Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92180 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92180 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“Bri,” Clay says softly, tucking his hands in his pockets. “You want us to take a break? Because that would be okay.”
“No,” I say, which seems to be the only word coming out of my mouth. I shake my head, reaching out and touching his chest, a sadness welling within me. “I don’t want to take a break. I want to end this.”
Clay’s mouth parts in surprise, his head dropping to stare at his shoes before lifting again. “Is it that you want more? A more committed relationship? Because it’s not something you or I ever wanted. This thing we have works because neither of us has time for more.”
“It’s nothing like that.”
“Maybe we could talk about that,” he muses, as if the idea has some merit, but he has to dig for it. “It’s not something I’d thought about doing, but—”
“No, Clay.” This time, I step into him, put both my hands on his chest. “I adore you. We’ve had some great times, and I don’t necessarily want more. Hell, I don’t have time for more. But…”
“If you say you’re not attracted to me anymore…”
“That’s not it at all. I’m completely attracted to you.”
“If it’s not that you want a deeper relationship and you’re still attracted to me, then what’s the problem?”
My skin flushes in embarrassment, but I won’t lie to him. “I’m thinking about someone else.”
Instead of irritation, relief sweeps his features. “Oh, well… I mean, who doesn’t think of others? There’s been a time or two Heidi Klum has joined us in the bedroom, so that’s—”
I rear back in annoyance. “What? I don’t think of anyone else when we’re intimate. But you do? Heidi Klum?”
“No,” he exclaims quickly. “It’s just that guys sometimes think about other women and, well… I’m a guy, you know.”
I shake my head hard, trying to clear my thoughts. “Clay… I mean I might be interested in another guy. Not a supermodel guy I fantasize about. Just another guy.”
“Oh,” he drawls out, and I can practically see the light bulb go on over his head.
“I’m okay if you want an open relationship,” he offers.
“I’m not.” My tone is sad as my hand slides down and slips into his. “That’s not my style.”
For the first time, he seems a little angry. “Have you and he… have you had sex?”
“God, no,” I rush to assure him. “There’s not really even anything between us and probably won’t ever be. But… I am thinking about him, and I can’t be present with you when my mind is on someone else, even if that never pans out to be anything more than thoughts.”
There’s not much to say after that. Clay tries to mine information from me, likely because his ego’s dinged up more than anything and he wants to know what type of man could drag my thoughts away from him, but I refuse to engage.
It’s like I told him… there’s nothing between me and Drake. So maybe I jumped the gun ending this with Clay, or maybe Drake was merely a catalyst to make me see that things with Clay have run their course. Regardless, it’s a sad kiss we share when I see him to the door.
All I know is when I slip into bed after a few more hours of work, there’s a weight off my shoulders.
And it’s a tattooed hottie with a prickly nature who I’m thinking about when I close my eyes.
CHAPTER 5
Drake
Morning is my favorite time of the day. I’m not groggy when I wake up, even if I had a late night. I’ve always been one of those people ready to take on whatever life throws at me, and that usually starts the minute I roll out of bed.
Sometimes it’s simply getting breakfast on the table for three rambunctious boys. Sometimes it’s suffering a media blitz to destroy my credibility because my ex-wife is a psychopath.
Sometimes, like today, it’s hitting the gym before sunrise for a hard workout.
The arena is deserted, but it’s still a shining beacon despite the dark hour. More than half the building is glass, and it glows from within. The exterior is illuminated with well-placed landscape lighting, and it comes off as welcoming, even if no one is in the building at this time.
I use my passkey to enter at street level and navigate a maze of halls that leads to the workout facility. Six thousand square feet of exercise space runs the length of the building that faces the river. The glass is reflective, and you can’t see in unless you press your face against the windows, so the players have privacy but also an amazing view over the water. Thankfully, fans can’t press their faces to the window as this part of the building sits on an embankment, so even though I enter at street level, the windows are a good fifteen feet off the ground on the river side.