Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 87911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“It would have been easier with a ladder.” He grabbed her hips and pulled her closer. “I missed you.”
“You’ve been busy, so how is that possible?”
“Simple, I thought of you every single second today and wondered how you were.” He pulled away from her to get a good look at her. “Are you okay? Are you sore? How are you feeling?”
“A lot of questions.”
“You skipped out on me and you think I wouldn’t have any questions.”
“I didn’t want to skip out. I woke up, realized what we did, and had a little panic attack.” She stepped away from him, sitting on the edge of her bed. She wore a pair of red shorts and a white T-shirt. He took a seat beside her, taking hold of her hand so she didn’t have a single excuse to pull away from him.
“Do you regret us being together?” he asked.
“No. I don’t regret that. I told you I was ready, and I wouldn’t lie to you.” She lifted up his hand and kissed his knuckles. “Last night was so magical and fantastic, and I woke up this morning and I freaked. I didn’t even mean to freak. I know it sounds crazy, but I honestly just had to get out of there. I thought you’d regret it or something.”
“There’s no chance in hell of me ever regretting what you and I had last night. I know I’ve not always been a great guy to you, Chloe.”
“You don’t have to keep bringing it up.”
“I want to. I want you to know that I’m doing everything to prove to you I’m the man for you.”
She smiled. “Again, you really need to stop. It’s really not necessary. I know you’ve got a big heart, and you thought I was stuck up. I get it. I do. I trust you.”
Now he felt the guilt, the wave upon wave of it as if it was crushing him.
“You do, just like that, forgive me?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I? I mean, when you first started hanging around with me, yeah, I had my doubts. I’m sure any woman would have. Now though, after everything, I believe you. I trust you.”
Trust and loyalty, the two rules of the club.
He didn’t start out with good intentions, though, and she didn’t know that. After what he felt last night, claiming her virginity as his own, he couldn’t ever let her know the truth of what he’d really intended for her.
Ian and Riley, he’d already seen them, and they agreed.
Trust and loyalty came before everything else within the club. This was their chance to prove to each other they have their backs, and under no circumstances would that news ever come out. Not ever. Not even a slither.
“I’m glad you could trust me.” He stared down at their hands. “I won’t do anything to let you down.”
“Alfie, please stop. I meant it. I trust you.” She giggled. “I don’t know what this is. Are you feeling guilty because of … last night?”
“You did give me your virginity.”
“You haven’t slept with a virgin before?” Her cheeks were bright red.
“No.”
“No?”
“You’re my first and last virgin.” He leaned in to take her lips, but she placed her hand on his lips, halting him. “What is it?”
“I planned to leave at the end of high school. There’s a culinary school in the city, Mom signed me up for it before we started this last year.”
“You told me.”
“I don’t know if I should go,” she said.
Now he pulled back and didn’t try to steal another kiss. “You don’t know if you should go? Because of me?”
She nodded. “I’m a little confused. I wasn’t going to talk about this.”
“You want this though, right? I can move to the city. Come with you. Or I’ll visit if you’re in one of those girly dorms and can’t have visitors. I could be your sexy ass biker boyfriend. You know, the kind that makes people squeal and go crazy. You will be the talk of the entire college.”
“It’s not a college per se. It’s a culinary school. I’m not going to a dorm. I’m going to be renting a small apartment. My mom and I already checked it over, and the school owns the building and we’ve reserved me a spot.”
Alfie held her hands. “Don’t stop your plans for me. We’ll make this work.”
“Long distance?”
“We’ve made it work after I’ve bullied you. I’d say we’d call it even.” He had to find any way to make this up to her, in his own mind. She would never know the truth, not while he was in charge, and it was the only way he could be.
“When did you get so perfect?” she asked.
“It would seem you really do bring out the best in people.”
This time, Chloe kissed him. “There is something I want to ask you.”