Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36007 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36007 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
“Can—”
“We cut the sandwiches in half and swap? Yes, I already told them to plate it that way,” she says with a smug smile before taking a sip of her pink lemonade. “Now spill it.”
“I’m not trying to stall, I'm just hungry.”
“Why? You been doing things that have you working up an appetite?” She wiggles her eyebrows at me, making me laugh. “You’re not denying it! Oh my God. Did you consummate your marriage?” Her eyes go wide with shock.
“No!” I hissed. “Can you bring it down a notch?”
“Sorry.” She fights a laugh. No, we haven’t consummated anything, but he had his fingers inside of me, which I think might have been covered in his release. I’m not sure what that qualifies as.
I start from the ride back to the place that is now my home. When I left Charleston, that building hadn’t been here, which makes it less than a year old. Rae hangs on my every word. I know she wants to hit me with questions, but she presses her lips together tightly and takes it all in first. I only pause when one of the other waitresses drops off our food for us.
“And here I am having lunch with you and complaining about a text that bothers me for some reason.”
Rae blows out a long breath. Now it’s her that doesn’t know where to start. “This relationship is at warp speed.”
“It’s not supposed to be a relationship,” I remind her. “This is a business deal.” I grab the bottle of ketchup.
“Okay, so he said he wanted to share a bed because he wants this to look real. That his mom pops in all the time, which is clearly true. He also said he doesn’t want you dating anyone, which we talked about yesterday. What if he is cutting off whatever he was doing before now and is just going to have sex with you? I mean, it’s convenient, and you two clearly have chemistry that’s off the charts.”
“I guess. I hate hearing you say I’m like fulfilling his sexual needs that someone else may or may not have been taking care of.”
“I know. I’m sorry, babe.” She takes one of her onion rings and puts it on my plate, giving me an extra one.
“Honestly, I thought the conversation was going to come up that this might be a bad idea. To mix these things.”
“But not from you.”
“You know, for a second, I thought it, but then it was so intense. I’ve never had this rush of feelings for someone, and I didn’t want to shut it down, so I was going to let it play out,” I admit.
“Really?” Rae's eyes go all soft. She’s turning into the same mush ball we both can turn into when we talk about books.
“The text threw me off, along with him going to work today. I know he’s work-obsessed, but it kind of stung. If you ask me, it looks strange to go to work the day after you get married.”
“Good point.” Rae shoves a ketchup-covered fry into her mouth.
“He’s not in a rush to get home, either. Maybe I’m just getting things confused in my head.”
“It’s 'cause we’re romance girls at heart. Flings and scratching an itch will never be us. We equate anything deeper than a kiss to love or the possibility of it growing into love.”
“You’re so right.” It’s not only the romance books. It’s the lack of love in our lives as a whole growing up. Someone tries to show you some, and you either freak out and run or cling to it.
“You might need to have that talk, JJ. Before you get your heart crushed.” I know she’s right.
“Then what? We stop and he goes back to screwing whoever he was but comes back home to sleep in bed next to me? Will my crush go away somehow? I mean...” I lean in so only she can hear me. She does the same. “He’s done something to me. When I saw his text, one of my first thoughts was I’m not going to get off tonight. He’s made me horny, and now I want orgasms. Ones only he can give me. Not the lame ones I give myself.”
“They’re different?” I nod my head. “Like really different?”
“You have no freaking idea.”
“Damn.” She drops back in her seat. “What does stand out to me, though—and I’m not trying to give false hope or anything—is his jealousy. The way you said he was with the movers and I don’t know if you realized it, but he didn’t want Travis hugging you yesterday. Plus the whole dating thing in that contract was in giant bold letters. He’s clearly possessive of you.”
“He actually told me that. I told him he’s bossy, and he said he is but he’s more possessive.”
“Like in a general I don’t share my toys kind of way?”