Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 94106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“Does it feel good? Tell me…”
“Ford…” I opened my eyes, feeling the familiar wave start to come over me, and he pushed one of his fingers inside along with my two. He used his thumb to reach up and rub my clit at the same time our joined fingers pumped in and out. I began to shatter.
“Look at me.”
My hooded eyes met his hungry ones, and I cried out.
His hand took over when my body went limp. My arms fell to my sides as he strummed every last throb of orgasm from my body. Ford scooped me up into his arms.
He kissed me while walking down the stairs. “I just want to do that to you over and over. I don’t even give a shit about my own release. It’s way more satisfying to watch you fall apart under my touch.”
I couldn’t contain my goofy smile. “I like that.”
He smiled back. “That’s good. Because I’m just getting started with our celebration.”
Chapter 22
* * *
Valentina
We’d become inseparable.
During the week, when Ford had to work, I’d go into the city for a night or two. He’d spend the days in his office, and I’d go to museums and spend time hanging out with Eve at her restaurant. Sometimes I even met him for lunch. Yesterday, I’d packed us a picnic, and we ate in the park not far from his office. At night, we went out to dinner or ordered in and ate naked in bed. Weekends we spent in Montauk frolicking on different beaches.
He’d even started to teach me how to surf—another item crossed off my My Turn list. I sucked at it, but a few tumbles in the waves always ended with making out on the sand, so it was worth it. I couldn’t remember being this happy in years.
But time was moving way too fast now. I’d sent out more than a hundred resumes and had a bunch of interviews already. Tomorrow I had a second interview at a school not too far from my house in New Jersey. The position would be perfect for me—a one-year leave replacement teaching Intro to Italian to middle school students. Though thinking about anything that would occur post-Labor Day made me feel a little sick to my stomach.
Tonight we were going to the music festival he’d bought tickets to—yet another item from my list. By the end of the summer, I wouldn’t have many things left.
“I got an interesting email today,” Ford said.
He was lying on my bed, buck naked, with his hands behind his head as he watched me try to find something appropriate to wear to a twelve-hour concert. I’d actually Googled music festivals earlier to see what people wore because I was that out of touch. The photos that popped up freaked me out. Not only did I not have a crocheted bikini top, micro-length denim skirt, and cowboy boots, but I wouldn’t wear them if I did—even if that looked like what half the female attendees were wearing.
“Oh yeah? What was the email about?”
“A building in Chicago that’s for sale.”
I poked my head out of the closet. “Chicago?”
“Yeah. We used to own it. It’s a long story, but my father had wanted to expand the temporary office space business outside of New York. His plan was to open an office in Chicago. He bought a building there three years before the accident. It was an old, dilapidated warehouse that needed a ton of work to convert.”
“Oh. Wow. But you said it’s for sale. So he owned it and sold it?”
Ford shook his head. “No. I actually sold it. When my dad bought it, there was an existing tenant that still had a few years left on their lease. We worked on the conversion plans and blueprints off and on while I was in college. It was kind of our thing. It was supposed to be the first project I’d manage after I graduated. But after the accident, being in two states was too much to deal with. It was just Bella and me, and I couldn’t be running back and forth to Chicago during the construction all the time. She was only fourteen. So I sold it. Apparently it’s for sale again.”
“Are you thinking of buying it back?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s odd that it’s available again so soon. Now that Bella’s away at school and things run pretty smoothly again at the office here, I could probably take it on. I still have all our old plans. It feels like I should at least go check it out. I think I’m going to fly up for the day next week. I’ve never actually been to the property. I was in college during that time.”
“Sounds almost like it might be meant to be, the way the project left your life when you needed it to and now suddenly it’s back again.”