Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 71565 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71565 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
He pats his abs, clearly on display since all he’s wearing is a pair of grey sweatpants, and the movement distracts me. “I’ve gotta stay fit to keep up with my younger girlfriend.”
“Do you typically date younger women?” I’m curious.
“No,” he says, then pops a grape into his mouth. “I haven’t dated a student since I was a student, I can tell you that much.”
“Why does my brother want you to stay away from me?”
“Eric?” he says, as if I have more than one brother. He looks confused by my question for a second then nods. “Look, Eric and Finn are four years younger than I am. They grew up asking me for advice. They got all their best moves from me. Hell, those little shits used to listen through the walls when I brought my high-school girlfriend up to my room—”
“Eww!” I plug my ears. “La, la, la, stop talking. I do not want to know any of this about my brother.”
He stops and smiles, a dimple flashing in his cheek, mirth lighting up his eyes. “I’ll talk to Eric.”
I shoot him a look to kill and he clarifies.
“I’ll talk to Eric and tell him how much I like you, platonically. I’ll tell him how much I enjoy you, and make sure he understands I’m not using you for mind-blowing sex. It’s just a bonus.”
I shake my head. I am never winning this. “Can we be done talking now?”
“Why? Did you want to have more of the mind-blowing sex?”
“No, I’m too sore.” I shift my bottom on the bed and cross my legs.
“Really?” His face flashes a look of surprise and he eyes me up and down. “Fuck, that’s hot.”
I ignore him and shove a piece of pancake into my mouth.
“So my performance put your worries to rest?” His lips twist in amusement.
I blink for a moment before all of my fears from the night before come flashing back to me. I have to force myself to swallow the pancake because I’m already laughing. “I was genuinely getting myself worked up,” I agree, and I snort, I’m laughing so hard. Then I cover my mouth, the snort so funny to me tears leak from my eyes.
His head is tilted in fascination, watching me laugh.
“Yes, you’re good at the sex,” I say, composing myself. “I was worried,” I admit, “you’re too good to be true.”
Concern flickers across his eyes and he frowns, looking away. “There is something I should tell you.”
My eyes widen to saucers. I knew it. My mind races with possibilities—drugs? Arrest record? Wife?—before I spit out an apprehensive, “What?”
“The thing is,” he starts, dragging his eyes back to mine, “depending on the market, I’m not technically a billionaire. Most days my net worth is still in the millionaire category.”
“Oh, my God. You’re an idiot.” I groan and laugh, flopping back onto the bed.
“Honestly, the money is a hassle most of the time.”
“A hassle?”
“Draws more attention than I’m interested in, truthfully.” He rubs his forehead. “Investors, media, security.” He drops his hand. “I’m not interested in being a Wikipedia page, you know?”
I nod. I can understand that.
“And my future children, I already wonder if I’m going to have to send them to the playground with security. Shit, I know I will. They’ll be worth too much. Do you want children, Everly?”
“I do,” I say carefully. “Of course I do. But I’m twenty-two. I want them in the future, and not the three- to five-year future, but the five- to seven-year future. I want to be settled first.”
“Settled how?”
I take a sip of soda and think about how to explain it. “I want to be married for one. I want a wedding that is about us as a couple, and not timed around a baby bump.”
He nods for me to continue.
“My parents are really happy, you know? And I want that for my children. I want to bring them into a secure relationship and I know there are no guarantees in life, I do. But I can make the right choices now to set the odds in my favor. Most of my friends’ parents were divorced or miserable. Everyone had all these half-siblings and step-siblings and depending on custody weekends, sometimes the only time they saw each other was at school. It was hard.”
“Life isn’t always that neat, Everly.”
“I know. I do. But I can at least try to get it right.”
“We will,” he says, then stands and carries the breakfast tray out of the bedroom. I flop back and stare at the tray ceiling over the bed while I mull over his words. We will. I hear the water start in the adjoining bath, and then he’s back asking if I’m ready for a shower.
“Nice place you’ve got here, by the way.”
He looks around, shrugs. “It’s convenient.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t be one of those girls.”