Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 88317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88317 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“And if they won’t?”
“Then I’ll quit and figure something else out. Or I’ll work for Neil’s construction company in some management capacity and hire part-time help for Scottie here. We tried with the group-home thing, right? But he clearly didn’t want to be there. This is his home. He deserves to be here, and I want to make that happen for him, even if I have to hire help.”
There wasn’t anything to think about. I nodded. “Of course, I’ll stay.”
“It’s not permanent,” he assured me. “You can go back to California as soon as I get back.”
My stomach felt unsettled as I said the first thing that came to mind. “What if I don’t want to?”
That seemed to surprise him. Heck, it surprised me.
“You’re welcome here for as long as you want to stay,” he told me. “You know that. I just assumed you’d want to go back to your life.”
What I really wanted was for him to ask me to stay. But I didn’t want to make this conversation about him and me. He’d just made a huge life decision, and throwing in the complicated matter of where we stood wouldn’t be fair right now. I didn’t think the reasons he felt we couldn’t be together had magically disappeared in the time we’d been apart.
Taking a deep breath, I decided to trust the process. Fate had brought us back together again—even if it was temporary. I vowed to not overthink anything, to enjoy my time with him for however long it lasted, and even to appreciate my time alone with Scottie while Josh went back to Chicago to settle things.
Instead of unleashing all my worries onto him, I just nodded. “You’re making the right decision, Josh.”
He let out a relieved breath. “You think so?”
“Absolutely.”
“I’m gonna ask Lorraine to transfer guardianship over to me. You think she’ll go for it?”
“I do, actually. We both know she’s not capable of taking care of him. And I think it will be a relief to her that you want to officially take over.”
“I was worried you might think I was getting in over my head, taking this on permanently.”
Moving to sit closer to him, I placed my hand over his. “You’ve proven yourself, Josh. Over and over again. The truth is, even if you’re not perfect at this, no one’s gonna love him like you do. You’re the closest thing he has to family. And I think Scottie will be the luckiest guy in the world to have you as his guardian.”
Ask me to stay. There was nothing I wanted more than for Josh to include me in these plans. But he would have to be the one to suggest it. I’d already hinted that I didn’t want to go back to California. The ball was in his court. I sure as hell wasn’t going to push for anything. I vowed to wait until he returned from Chicago before I started worrying about what the future held.
Trust the process.
I decided to take a shower before bed. Being around Josh again had made me so damn horny—especially after what we’d started this morning never came to fruition.
Under the water, I slid my hand down and circled my clit. I’d wanted Josh to touch me so badly all day today. I was unsure whether he planned to sleep in the bed with me again tonight, but either way, I was fairly certain I had another night of frustration ahead.
After a few minutes, the bathroom door opened. I jumped, thinking it was Scottie, but when I saw the tall, muscular silhouette with fuck-me hair through the foggy glass door, I realized it was Josh.
My stomach did somersaults as he slid open the shower door and stepped inside, gloriously naked. My eyes moved over his gorgeous body. I hadn’t seen him like this in so long, and I’d thought I might never have the opportunity again. His engorged cock glistened with precum at the tip. Feeling embarrassed for staring—still a bit of trauma from the time he’d called me out way back when—I turned away from him, facing the showerhead.
His warm body pressed against my back, his voice vibrating against my skin. “Hi.”
“Well, hello,” I whispered.
“Is this okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” I breathed.
My muscles clenched as he situated his hot, rigid dick against me, gliding it along my ass cheeks.
“I’ve missed this beautiful ass.”
“It missed you.” I smiled.
“I’ve been dying for you all day, Carly.” He wrapped an arm around my waist. “I’d wash you with soap, but if I’m being honest, I want you to smell like nothing but me tonight.”
My legs quivered.
“From the moment we left each other, I haven’t been able to stop fantasizing about fucking you.” He spoke into my ear, “I haven’t been with anyone else. I don’t want anyone else. I only want you. And I need to show you how much right now.”