Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 58952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 295(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Unable to resist this woman and what she wanted, Chase grabbed another condom and that’s how they started their day, with a slow, lazy, unhurried morning fuck and mutual orgasms, following by a long, hot shower together. Then, breakfast down in the dining room, where they ate an array of freshly cooked dishes and chatted with another couple who were staying at the inn while visiting friends who lived in Fairview. They weren’t anyone that Lauren already knew, but she was so friendly, and he loved watching how easily she engaged in conversation while he enjoyed a second cup of coffee.
Once the couple left the dining table and it was just the two of them, and they were finished with breakfast, she turned toward him.
“So, we’ve got most of the day to ourselves,” she said, putting her napkin on her empty plate. “How about I show you the main part of town?”
He tipped his head and absently tapped his fingers on the table. “You don’t have any wedding-related things you need to do or help with?”
She shook her head, and though she smiled as if it didn’t matter, there was no missing the quick flicker of sadness in her eyes before it was gone. “I’m not part of the bridal party, so I’m off the hook.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, meaning it. “As Ashley’s sister, you should be.”
She shrugged. “Too awkward, and it’s fine,” she insisted, brushing it off, though he could tell not being included hurt despite her bravado. “All you and I need to do is show up later this afternoon for the wedding ceremony and reception. And since we have the next few hours free, we can stroll around Fairview’s equivalent of Main Street and relax and just enjoy the day. It’s not far from here, so we can walk.”
“Okay,” he said, genuinely curious to know more about this small town where Lauren was born and raised.
They left the bed-and-breakfast, and side by side they walked leisurely along the sidewalk that led into the heart of Fairview. Their hands brushed once, then twice, just because of their close proximity, and when it happened a third time Chase slipped his hand into hers and took hold of it.
She blinked up at him in surprise, even as she curled her fingers around his. “Look at you, being the attentive, demonstrative boyfriend,” she teased with a smile. “You almost make it hard to remember the grumpy guy I bought at the bachelor auction.”
He inwardly winced at the reminder of how gruff and difficult he’d been with her that first night, which somehow seemed like a lifetime ago. When he was with Lauren, he didn’t feel like that same cantankerous, standoffish man. How could he be when she was always so upbeat and optimistic?
He didn’t want to make a quip about holding her hand for appearances’ sake and minimize the truth of how he felt about her in that moment. “I like holding your hand.”
She laughed lightly and ducked her head so he couldn’t see her face. “You shouldn’t say things like that, or else you’re going to make me fall for you, for real.”
Her tone was teasing, but there was a little voice in the back of Chase’s head that reminded him he still needed to be careful with Lauren and her emotions. That at the end of this weekend, they’d both go back to their separate lives. The last thing he wanted to do was lead her on, or give her false hope, because there was one thing he knew about himself, and that was his inability to be the kind of fully committed man Lauren was worthy of. A man who could give all of himself to her.
He didn’t know shit about love, not when he’d seen and lived the worst of it.
As they reached the small but bustling center of town, Chase shoved those thoughts from his mind as Lauren started regaling him with all the different connections she had to the various landmarks. From the hardware store where she had her first job as a cashier to the bowling alley and small theater where all the teens hung out on the weekends because there wasn’t much else to do.
Over the next few hours, they meandered through her favorite antique shop and perused the used bookstore, where he found and purchased a few history books on the Civil War to add to his collection at home. As they made their way down the main street and browsed other specialty boutiques, Lauren introduced him to people she knew that stopped her to say hello. A few mentioned Ashley’s wedding that evening, and there were a lot of speculative glances cast their way from across the streets, all of which made him feel protective of Lauren and strangely possessive, but for the most part everyone they spoke with was very welcoming and kind.