Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 29255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 146(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
“This is me,” she says when we get to her door.
She introduces me to the doorman and we take the elevator up. I think Elvis would be happy to get down, but I don’t want our time to end. When we get to her floor she unlocks the door and I put Elvis down. He immediately runs inside and over to a nearby couch, but Caroline stands in the doorway, not inviting me in.
“Is Gia home?” I ask, and Carolina shakes her head.
“She’s got class until late today. I’m just going to drop Elvis off and shower before my next round of pups.”
A flash of her body, naked and soapy, enters my mind and I have to swallow the lump in my throat. She’s so fucking gorgeous that it almost hurts to look at her full on like this.
“I’d invite you in, but I’m not supposed to bring strangers home,” she says, and there she goes again biting that damn lip. “Gia’s rules, not mine.”
I hold out my hand and after a beat she slides hers into it. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you,” she says as she looks up at me through her lashes.
I can’t help myself as I lean down close until we’re a breath apart. “Now we’re not strangers,” I say just before I softly touch my lips to hers.
One might not even call it a kiss it’s so light and quick, but it’s enough to satiate the beast inside me for now.
“I’ll see you in the morning?” I say as I reluctantly let go of her hand and take a step back. Needing to see her again.
She nods slightly as she brings her fingers to her mouth and touches her lips. I stand there and wait as she shuts the door and then I walk away when I hear her lock the door.
I smile to myself when I think that just today I was hoping I’d find my passion.
5
Caroline
“And then he just kissed you and left?” Gia asks with wide eyes.
“Yep,” I say. I take a bite of my cereal and fix a cup of coffee.
“And now he’s coming back this morning?” She is so over the top about this that it makes me giggle.
“He told me he wanted to see how someone my size could walk all the dogs at once.” I shrug because I thought it was kind of sweet.
“I can’t believe you showed a stranger where you live.” She begins to pace and I’m pretty sure at this point she’s talking to herself. “But he did carry Elvis four blocks and that’s not an easy feat.” She turns and paces the other way as she thinks some more. “He didn’t try to rape and murder you the second you met, so that could be a good sign. But maybe he’s coming back today to finish the job.”
“Gia?” I say, and she pauses to look up at me.
“Well, it’s settled. I have to be here when he comes this morning to make sure you don’t die. I hope you’re happy.”
I shake my head and leave to get ready. When I come out she’s on the couch with Elvis. I already took him on a quick walk this morning, so he’s going to stay home. Gia doesn't have classes until ten, so she normally slops it up on the couch until Marco comes to get her.
“Are we going to talk about your text yesterday asking about giving it up to him?” I raise an eyebrow at her and she shrugs.
“It hasn’t happened yet. I just wanted to take a vote before I made my decision.”
“When’s the big day?”
“I guess if you don’t get murdered I’ll tell you,” she says, trying to change the subject.
I know that she’s nervous about giving it up to Marco. She’s afraid that by some insane chance he’s going to get her cherry and disappear. But that guy would crawl across the earth just to be at her side.
Before I can respond to her, there’s a knock at the door and suddenly I’m filled with birds instead of butterflies. They’re flapping their wings like mad as I answer the door and see Aiden standing there.
“I see you dressed the part today,” I say, using the excuse of his clothes to take him all in. He’s wearing jeans and a polo shirt with sneakers.
“You look beautiful,” he says without taking his eyes off mine.
I’m wearing jeans and a tank top but I suddenly feel naked. Maybe I’m exposing too much skin because it’s like I can feel his hands on me even though we’re feet apart.
“So this is the guy,” Gia says, walking up behind me.
“This is the guy,” I repeat, and to Aiden’s credit he holds out his hands and does a turn in the hallway so that we get a full look at him.