Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83236 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“I … it didn’t really occur to me. I mean, I figured you would think I was a little older, but you didn’t ask me how old I was, Torin. You can’t act all upset about it now. Not knowing didn’t stop you from doing …”
I laugh at her, but it’s a cold, emotionless sound. “Doing what, Skylar? Can you even say it?”
“I didn’t do anything for you to treat me like this.”
“You should have told me you were a child!”
“I’m not. I’m seventeen. I have a job and I work damn hard. It’s not like I’m some immature brat who is dependent on others, you know!”
“Jesus,” I growl in disgust. “You don’t get it at all. You are a kid. You can’t even vote for Christ’s sake. You were letting a man, almost twice your age, do things to you that he has no right to do.”
“I wasn’t letting a man. I was letting you! I happen to like what you did to me.”
“Skylar,” I warn, but she ignores me.
“You do have the right to touch me. You’re the only man I’ve ever given that privilege to. I wanted what happened between us. Just because I wanted to slow things down, doesn’t mean that I don’t want more with you, because I do.”
“You can want it until hell freezes over. You and I are never going to happen.”
“Why not? Because you’re in your thirties?”
“I’m twenty-nine,” I rumble out.
“That’s not twice my age, Torin.”
“It’s damn close and while we’re on the subject, stop using my name. There’s nothing between us and there never will be. Call me Joker.”
“There will be. You can’t deny the fire between us. You want me, Torin, and I sure as hell want you.”
“You’re too damn young to know what a fire is, Skylar. Fuck, I can’t believe this mess. I knew you didn’t know what you were doing. I should have figured it out, maybe I’m the stupid one.”
“Was I that bad?”
I use my hand to scrub my face, hating that I’m inflicting pain. I can see it written all over her face. I want to stop, but I can’t. I have to push her away before I get weaker where she’s concerned. Still, I can’t bring myself to tell her that the best kiss I’ve ever had in my life was bad. That’s just a lie that I can’t let pass my lips. I sigh, giving an answer that I know will hurt her more. An answer that will put an end to whatever it is she’s feeling toward me.
A lie that will rip away the dream that had begun to grow in my heart.
“I like my women more experienced. Any woman I claim needs to know how to give me what I want in bed. That’s why I called a halt to shit back there at the bar in the first place.” I can see tears shining in her eyes and it just looks wrong. Instantly, I want to take the words back, but I know that for both our sakes, I can’t.
“I’ll get better. You can teach me,” she whispers, being so brave even through her tears. I want to take her in my arms. Apologize and tell her she is perfect—the answer to every dream I’ve ever had. The only problem is that doing that would be wrong. She’s too damn young. My breath stalls in my chest as she walks up to me, closing the distance between us. I watch as she trembles in front of me. Shame, hunger, and anger swirl inside of me with a force so strong that I’m not sure how I remain standing. “Don’t push me away, Torin. I might be young, but I know what I want, and that’s you.”
“You don’t even know me. You’re just horny because I’m probably the first man who has ever had his mouth on your tits. It’s called lust, and it will pass.”
“I’ve made out before,” she says, rolling her eyes. “What we shared is different and you know it.”
The urge to ask her who the fuck has put his lips on her, touched her in ways that should only belong to me, is so strong, but I push it away. Instead, I go back to my bike and hop on it.
“This conversation is over.”
“No, it’s not. We’re not done, Torin.”
“Yeah, we are,” I correct her, my voice as cold as I can make it.
“You can’t just end us without seeing where we could go, especially because of my age. Seventeen is not so young. I’ll be eighteen soon. I’m basically old enough to get married without permission, you know.”
I shake my head immediately. There, right there, is the evidence that she’s just a kid. We made out, and she’s already bringing up marriage. Does she really look at me and see a fucking white picket fence?