Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 81584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
I pushed myself up on my elbow. “You’re not wearing your cut,” I blurted.
“Just noticed?”
“Why aren’t you wearing it? I thought that was a rule or something.”
“It’s in my bags,” he replied calmly.
“Won’t you get in trouble?” I asked, dropping back onto the bed as he rose.
“Nope.”
“Thanks for the clarification,” I said in exasperation.
“Welcome.”
I threw a pillow at him. He caught it and tossed it back. “I’m gonna hop in the shower. You need anything before I do?”
“No.” I pulled the blankets up to my shoulder. “I’m good.”
He disappeared into the bathroom, and I rolled to my back, grabbing my phone from the table between the beds to text Lou that we were stopped for the night and all was well. Then I stared at the ceiling. I was in a motel with Gray in some minuscule town in southern Oregon. If someone had asked me that morning, it would’ve been the last place I’d anticipated.
I was crazy about the guy. Even when he gave one-word answers. Even when he saw through my bullshit—especially then. I liked everything about him, and it was slightly terrifying because it felt like I was holding my breath, waiting for the things I wouldn’t like.
My lips still felt tender after that kiss in the hot spring.
“Thought you’d be asleep,” Gray said quietly as he came out of the bathroom in a towel.
I watched wide-eyed as he strode over to the coffee table to grab his boxers. His olive skin was still slick with water, and it was a struggle to keep my mouth closed as a drop rolled down the center of his back, bisecting the large tattoo.
“No such luck,” I croaked as he headed back to the bathroom.
He let out a huff of laughter as he closed the door.
I stared at that fucking door until he came back out. Honestly, I wasn’t sure why he’d bothered to go in there because when he appeared again, he was wearing nothing but a pair of snug black boxer briefs.
After turning off all the lights except the one next to his bed and grabbing something from his pile of clothes, Gray walked over to his bed and climbed in, pulling the blankets to his waist. I traced the tattoos on his chest and arms with my eyes. There was a quote written across his ribs on the left side. A large lily on his chest. A harp on the inside of his bicep. Some kind of text above his belly button—it looked handwritten. The outlines of trees—like you were looking at them at night—from the bend of his elbow to his shoulder.
“You’re starin’,” he said after a while, looking up from his book.
“I was not.”
He looked back at his book. “Sleep.”
“I can’t,” I mumbled, rolling to my back.
“You need me to turn the light off?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“If you don’t sleep, you’re gonna be wrecked tomorrow.”
“Do you have any weed?” I asked, trying not to grimace. “It’s usually the only thing that helps.”
“Not on me.”
“Shit.”
“Can’t say it’s been workin’ anyway,” he said, setting the book aside. “When’s the last time you got a full night of sleep?”
“Not sure.” I sighed. “How the hell did I get myself into such a fucking mess?”
“None of that,” he ordered. “Shit happens.”
“I can’t fucking stand him,” I mumbled, pressing my heels into my eye sockets. “The craziest thing about this whole situation?” I dropped my hands and shoved myself up, turning toward Gray. “I didn’t even like him that much in the beginning. But he was there, and I needed a dist—”
My mouth slammed shut as I realized what I was about to say.
“You needed what?” he asked, watching me.
“I was bored,” I replied.
“You needed what?” he asked again.
“A distraction,” I spat, rolling my eyes as I yanked the blankets around my waist.
He was out of bed and leaning over me in a second, his eyes searching my face. “A distraction from what, Francesca?”
“You know what,” I shot back, lifting my chin. If he didn’t want to let it go, I wasn’t going to lie about it. I’d lied enough in the past couple of months.
“You got with that motherfucker to distract you from me?”
I glared at him. He already knew the answer, or he wouldn’t have asked the question.
“How’d that work out for you?” he muttered, his mouth landing on mine half a heartbeat later.
I fisted my hands in his hair, everything inside me saying yes, this is it. This is what you’ve been searching for. There he is.
“All you had to do was say somethin’,” he said quietly, yanking my tank top over my head.
“Yeah, right,” I argued, pressing my lips against his Adam’s apple. What we were doing was probably a supremely bad idea, but I couldn’t imagine stopping.
“Couldn’t fuckin’ stay away from you.” He gently pushed me back onto the bed, his mouth trailing down my chest. “Tried.”