterfall tub. It’s a big-ass white thing, surrounded by crème tiles, with a blue-LED cascade that makes it look like a giant toilet.
Thalia hops inside. I slide in after her. She swims my way and starts kissing me and I let her. With her hair framing our faces and my eyes closed, I imagine she is Bailey, and maybe it’s the beer and maybe it’s because I’ve been fantasizing about my best friend since I was thirteen, but somehow, it’s easy to pretend.
She wraps her legs around my waist and runs her tongue down my neck.
“I don’t have a condom,” I grunt. A last-ditch to stop this.
“I do.”
“Why?” Maybe I am the sex police because what do I care if she walks around with a jumbo, Costco-brand variety pack of johnnies? More power to her.
She keeps kissing her way down my chest. I keep reminding myself Bailey is hooking up with other people. That stupid yes haunts my brain.
“Because I’ve been hoping to get together with you for two years now.”
“Didn’t you wanna show me your pierced nipple?”
“Oh, I lied just to get you here.”
She pushes me back and pulls my trunks down. I sit on the edge and let her suck me off.
I’m softer than Mother Teresa’s heart. In my head, I hear Bailey tsking, “Mother Teresa was an opportunist whose missions were in such poor condition, people compared them to concentration camps. Her heart wasn’t that soft.”
Way to kill the mood, Dove.
Lips clasp around my balls, and I’m sucked into a wet mouth.
I run my fingers through golden hair. “Bailey,” I croak. “That’s it, Dove. Just like that. Graze your teeth on them.”
She freezes for a nanosecond. I suck in a breath.
Shit, I’m an asshole.
A hasty apology, followed by pulling my junk out of Thalia’s mouth nearly escapes me, but then she pulls her lips in and does as she’s told, moving her teeth over my balls.
I’m about to throw up but also can’t make her stop. I’m miserable and vindictive and annoyed and getting turned on all at once.
Thalia works me until I’m semi-hard, then stands up and reaches for her little purse and takes out a condom.
I put my hand on her wrist before she rolls it on my dick. “I’m not looking for a relationship,” I say gruffly.
Thalia looks up, and the more I see she isn’t Bailey, the faster my dick wilts.
“Relax, no one’s expecting a wedding ring.” She rips off the condom wrapper with her teeth. “I’m not after a boyfriend, Lev. I have goals, dreams; I’m getting out of the shitty neighborhood I grew up in. No boy is gonna slow me down.”
“We can fuck around but no hearts and roses,” I add. Better to be a clear dick now than an asshole later. “I mean it.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’ll try to live through the heartbreak, Cole.”
I park my elbows on the edge of the Jacuzzi, ready for her to ride my cock.
“I do have one condition.” She presses her finger against my chest.
The word no is on the tip of my tongue, but because we’re already deep into whatever this is, I say, “Yeah?”
“Exclusivity.” She bats her fake eyelashes. “I want every girl at school to know the only girl you fuck is Thalia Mulroney.”
No problem there. I doubt I’m even going to dip into her twice.
“Word,” I nod.
She rolls the condom on me and plants a knee on either side of my waist on the surface of the water, wanting to ride me cowgirl-style. But her face is in front of mine and it’s hard to imagine my best friend when the eyes looking back at me don’t hold all my secrets, memories, and darkest desires.
I know she isn’t a virgin because I know at least two guys who’ve been with her.