Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46792 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 187(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
With only a quick snack bar break for Sweet Tarts and drinks, we skate in circles until open skate ends at 9:00 p.m., playing a game of Skee-Ball before we turn in our skates and walk back to his Bronco.
“Thank you for planning tonight,” I tell him on the drive back to my house. “It was so much fun.”
He looks over at me and takes my hand, smiling. “Good. I had a great time, too.”
When he pulls into my driveway, I try to calm my pounding heart as I think about whether I should invite him in.
This is Rowan. It’s not some guy I just met. And we had an amazing date. Of course I should invite him in.
“Do you want to come in for a drink?” I ask.
“Yeah, for sure.”
He parks the car and we both get out. I’m so out of practice with dating, but this whole night with him has felt natural. Still, I have to remind myself that I’m not the same woman I was before my year away from dating. I’m stronger now and wiser, too.
When I scan the contents of my fridge, I kick myself for not getting any adult drinks.
“I have milk, orange juice, Diet Coke and juice boxes.”
Rowan smiles from the couch. “Water would be great.”
“Your place looks great.” He looks around the living room as I approach with two glasses of water. “Can’t believe you’re already this unpacked and organized.”
“The boys have helped a lot. They’re having a contest to see who can unpack the most boxes. It’s total chaos some evenings.”
He sets his glass on the side table and sits forward on the couch. I can feel the moment coming, so I set my glass down, too.
Rowan scoots closer, cupping my cheek as he leans in to kiss me. Finally we get to pick up where we left off at the costume party.
He slides a hand around my neck and I put a hand on his shoulder, which is rock hard with muscle.
I can’t believe I resisted this man for almost an entire year. My pulse pounds as he reminds me what an amazing kisser he is. When he moves his mouth to my neck, I gasp and moan at the same time.
It’s been so long since I had this kind of trust with a man—much longer than a year. I know I’m safe with Rowan. Not only would he never threaten me the way Jake did, he’d protect me from anyone who did.
My whole body and soul tell me to go all in with him. Give him as much as he wants.
I climb onto his lap, bringing out a low groan of satisfaction from his chest as I straddle him. He grips my waist, then slides his hands down to cup my ass.
“You are so damn sexy,” he rumbles as he pulls me tight against him.
I feel his erection pressing into me. It’s absolute heaven knowing I have this effect on him.
He slides his hands up and grabs my sweatshirt, sweeping it up and off over my head in a fluid motion. I inhale sharply as cool air hits my bare skin.
When he kisses me again, he puts one hand on the back of my neck and the other on my ass, bringing me so close I can feel the heat of him. He kisses me deeply until I have to pull away for air, dizzy with need for him.
“Bedroom,” he says.
I almost agree; my body and soul still completely in, but my head makes me pause for a second.
“What do you want?” I ask softly against his lips.
“I want you, Cam. All of you. I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you.”
I kiss him softly, wishing my head would stop interrupting our bliss. “But after tonight...I mean...what do you want?”
He traces a fingertip down my spine. “I want to see you again. And again. And again.”
My stupid brain won’t let it go. “Will you...I mean, are you...seeing anyone else?”
“No.”
I swallow hard. “I want this, too. But I need to know that there won’t be anyone else.”
A couple seconds of thick, uncomfortable silence pass before he speaks. “You mean you want us to be in a relationship?”
My heart and my head are in a battle, my heart telling my head to shut the fuck up. But I’ve done a lot of thinking and growing in the past year, and I’m not letting my heart make all my decisions anymore.
I sit back so I can look him in the eye. “I guess what I mean is...I don’t want to have sex outside of a relationship anymore. I want it to mean something. I need it to be something...different than it was before.”
A flicker of annoyance passes over his face. “Right, but...isn’t sexual compatibility a deciding factor for whether you want to be in a relationship?”