Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 140184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 701(@200wpm)___ 561(@250wpm)___ 467(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140184 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 701(@200wpm)___ 561(@250wpm)___ 467(@300wpm)
A bit guiltily, she glances back at the guy she’d been sitting with. “I was just…” She trails off, unsure what to say. She knows I must have been watching her.
I don’t make her explain herself. I’m not surprised some kid she works with likes to flirt with her. I’m a little surprised it annoys me so much.
Cognizant of the little asshole likely still watching her, I plant a hand on her waist and cradle the back of her head with the other, pulling her in and leaning down to kiss her in one fluid movement.
She sighs against my lips as she kisses me back, the tension easing out of her body as she winds her arms around my neck and leans against me.
There we go.
Her eyes sparkle beneath the streetlight as she pulls back to look up at me. “Well, this was a very nice surprise.”
I smirk, stroking her cheek with the pad of my thumb. “This isn’t the surprise.” I nod toward her car. “Will that be okay to park here overnight, or should we drop it off at your place?”
“Um…” She looks back at her car, debating. “It will probably be okay. It’s not worth stealing or breaking into.” Looking back up at me, she asks, “Why don’t I just take it to your place like usual, though?”
“We can if you want to. We’re not spending the night there, but I suppose I can take you back to my house in the morning to get your car. I was just going to drop you off here on my way home, give you a night away from my place altogether.”
Her gaze drops to my chest. I’m wearing a wool coat, and she plays with the lapels absently, her lips a bit pouty. “I like being at your place, though.”
“And I like you being there,” I assure her. “But Jonathan is hanging around a lot right now. I figured we would have a more peaceful night without him.”
She doesn’t argue that or address him at all, she just looks up at me, her gaze so trusting, I stroke her jaw again to let her feel my approval. “So, where are we going?”
I like knowing she’ll follow me anywhere. I kiss her, then I say, “Let’s head to my house to drop off your car, and then you’ll find out.”
Kennedy beams me a smile, and I can’t resist kissing her one more time before I let her go to her car. Before I go back to the driver’s side of my Cadillac, I shoot a look at the kid still skulking on the walkway beside the building.
Logically, I know it’s probably not even worth our time, but something else tells me I should ask about him, anyway.
It might just be an irrational possessive urge.
I put it away for now.
Once we’ve dropped Kennedy’s car off at my house, she joins me in the passenger seat. I can tell she’s excited, but I don’t tell her what we’re doing until we get there.
“The mall?” she questions.
“This is just the first stop. I figured if I’m going to take you out to a nice dinner, you should probably have a new outfit to change into.”
“A nice dinner, huh?” she teases before getting out of the car. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that sounds like a date.”
I walk over and take her hand. “That’s because it is a date.”
She looks over, surprised. “It is?”
I nod.
“Like… an official one?”
I crack a smile. “I didn’t get paperwork notarized or anything, but yes, it’s pretty official.”
“But I thought… When you thought Jet liked me…”
My spine straightens at what she isn’t saying.
We may be in the clear with Jet, but it’s pretty clear now that Jonathan has sexual interest in her.
I know what she doesn’t yet, though. She’s young, gorgeous, fun, an all-around lovely person to spend time with. I’m well aware she will attract admirers who see the same things I saw in her from time to time. That’s inevitable, and I’m a realist.
As I am no longer a young asshole with more testosterone than common sense, I’m not going to let that stand in my way.
Without acknowledging that my son wants to fuck her, I say, “Things were different then. I had to move carefully if I risked crippling the confidence of my sensitive, younger son going after the first girl he’s ever really shown an interest in. This isn’t that.”
She seems to take my meaning, even if neither of us wants to directly address it. She nods her understanding and gives my hand a squeeze. “Okay, good.”
She flashes me a smile, and we move on.
I brought her for a new dress, but Kennedy enjoys shopping and so rarely gets to do it, we end up off course, buying soaps and glittery hand sanitizers. Then her attention catches on a beachy-smelling rollerball perfume that boasts being eco-friendly, vegan, and cruelty-free.