Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 40128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 201(@200wpm)___ 161(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 201(@200wpm)___ 161(@250wpm)___ 134(@300wpm)
“You what?” I shove at his chest, but he’s so strong it takes his willingness to let me go before I break free. He stands in front of the door, so I stomp my foot.
“What was I going to do? Let my future wife go around dating boys that would take orders from me?”
I pace back and forth in the small storefront, trying to process what he said. I’ve been hit on since I was young, but it never happened more than once. The boy never did it again and would never look my way. “Are you serious?”
“As a motherfucking heart attack.”
“For how long?”
“Longer than I care to admit. You’re one gorgeous woman, and the male species realizes it.”
“You don’t want to want me?”
“Sweetheart, I’m not ashamed to want you. I’m pissed that I can’t claim you to the world yet. The day you turn eighteen is the day I can shout it out to everyone.”
“So, until then, you’re kissing and banging whoever you please.”
“Melanie, I’ve been forever faithful to you,” he swears. With a possessive stare, he stalks toward me until there isn’t an inch of space between us. “You want a kiss? I’ll give you one. I can’t promise it will be good, but we might as well start somewhere.” His mouth slams down on mine, slanting his lips and brushing them over my mouth. It only takes a moment for me to react, and react I do. My hand delves into his hair, tugging as I deepen our kiss. My leg raises, and I gasp when he lifts and cuffs his hand under my knee. The center of him grinds on me as he rolls his pelvis on mine.
“Will,” I pant. His other hand goes to my sweater, lifting it until he’s cupping my breast. I cry out from the new sensation, grinding on him even harder. My hand reaches down and I grab his belt buckle, but he swiftly pulls back and releases me.
He sets me on my feet and presses his forehead to mine. “Melanie. Fuck. No. No.” If I didn’t know better by his harsh breathing and racing heart, I’d think he didn’t want this. “We can’t do this. I’ve crossed the line, baby girl. You’re too damn young for me, and I should hold back a little longer.”
I caress his cheek, running my hand along his strong, smooth jaw. He lifts his intense gaze on me, and there’s the dark passion in it again. With a growling, “Mine,” his mouth dominates me again. My back slams against the wall, shaking the clock, but nothing matters since I need him. I tugged his shirt out of his jeans, running my hand over his lower back.
“We have to stop.”
“No,” I insist, continuing to ache for more of him and whatever he’s doing to me. The keys in the door draw our attention.
“Get the fuck out of here,” he snarls at the door. The person steps back and the keys stop jingling.
“Son, you better fix yourself because I’ll be in there in one minute where I will expect an apology.”
“Mom, oh my goodness. One moment.” He slams his eyes shut while I nearly turn completely red and want to disappear into the ground.
He stares at me and fixes my top, which thankfully wasn’t out of place like the first time. I’m more emotionally disheveled than physically. Will turns away from me as he tucks his shirt in and then walks to the door. “Sorry about that, Mom. I thought Ranger was coming in this morning.”
“He asked me to open for him. He had an errand to run in Dallas.”
“That fucking prick did it on purpose.” Will’s hands flex in anger. “I’m going to beat his ass for setting me up.”
“Don’t dare fight with your brother. If he had gotten a peek at your woman, how would you have felt?”
“You saw something?” Oh God. Could this get any more embarrassing?
She shakes her head and gives me a gentle, apologetic smile. Then she glares at her son. “No, but would I have? She’s not eighteen, William Garrett Steele.” She presses her finger into his chest.
“No, but we started to get carried away.”
“Exactly, and you know better than that.”
“I know,” Will says, sounding completely defeated.
As wrong as it was on his part, I’m just as guilty. “I should go,” I say, finally gaining the courage to speak.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Mrs. Steele says, coming up to me. “That was rude of me. I’m just so used to being a mother. I won’t say a word about this, but I want you both to take care about being alone together.”
“It won’t happen again,” Will says.
“It won’t. I promise.” I reach for the clasp on my necklace, and Will immediately stops me.
“Perfect—what you came here for. I’d forgotten.” Pulling the necklace from the top of the glass case, Will switches the charm on it and then slides behind me. When he sets it over my head, I lift my hair. He lets out a low growl under his breath, leans down, and whispers, “If only we were alone, I’d kiss this beautiful neck.”