Total pages in book: 224
Estimated words: 215705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1079(@200wpm)___ 863(@250wpm)___ 719(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 215705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1079(@200wpm)___ 863(@250wpm)___ 719(@300wpm)
He turns to face me as I stand up with my pink bag filled with makeup and miscellaneous items. “Problem?” His phone rings again and he grimaces. “Why can I not just take you to eat mac n’ cheese after fucking you good morning? And no, nothing is wrong.” But he doesn’t seem like nothing is wrong. He answers the call and I walk back into the bathroom, brush my teeth and take off my makeup. I’ve just put on a little moisturizer, despite the fact that I’ll likely wash it off in the shower, when Reid walks in, sets his overnight bag on the sink, and grabs his toothbrush from inside.
“That was Grayson,” he says, putting toothpaste on his brush. “He has a proposition for us.” He starts brushing his teeth.
“Did you really just say that and stuff a brush in your mouth?” I demand, while wondering how he manages to look so damn sexy while brushing his teeth, and decide it’s all the muscles flexing here and there and everything.
“Patience, baby,” he says, rinsing his mouth and then his brush.
“Reid!”
He gives a low, sexy chuckle, and snags my hips, placing me between him and the sink and despite my impatience, I’m pleased with his laughter. “I needed to do this.” His fingers tangle in my hair as he adds, “and have you actually enjoy it.” His mouth closes down on mine and I’m thoroughly kissed before he says, “We need to go back to New York City.”
“What?” I don’t like the instant knot in my belly that follows or the sense of rejection that cuts a little too easily.
“My sister is holding a surprise party for her husband. She’s really pushing hard for me to be there tonight.”
“Oh. Well, you should be.”
“I’m not going unless you go with me.”
“You—you want me to go to the party?”
“It’s the only way I’m going,” he says firmly. “I don’t like these kinds of events, but I do respect Cat’s husband. Say yes. Get me through this or I’m going to call and tell her no.”
“Okay, you’re not saying no. This is your sister. That’s an order.”
“Then you’re going with me,” he insists.
I’m confused. So very confused with this man. “We don’t do white picket fences and family, Reid.”
His fingers flex at my hip, his voice turning low, rough. “Ask me the question again, Carrie.”
I know what the means. I know what question. “What are we doing, Reid?” I ask, and I swear my voice trembles.
“Everything and that might not be enough.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“Neither do I, but I’ve never been one to let fear get in the way.”
“Fear? You’re afraid.”
“Damn straight, baby. In ways you don’t understand, and I really don’t want you to. Come with me to the party.”
He’s scared. This is not an admission that I expected from this man, but he’s proving to be so much more than anything I believed him to be when we met. I want to push him for more, but I decide just to give him more instead. “I—okay. I’ll go with you.”
“Good,” he says, tension easing from his body as if he feared rejection. “We’ll eat that mac n’ cheese on our way to the airport. Right now, we’re taking a shower together.”
He wants me to have my mac n’ cheese. Why does this hit so many right buttons for me? It’s mac n’ cheese and yet, it’s more. It’s this hard man I’ve called “asshole” over and over, caring what I want and like. “Shower,” he repeats. “Together.” He lifts me off the counter and starts walking backward, taking me with him.
I catch the band of his sweats. “Wait. What about Grayson? How have you still not told me about Grayson?”
“He had a falling out this morning with our competition. He’s taking bids next week for Asia. Texas is on hold until he gets that property under control. I don’t personally think he’s taking bids. I think he’s waiting to see what we can do, but keeping us on edge.”
“You know how I feel about Asia. That was my biggest worry talking to him.”
“I have some ideas on that, and we can talk about them over lunch. I have contacts, a few people I really trust.”
“Reid, this project will be going on when you’re gone. I’ll be stuck with it and the fallout. I don’t want to get on top to fall again by making the wrong move now.”
He cups my face. “The moment I resign from the board and cash out does not mean I leave you, Carrie. Trust me,” he says again.
“You keep saying that, but you also keep promising I’ll hate you. That makes me very uneasy.”
“I know,” he says. “And it should.” He releases me and walks toward the shower.
“What does that even mean, Reid?” I say, following him, only to have him turn on the shower and slide off his pants, which means he’s now standing in front of me fully naked, beautiful with his cock thick, hard and between us. Which also means, that I’m wet, warm, and having a hard time remembering what I was about to say.