Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 93417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
“So’s this,” I say, then I brush the faintest kiss to her cheek. It’s chaste enough. A safe kiss.
But what’s happening inside my body and heart doesn’t feel safe.
I spend the next several hours at the obstacle course, demonstrating the rope climb, the tire run, and the water balloon dodge as I emcee the event with my closest mates.
When we have a break in the afternoon, the three of us grab our waters from a nearby table. After Hollis takes a drink, he sets down his bottle, then tips his chin toward the other end of the grounds where Briar’s tent is. “I think I’ll go tell Briar about what I found under the bed this morning that we can do tonight.”
I flash back on the idea we devised, hoping she’ll like it. “You do that, mate.”
Hollis heads off to see the woman I’m already feeling way more than friendly for.
33
INDIANA JONES OF DATING
Hollis
Last night, I offered her sex.
But I need to make it crystal clear that I meant it, too, when I said I’d help her in all the ways, including the boyfriend way. Just like I looked up sex toys yesterday, this morning I researched “things a good boyfriend does.”
I take my responsibilities very seriously. That’s why I don’t want to assume she’ll want to hang out this evening. When I reach her tent, I ask, “Want to know what we found under the bed this morning that we can do tonight?”
“Was it a piggy bank? A creepy doll? A rope?”
“You want to play with creepy dolls, Briar?”
“So that’s the one you think I want to play with?” Her smile is teasing.
“I was trying to be a gentleman,” I say.
“Stop.”
“Stop being a gentleman?”
Her eyes twinkle with mischief. She is feisty and flirty this afternoon, and I am here for it. “Yes. Just stop.”
“Noted. You prefer ungentlemanly,” I say.
I expect her to toss out a rapid-fire reply, but she seems to give my comment some real thought instead, her forehead crinkling. “Actually, I don’t know. But I’m curious if I do.”
I tug at the neckline of my T-shirt. “And I suddenly wish I had the afternoon off to help you figure that out.”
As the sun peeks out from behind a cloud, she lifts a hand over her eyes, shielding them as she holds my gaze. “Me too,” she says, her voice stripped bare.
There’s a pause as the air crackles between us, a heated charge. “You’re tempting,” I say in a low whisper.
“So are you,” she says, then leans a little closer and adds, “And your friend is too.”
It’s like she’s testing how those words sound on her lips. Like she’s figuring out what she wants. The thing is, I’m figuring her out too. I’m putting together the puzzle of Briar.
“Have you always been a hard worker?” I ask.
“What do you mean?”
“I think you work hard, you play by the rules, you try to do the right thing, you’re tough, and you’re strong.” I hold up a finger, giving that last one a little more thought. “No, you’re badass. Like your fitness brand.”
“That’s probably all true. But what are you getting at?” She doesn’t ask defensively—more like she’s truly intrigued.
I’m working through that right now, and I’m almost there. “You’re all about doing things yourself. Taking everything on—your business, your life, your dog, your family…” I glance around, checking to make sure the festivalgoers aren’t eavesdropping. “And your own pleasure.”
She seems to turn that over in her head, then nods. “That’s probably true.”
“But I bet you’d really like it if you don’t have to think at all. If you didn’t have to worry. If you didn’t have to work for it. Maybe you mentioned the ropes for a reason.” So you can surrender.
Vulnerability flashes in her irises. “I’m trying to figure that out too—the reason.”
“Do you want us to help you? Rhys and me?”
“Well, if you really found rope, you two could…tie me up with it tonight.”
The images flip through my mind like a movie reel. Her, naked, bound to the bed. I finally manage to form a semi-coherent thought and get it past my lips. “We’re going to Home Depot, stat, to get ropes.”
She nibbles on the corner of her lips, then offers a hopeful, “Unless it was neckties you found under the bed?”
Well, that’s clear. But before I can run off like the sex superhero I am to track down a fancy men’s shop, she asks me again, “But what did you really find under the bed?”
Right. The reason I’m here. I shake off the lust and bondage. “A treasure trove. You could just call me the Indiana Jones of how to be a great boyfriend since I unearthed some vintage board games this morning with Rhys. Chutes and Ladders. Candy Land. That sort of thing. I wanted to ask if you had plans for tonight?”