Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 97199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
He pats his left shoulder. “I understand.”
I smile because I know I left a mark on his skin when I dug my teeth into him. I’ve never done that with a man before, and it wasn’t intentional. I was completely caught in the moment, and it felt right. It felt good. It all felt so good.
“What about if I buy you dinner instead?” he offers. “There are no expectations for what comes after dinner. We can head our separate ways if you need to sleep.”
I should say no. There is no reason for me to say yes. I need to forget him and his perfect smile, and hands, and his cock. I really need to stop thinking about his cock.
“A quick dinner can’t hurt,” I blurt out even though it can.
It can hurt my heart because it’s cracking open in a way it hasn’t in a long time, and that’s the last thing I need.
“It’s early, but we can grab a bite now,” he suggests. “What are you in the mood for?”
I stare at his face, giving the simple question way too much consideration.
“How do you feel about beef roulade?” he asks.
“I’ve never had it.”
“I know the perfect place for you to try it,” he says.
A short dinner in public can’t hurt. I need to view it as a final farewell to the most amazing man I’ve ever met.
I gesture toward the street. “Lead the way.”
He takes one step closer to me to touch my lip again. “Once you have your first taste, you’ll never stop craving it.”
I have no idea if he’s talking about the food or him, but his finger on my lip is enough to send me back a few steps.
His smile fades as he looks into my eyes. “Last night was incredible, Opal. If I haven’t told you that, I am now.”
I want to parrot those words back, but all I do is stare at him, studying the intensity in his gaze.
“We can hop in a cab.” He gestures toward the corner. “We’ll have a better chance of flagging one down over there.”
I set off in that direction after burying my hands in the front pockets of my jeans. Holding his hand would be a treat in itself, but it would make all of this even more unbearable.
I can’t fall in love again. My heart can’t take the risk, even if the reward could be a future with William.
41
William
I fucked up. Obviously, I screwed something up in a major way because Opal is not making eye contact with me, and before we arrived at Lise, she kept her distance.
After we waited no more than three minutes for an available cab to pass by us, she suggested we hop on the subway. I was all in because the train is an adventure in and of itself.
I pictured the two of us sitting next to each other, thighs touching, heat rising. Call it a prelude to foreplay, but I imagined we’d end up kissing, and then with a knowing look exchanged between us, we’d bolt off of the train at the next stop, head to Brooklyn in a rideshare, and fuck each other senseless.
Big dreams lead to deep disappointment. As soon as we were seated on a bench on the train, Opal darted up to offer her seat to a man who looked like he was fine to stand on his own two feet.
I followed her lead, and by the time I grabbed hold of a pole to maintain my balance as the train started its journey, Opal’s hand was wrapped around another a few feet from where I was.
Now, we’re at a table in Lise, and she’s chatting up Annalise as if they’re old friends. They’re not since I’m the one who introduced them to each other five minutes ago.
“I need to get back to the kitchen,” Annalise finally draws the conversation to a close. “I’ll be at Turquoise Crown sometime during opening week because board games and beer sounds like a slice of heaven.”
“There’s a slogan in there somewhere,” Opal says with a wide smile. “I may steal that for promotional purposes.”
Annalise nods. “Steal away. I’ll put your orders in and send someone over with the wine.”
The wine is a bottle of the best red Lise stocks. I know Opal is a fan, so I’ll do whatever I can to make this dinner special.
Once Annalise takes her leave, Opal turns her attention back to me.
I stare at her face. “You look beautiful today.”
Her hand darts up so the tip of her finger can rest against her lip. “Even with this?”
I’d reach across the table to trace the bruise with my finger, but I can’t risk it. Something tells me she’ll retreat until she’s out of my touch, and that would sting. It would really fucking sting.
I lean both elbows on the table and tap a fingertip to my chin as I outright stare at her. “You’re the most breathtaking woman to ever to grace this planet. That stands and always will with or without a bruise on your lip.”