Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 93140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93140 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 466(@200wpm)___ 373(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
“Is that what you want? Space?”
“What do you want me to say, Ireland? That I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind since the day we met? That I’ve jerked off every day this week to the way you looked when you came on my tongue the other day?”
“If that’s true, then yes.”
He blew out a breath, and I pictured worry lines on his forehead while he raked a hand through his hair.
When he went quiet again, I got up and shut my office door. “Would it help if I shared, too? You aren’t alone in this. I haven’t been able to stop thinking of you either. In fact, I thought of you last night while I was in the bathtub.”
Grant’s voice was gruff. “Ireland…”
“Remember when you told me you thought you could slip your hand into my shorts while we were outside on the boat and get me off while people watched? That I basically couldn’t control myself once we started kissing?”
He grunted a yes.
“Well, I shut my eyes and imagined that. You slipped your fingers in…but since you weren’t around, I had to use my own and pretend they were yours.”
“Ireland…”
“It’s funny—the tone of my voice while I was saying your name over and over last night was about the same as yours is right now. Almost sounds painful, doesn’t it?”
“Fuck….” He let out a loud exhale.
I smiled. “Anyway, I think I interrupted a meeting when I called. I’m sure you’re really busy. I just wanted to say thank you to Santa Claus and remind you about the wedding Saturday. I’ll let you get back to work.”
Grant groaned. “You don’t really think I’m going to be able to walk back into my meeting after you just told me you masturbated while pretending your fingers were mine, do you?”
“Oh.” I giggled. “I guess it is a little easier for me to hide my arousal than you.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“If you want, I’ll stay on the phone and tell you more about my bath last night while you slip into the men’s room and take care of business.”
“As tempting as that may be, I think I’ll just take a quick walk.”
I smiled. “Okay. Well, thank you again for pulling the strings at the Building Commission.”
“No problem.”
“Have a good afternoon. Hope your meeting isn’t too hard.”
“I look forward to repaying the torture, Ireland. Very soon.”
After I hung up, I sat in my office smiling. I felt better than I had in days. Grant might not have called because he was trying to give me some space, but what he’d done to get my zoning variance told me lack of contact hadn’t stopped him from thinking about us. Not to mention, I was giddy hearing him say he’d done the same thing as I had during his shower.
I left for the day around one, which was technically the end of my workday since I started at five, though I rarely left before three. I needed to pick up my dress from the tailor for Mia’s wedding this weekend and run a bunch of errands. Since my workday ended when most people were heading to lunch, the lobby was bustling. Just as I was about to walk out, Grant’s sister Kate happened to be walking into the building.
Seeing me, she smiled. “Hey. I was going to call you. I enjoyed torturing my brother at the carnival, but I wasn’t kidding when I said I’d love to have lunch.”
I smiled. “I’d like that. When did you have in mind?”
She shrugged. “I’m just coming back from a meeting and haven’t eaten yet. Now, if you’re not heading somewhere else?”
I had a mile-long to-do list, but…I hadn’t eaten anything other than a power bar on the way to the office at four o’clock this morning. Plus, I had so many unanswered questions about Grant, and who better than his sister to shed a little light on the enigma? So, screw it. Why not? The tailor would still be open in an hour or two.
“Sure. Let’s do it.”
***
“So…my brother really likes you, I can tell,” Kate announced.
She and I had made small talk through most of lunch. I was relieved when she not-so-subtly brought our conversation around to Grant during coffee.
I smiled and lifted my cup to my lips. “I like him, too. Though sometimes he can be…”
While I was thinking of the right words—maybe difficult, hard to read, abrupt—Kate filled in the blank.
“A total jackass.”
I laughed. “Yeah, that.”
She smiled warmly. “He doesn’t often bring women around, not casually anyway. He’ll bring a date to something formal that requires one, but it’s been years since I saw him with a woman while he was dressed in a pair of jeans. It’s like women became necessary companions for social functions and, well, I’m sure for other purposes we don’t need to discuss unless you want to see my lunch all over this table. But they aren’t really a part of his life anymore.”