Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 86199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
And it shouldn’t.
Our worlds were never supposed to collide again. It doesn’t matter if I haven’t been able to banish him from my thoughts.
“I’m curious… Does River know I fucked you?” The question comes out sounding as if his voice has been scraped from the bottom of the ocean.
Air leaks from my lungs as my wide gaze slices to his and fear scampers down my spine.
When I remain silent, he growls, “Does he?”
The thought of my brother finding out about what happened between us makes me sick to my stomach.
He would be furious.
I have to moisten my lips before forcing out the response. “Of course not.”
His eyes narrow. “Do you plan on telling him?”
Is he really asking this?
“Well, sunshine? I need to know.”
I clear my throat and force out the words that have become lodged there. “Why would I do that? We slept together one time. It’s over, and we’ve both moved on with our lives.”
A muscle in his jaw tics as one sculpted brow rises. “Is that all it was to you? A fuck in the sheets?”
No.
But to admit that to him would be dangerous.
It would only send us tripping down a path neither of us wants.
My attention slices to the door he’s leaning against. It’s so tempting to race past and escape his suffocating presence.
“You’re not really thinking of running away from me, are you?”
I straighten my shoulders and focus on the reason I’ve returned to the scene of the crime. “I’d like my necklace.”
His inscrutable expression never falters. “Yeah, sure. It’s the only reason you came here, right?”
He shoves away from the door before his fingers grip the hem of his sweatshirt. I blink when he draws the thick cotton up his torso and over his head, leaving him in a navy Wildcats T-shirt.
My mouth dries. “What are you doing?”
“Getting your necklace.”
Before I can ask anything else, he strips off the snug material that fits him like a glove, leaving him bare chested.
My gaze licks over sculpted abdominals and chiseled pecs that stand out in stark relief. And his biceps…
Holy hell.
Even his muscles have muscles.
Hands down, he’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever laid eyes on. Not that it’s saying much, but still…
I have no idea how much time ticks by as I drink in his male beauty. He’s like a work of art that needs to be silently appreciated. My panties dampen just looking at him.
It takes a herculean effort to mentally shake myself from the stupor that’s fallen over me and refocus my attention. “My, um…necklace… Where is it?”
His hand rises to his throat to touch the pendant that hangs from the silver chain resting against his sun-kissed collarbone.
My eyes widen. Barely am I able to push out the question, “You’ve been wearing it this entire time?”
His shoulders lift in a nonchalant gesture that belies the tension straining his muscles, looking for an escape. “I wanted to keep it safe.”
When I remain silent, processing the response, the corners of his lips quirk. “Well, what are you waiting for, sunshine? If you want it so badly, all you need to do is come and get it.”
I suck in a sharp breath.
He doesn’t make any effort to unclasp it or hand it over.
He simply stands there, as if daring me to make the first move.
When he raises a brow in silent challenge, I force my feet into motion. Every step has my heartbeat ratcheting up, galloping beneath my breast until it reverberates throughout my body and in my ears.
This is a bad idea.
Then again, Maverick McKinnon has bad idea stamped all over him.
And yet, that knowledge isn’t enough to stop me.
To stop whatever’s about to happen from unfolding.
I’m not sure if there’s anything capable of dousing the spark that’s flared to life.
Satisfaction leaps in his eyes as I tentatively close the distance that separates us. Red lights blare in my head, making me question my decisions, and I grind to a quick halt.
What am I doing?
I’m tap dancing on a dangerous line.
When I remain still—at a crossroads—he whispers, “Come on, sunshine. Just a few more steps.”
My gaze drops from his to the necklace draped around his neck.
I’m so close.
And then I can walk away.
Unscathed.
I can leave Maverick McKinnon where he belongs.
Safely tucked away in my memories.
I force myself to eat up the remaining distance. Air gets clogged in my lungs as my shaking palms settle on the broad expanse of his chest. His muscles bunch and tighten, straining beneath the flesh. All the warring thoughts within my brain go silent as my senses are bombarded by him.
The heat of his skin.
The woodsy scent of his cologne that cocoons me in familiarity.
The steady tempo of his heart beating beneath my fingertips.
The harsh breath that belies the calm expression on his face.
I want to soak in this moment so I don’t forget a single second of it.