Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
It couldn’t be the sex. He couldn’t have faked that, could he? No one was that good of an actor. Every moan, every groan, every time he whispered filthy shit in my ear, like my pussy was the only thing keeping him alive—it had to be real. Right?
Right?
Jesus Christ.
What was wrong with men?
I splashed some water on my face, the chill biting against my skin and doing nothing to cool the rising frustration. My mind felt like it was running circles around itself, looking for a logical explanation in a sea of chaos.
There wasn’t one.
I wasn’t even supposed to be thinking of him or men in general. It was against the rules. Plus, right then I hated them all. Every single one of them. Except for my second-chance dad and a few uncles. Women needed an island, a safe haven where the opposite sex was banned for all eternity. We could live in peace, free from the endless headaches they caused by being fucking idiots. If we got horny? Easy. We could cuddle dildos, vibrators, or each other.
Problem solved.
I sighed, leaning closer to the mirror and brushing a stray hair out of my face.
Moose whined softly outside the door, his nails clicking against the wood as he shifted his weight.
“Almost done,” I called.
I moved away from myself and turned the shower on to full blast. The bathroom quickly filled with steam, fogging the mirror as I stripped off my clothes, having to use the wall for support. The cool air brushed against my skin. I stepped into the tub, immediately dancing away from the liner as it clung to my leg.
“So damn gross,” I laughed at myself, so I didn’t cry, swatting it back into place, and sighing as the hot water cascaded over me. The heat sank into my skin, soothing and sobering me just the tiniest bit. The faint sounds of laughter and music drifted up from downstairs, muffled through the walls.
For a moment, I let myself focus on it, grounding myself in the normalcy of my friends and their ridiculous antics.
Moose barked sharply from outside the door, pulling me from my thoughts. I froze, my hand hovering midair as I reached for shampoo.
“Moose?” I called out as if he could answer me.
There was nothing. Just silence. After a moment, I shook my head and laughed at myself. “You’re losing it,” I whispered, rubbing my temples before continuing with my shower. If it was anything serious, Moose wouldn’t just bark once and stop.
By the time I was done, the bathroom was a sauna.
I remembered then that I hadn’t thought of making sure any towels were in the room before getting into the shower. I hunted through the linen closet and managed to find a stack. “Thank God.” I pulled two out and wrapped one around my body.
I twisted the other around my wet hair, finally feeling somewhat human again. As I wiped the fog off the mirror and prepared to brush my teeth, my gaze caught on a thin gold necklace. It was draped carelessly over the soap dispenser. The light reflected off the delicate piece, drawing my attention. Frowning, I reached out and carefully picked it up.
The chain was dainty and elegant, with a small diamond-encrusted “A” pendant dangling from it. My brows furrowed as I turned it over in my fingers. It wasn’t mine. I didn’t own anything like this, and I couldn’t recall seeing it on anyone I was staying with. It wasn’t uncommon for random things to get left behind in rentals. This could have easily been overlooked. I hadn’t noticed it until then. My sluggish brain conjured up an image I didn’t want the longer I stared at it.
Amber Hughes.
She wore a pendant like this. The thought sent a bitter taste into my mouth.
I dropped the necklace back onto the counter as though it burned me, cursing under my breath as the image of her perfect tits flitted through my mind.
Why the hell would I even let my mind go there?
“Goddammit, Wilder,” I swore, the words echoing faintly in the small bathroom as I angrily swiped at my cheeks. My fingers tightened on the towel wrapped around me, a flood of anger and sadness threatening to pull me under. I hated how easily the memories could unravel me. Even here, miles away, in a house full of my closest friends, his presence still clung to me like a shadow. When did this phase end?
I took a deep breath. “Get it together,” I told myself, grabbing my toiletries and the pile of clothes I’d brought. “It’s just a necklace.”
I stepped out into the hallway and Moose greeted me with a wag of his stubby tail, but even he seemed to sense my unease.
I didn’t go back downstairs. Instead, I went straight to the room I was sharing with Cherish. I pitched my clothes aside and flopped down onto the bed. I broke my own rule, patting the space beside me when I looked over at Moose. “Come on, big guy.”