Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 98643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98643 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 493(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Flynn smiled. His real smile. The one that stole my breath but in a good way.
“That’s because I never sent any of them. I would have had to really believe what I was saying in order to push that send button. I deleted them right after I wrote them.”
“Why?” My head was spinning and even though I could hear Flynn’s voice and feel his touch, it had to be a dream. I had to have been asleep on the couch in my office, my arms wound around the pillow that had become Flynn’s stand-in.
“Why,” Flynn said softly, like he was asking himself the question instead of it coming from my lips. “Because I know what death is. I know what it feels like, at least the beginning of it, anyway. And Jules, my love, my mind might have wanted to survive, but my heart wanted to live and there was only one way that was going to happen.”
Flynn kissed me again.
My love?
Had he really called me that or was I hearing things?
“Thank God I have a smart horse, a body that knows when to ignore my stupid brain, and a heart that knows who carries the other half of it and always will. For life.” His lips traveled up my tear-stained face until his mouth was by my ear. “Don’t you ever just lie down and wait to die, no matter what happens. Do you hear me?” Flynn said, his voice still soft but firm enough to know that he wasn’t asking me—he was telling me. “Even if the worst happens, we’ll live on within each other. But there’s not going to be a ‘worst’ because I’m going to take care of you just like you’re going to take care of me.”
I let out a harsh cry, frantically nodded, and managed to say “for life” before I was seeking out his lips. This time, there was no denying what Flynn’s kiss meant. It was hungry, seeking, desperate. I stroked his cheek as I kissed him back with equal fervor. When we parted, I whispered, “I love you,” against his lips.
“Love you, Jules. So fucking much.” He kissed me again. I wasn’t sure what I’d done to deserve Flynn, but I was done being stupid. Sure, I’d say and probably do stupid things throughout the rest of our lives, but I was never going to be stupid again.
Flynn climbed to his feet, taking me with him. Our mouths frantically dueled for control of the first of many kisses we’d need to have to make up for all the ones we’d missed. As each kiss became more intense, my body began to respond and before I realized what I was doing, I started to push Flynn’s jacket from his shoulders. It took BJ forcing his big head between our bodies to remind us where we were. I hadn’t even heard the roar of applause from outside the lobby doors.
Flynn and I began to laugh as we each rewarded BJ from our respective sides.
“We’re never going to get away from them,” I said.
“Who said we have to? A little press might get me out of needing to pay all these,” Flynn responded as he pulled a wad of small papers out of BJ’s saddlebag.
They were all the citations he’d gotten.
“If not, then these are all yours,” Flynn added as he handed me the citations. I dropped them to the ground.
“I can write them off as a business expense,” I said right before I wrapped my arms around Flynn and kissed him again.
“That’s right. My man has deep pockets,” Flynn murmured between kisses. “I don’t suppose you’ve got enough on you to bribe a fast food joint to stay open long enough for us to grab something to take back to your place?”
“No need,” I said as I leaned back a little. “I’ve got everything we need for smoothies in my fridge.”
Flynn sighed. “Sweetheart, we’re going to need to negotiate those smoothies, because I only managed to get them down the first time around because I wanted to get you into bed.”
“I know that. I also know that you might be able to hold out longer when we’re in that bed, but I’ve got a few more tricks up my sleeve to get my way. Do you really want to put yourself through that?”
“Will you keep sending me sexy pictures whenever I get in trouble?”
“Maybe.”
“When we have video sex, promise not to turn the camera away at the last minute.”
I pretended to think about it. “Either I keep it pointed at me and mute it or I turn it away and unmute it.”
Flynn chuckled. “You’re not going to take it easy on me, are you?”
“Not when it comes to making sure you and I are sitting in rocking chairs arguing about who’s wearing whose teeth.”