Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
“I made sure he picked a short story,” I told her, leaning against Owen’s dresser. “Because if not, you’d be reading to him for an hour.”
“I want you to read this one,” Owen said, handing her a book.
Stevie glanced at the cover and grinned. “Okay, Grumpy Monkey it is.”
She started to read, and I wasn’t sure who enjoyed Stevie’s narration more, my son or myself. The inflections in her voice to emulate the grumpy monkey, along with her humorous expressions, had Owen laughing and me chuckling.
When she was done, I tucked the covers around Owen, left his night-light on, and closed his bedroom door on our way out.
We walked back out to the living area. “So, you’ve just experienced a very ordinary evening in the life of me with my son.”
“It was fun,” she said, picking up her purse from the counter. “But I should go. I’ve got work in the morning.”
I nodded. I didn’t want her to leave, but I understood. Everything about the past few hours had been casual, easy, and enjoyable. It also made me realize how much I missed having the companionship of a woman in our lives on a daily basis. One who melded into our routine, instead of disrupting it as Alyssa always had.
I walked with her to the elevator, but before she could press the button I gently grabbed her wrist. She glanced at me, blinking in surprise, but I also saw the shimmer of awareness in her eyes, as if she knew why I’d stopped her.
“Hang on,” I murmured and lifted my hand, cradling the side of her face and wrapping my other arm around her waist, bringing her body flush to mine. “There’s something I’ve been dying to do since you walked in earlier.”
Placing her hands on my chest, she licked her bottom lip, anticipation flickering in her gaze. “Whatever it is, you need to keep it PG.”
“I’ll try,” I said, my voice low and husky as I dipped my head down to hers.
Seconds later, my mouth touched hers, and her lips automatically parted on a soft sigh of invitation that I took full advantage of, seeking her tongue with my own. Now that I knew what it was like to kiss her, what she tasted like, I craved this connection with her constantly and took full advantage of the fact that I had her in my arms, if only for a short amount of time.
I kept the kiss slow and hot and deep, the kind that was seductive as hell and made my dick stiffen and ache to be inside of her. Her fingers curled into my Henley, enticing sounds escaping her as she shifted her hips against mine, rubbing against my rigid cock.
Knowing I was on the verge of hoisting her over my shoulder, like the caveman she claimed me to be, and hauling her off to my bedroom where I could fuck her over the next few hours—which wasn’t a possibility with Owen in the house—I lifted my mouth from hers and reluctantly ended the kiss.
She whimpered softly, feeling the loss as profoundly as I did, and pressed her forehead to mine. “I need to go because you are much too tempting, as is this.” Her hand slid over my erection and gave it a firm squeeze.
I groaned and instinctively pushed my dick against her palm, tormenting myself with what I couldn’t have and disappointed that it would likely be my hand stroking my dick tonight, and not hers.
“You’re going to pay for that the next time we’re completely alone.”
A sinful smile tipped up the corners of her lips. “I hope so.”
I gave her a soft, chaste kiss this time, and stepped back while I still could, pressing the button to the elevator. “Good night, sweetheart.”
The doors opened, and she stepped inside, then turned around to face me, her face beautifully flushed and her lips pink and slightly swollen from our kiss. “Good night, Caleb.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Stevie
“All right, team,” Jack, one of the senior PR managers at Dare PR, said, addressing the small group sitting in the conference room, including myself. “Our main goal with PureGlow Cosmetics is to boost their brand awareness and drive engagement on social media. Their core message is all about inclusivity and natural beauty. Stevie, as content creator, what ideas have you come up with to support that?”
All eyes turned to me. This team was a small one with four of us in total, but I could still remember the first time that had happened, how intimidated and full of nerves I’d been to have more experienced strategists staring expectantly at me. But after a year at this firm and working with these people who I highly respected, and vice versa, I was much more confident in my abilities and sharing my ideas.
I had my detailed notes in front of me on the table, but I’d immersed myself in this campaign and knew my selling points by heart and didn’t need them. “We’ve discussed reaching a diverse demographic for PureGlow and I believe video content on social media is going to be huge in reaching those target groups,” I said, clasping my hands on the table and glancing at each person in turn. “TikTok, Instagram Reels, and even YouTube Shorts would be perfect for showcasing how their products work, especially in real life scenarios. People love seeing transformations or before-and-after shots. But I also think incorporating a good, emotional story will draw in potential buyers. It will also help foster relationships for PureGlow and build trust.”