Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88841 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
He sprays me down, and then his hands are on me, rubbing the liquid along my neck and back. His touch is innocent, yet my body reacts as if it were anything but.
And then he drops to his knees and rubs the back of my calves and thighs, and I have to hold back a moan that’s threatening to come out.
He stands back up and leans into me from behind. “All done,” he murmurs, his warm breath hitting my ear and sending electric currents straight to the area between my legs.
I turn around, ready to tell him to stop messing with me, but when I do, my hands hit his chiseled chest, and our eyes lock, leaving me momentarily speechless.
“Do me?” he asks.
And because my brain is filled with some kind of sexual fog, like a dumbass, I say, “You want me to do you?”
Ryder chuckles. “As good as that sounds, I meant, can you put sunscreen on me?”
He lifts the can and shakes it while I wish the ground would open up and swallow me whole.
Since I have nothing to say that will defend what I just said, wordlessly, I take the can from Ryder and spray him down. As I’m running my hands along the ridges of his abs, I realize he could’ve done the damn front himself.
“Turn around,” I choke out, trying and failing not to be turned on by his fit body.
He does as I said, and I spray his neck and back and then rub the liquid into his naturally tanned skin. He’s smooth and flawless, not a scar or tattoo in sight.
Brian was good-looking too, my subconscious reminds me.
“All done,” I breathe, taking a step back.
“Thanks.” He turns around and smiles warmly at me. “What should we do first? Pool or lazy river?”
“River!” Violet yells.
“Yay!” Addie adds, having no idea what we’re talking about but excited nonetheless.
“Lazy river it is,” Ryder says.
We spend the day swimming and playing in the water areas, and then we have lunch brought to us by the waitress who’s assigned to our cabana. It’s the most fun Violet and I have had in a long time, and when we’re leaving and she thanks us a dozen times for bringing them, I’m glad Ryder convinced us to go.
Violet has had a bad hand dealt to her, thanks to my shitty choices, and she deserves to have some fun. Which means I’m going to have to be honest with Ryder and hope he meant it when he said we’d figure it out together. I hate the thought of putting my trust in another man, but something tells me that Ryder is different. And that trusting him won’t be a mistake.
“Addie fell asleep the second I laid her down,” Ryder says when he walks into the living room and sits on the couch across from me. “Do you think she’s ready for a bigger bed? She looks like she’s outgrowing her crib.”
“Violet was about her age when I got her a toddler bed,” I tell him, thankful for the small talk. Soon, I’m going to have to pour my heart and soul out to this man, and I’m nowhere near ready to do so. Though, to be honest, I’m not sure if I’ll ever be ready.
“I’ll have to check them out.” He lifts his leg, placing his ankle on the top of his knee, and looks at me, his hazel eyes warm and soft. “Is Violet asleep?”
“Yeah. She had a wonderful day. Thank you.”
“I did too,” Ryder says. “The truth is, since you and Violet moved in, I find myself having quite a few wonderful days.”
I swallow nervously at his admission, unsure of what to say in response. Thankfully, he continues without expecting me to say anything.
“What I insinuated earlier, regarding the doughnuts, was inappropriate,” he says, shocking the hell out of me. “I got carried away in the moment … in you,” he admits. “But that’s no excuse for what I said this morning. I shouldn’t have flirted with you. I’m your boss, and you deserve to feel safe in this home, and I promise it won’t happen again.”
His apology is filled with so much sincerity that a ball of emotion gets lodged in my throat. So many men would’ve made excuses, tried to blame the woman, but without me even asking, Ryder took full responsibility.
“I don’t want you to quit,” he says softly, remorse etched in his features, “but if you feel it’s best, I’ll pay you for the rest of your ninety days and help you find a place to live.”
“What? No.” I shake my head. “I don’t want to quit.”
If I’m honest, I might not have flirted with Ryder, but I’ve checked him out and fantasized about him. The only difference between the two of us was that he voiced his attraction by flirting.