Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
But I need to know this is real, that it’ll last and I won’t end up another disillusioned girl on the roster of Ashton’s flings.
Ashton: Lay your rules on me. You know you’ve got me wrapped.
Me: We go on several dates, but no touching or kissing or anything else involving my mouth.
Ashton: How about mine? Does using my tongue constitute touching?
Holy hell, he’s fighting dirty.
Me: Yes. No touching means no touching.
Ashton: This was Mandy’s idea?
Me: Yeah.
Ashton: So basically my sister’s being a cock-blocker. You can tell her I said that.
I bite back a smile.
Me: Do we have a deal?
Ashton: That depends.
My heart thuds to the bottom of my gut, and my thumbs tremble as I type out the next message.
Me: On what?
Ashton: If I’m allowed to fall in love with you all over again.
I’m certain my cheeks are pink, and every person in the building can sense the huge grin on my face, but I don’t care because something low in my belly is fluttering, growing warmer, siphoning the doubt and fear from my veins.
Me: I kinda hope you do.
Ashton: I’m kinda certain I will.
Me: So we’re going to do this?
Ashton: Fuck yes. Can I pick you up tomorrow night?
Me: What time?
Ashton: 10pm.
Me: Why so late?
Ashton: It’s a surprise. Don’t wear a dress or skirt.
I furrow my brows.
Me: Why not?
Ashton: I’ve only got so much willpower.
Shit, he’s not the only one. I’m about to needle him again about what he has in mind for tomorrow night when he sends another message.
Ashton: Besides, you need to dress warm for this.
Me: You won’t even give me a hint?
Ashton: I just did. My lunch break is over. I’ll see you tomorrow night, Sawyer.
I stuff my phone back into my purse, giddy and aflutter. This friend date idea is going to require a level of restraint I’m not sure I possess, but I’m going to give it my all.
Chapter Thirty-nine
Sadie
“I can’t guarantee the no touching rule.” It’s the first thing out of his mouth after he shows up on my doorstep.
“Really? Reneging on our agreement already?”
He holds up a helmet. “Some things require a certain amount of contact.”
My lips curve into a smile. Now I understand why he said to dress warm, though being that it’s December, I would have done so anyway.
Just to be on the safe side, I dressed in layers—leggings under jeans, a long-sleeved thermal under my shirt, hat and gloves and boots. My hair is in a long, thick braid, and I’ll be damned if I let him unravel it.
He’s dressed accordingly too, and too damn hot in his faded jeans, black leather jacket, and a dark Carhartt beanie pulled low over his forehead. I grab my coat and let him usher me into the vestibule.
“You’re not going to tell me where we’re going, are you?”
“Nope.”
“Figured as much.”
He fits the helmet on my head, we mount the bike, then we’re roaring down the street, pressed together in a way that is so against the rules, but Ashton’s clever like that. He’s doggedly determined when he wants something, and he wants me. I close my eyes and tighten my arms around his waist, shivering from the warmth spreading between my legs at the thought of being wanted by him.
I won’t lie. It’s an addictive feeling.
He takes us out of town, and about thirty minutes later, I lean with him as he turns onto a county road. It’s deserted, curvy, the incline leading us up a mountain. The sky is a blanket of stars, cloudless and moonless, which only makes this night colder.
Wherever we’re headed, he’ll want to warm me up.
Clever, indeed.
Sometime later, the bike rolls to a stop in a clearing at the top of the mountain. Ashton helps me off before removing my helmet, and my teeth are already chattering as he unfastens the bungee cords on his pack.
“What are we doing here?” I move in a circle, taking in the cold landscape. “Where is here?”
“We’re about ten miles past the falls.”
“Okay…why? In case you haven’t noticed, it’s freezing out here.” My eyes adjust to the moonless night, and I catch him smirking.
“I noticed.” Entwining our fingers, he leads me through the scattered brush and boulders to a level spot on the ground.
“Ash, I’m serious. What are we doing here?”
“The Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight.”
I let out an excited squeal. “Really! A meteor shower?”
“Damn, Sawyer. Your enthusiasm is a turn-on. I could kiss you right now.”
“Against the rules.”
He unzips the pack and begins unrolling a sleeping bag. “How about staying warm? Is that against the rules?”
“It’s fucking cold out here, so we’ll make an exception. But keep your hands to yourself.”
“You must think I’m a saint,” he mutters as he spreads the sleeping bag onto the ground. He gestures for me to go first. “After you.”
I slip inside, snuggling into the thick blanket, and he follows suit. We lie shoulder-to-shoulder, barely touching, kept toasty only by the waves of heat our bodies emit.