Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 28678 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 115(@250wpm)___ 96(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28678 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 115(@250wpm)___ 96(@300wpm)
“Come now,” he commands.
I’m powerless to resist this man. All I need is a word from his lips, and I’ll do whatever he wants. Pleasure explodes through my body, like a firework show. Each detonation is better than the last. It goes on and on, lasting until I’m certain that I’m going to die of pleasure. Then I feel it as he comes, his sticky seed exploding inside of me. It’s dripping down my thighs and marking me.
Colt buries his head in my shoulder, pressing gentle kisses to my skin.
I run my fingers through his thick hair and clamp my lips together, so I don’t say the words I’m thinking. So I can’t tell my father’s best friend that I’m in love with him.
9
SIERRA
I never took Colt for a cuddler. Not that I’m complaining as I sit in the bathtub with his big arms wrapped around me. The warm water soothes my aching body, and he keeps pausing to press kisses to my neck and shoulders.
After we made love, he immediately ran a bath. He helped me in and disappeared for a few minutes before returning to join me. The tub is too small for his tall frame but that didn’t stop him.
I lean against his naked chest and listen to the steady thrum of his heartbeat. I wish I could tell him I love him. I don’t know if he feels the same way and I don’t want to ruin this beautiful moment between us.
“Tell me something about yourself. Do you like web design?” He nibbles on my earlobe. I love the way he can’t stop touching me.
“It’s fun and challenging. I’ve always been drawn to figuring out how websites work,” I explain. “My original plan was to graduate and move to Europe to start over.”
He stills. “Is that still the plan?”
Now that I’ve been with Colt, I’m not sure that’s what I want. But I can’t tell him this. For all I know, this is just a fling to him. The thought makes me feel like I can’t breathe. I force out a self-deprecating laugh. “Kind of lofty plans for a girl from a small town in Kentucky, huh?”
“Not at all,” he answers but something is wrong. His voice has a strange note. I can’t read him well enough to know what it means.
Maybe he’s glad that I won’t be around to annoy him. The idea is too painful for me to contemplate. I brush my fingertips along his arm, tracing higher and higher until I’m touching the burn scars. Knowing what he survived makes my heart hurt for him.
“I don’t remember it,” he says as if sensing the direction of my thoughts. “They told me that my brain is probably protecting me. All I know is I lost my family because I didn’t replace the fuckin’ batteries in my smoke detector.”
“Colt…” A tear slips down my cheek. I hate that he blames himself. I can’t imagine what it must be like to go through every day with that level of guilt and pain.
He wraps his arms around my stomach and pulls me even closer. He’s squeezing me so tight that I doubt he even realizes it. His tone is both harsh and pleading as he says, “I won’t fail again. I’ll protect you no matter what.”
“I know you will,” I whisper as I realize the truth. My grumpy cowboy is still grieving for the family he lost. I can’t replace them, and I’d never try. But is it possible for him to open up and let me in? Or will I forever be in love with a man that can’t love me back?
Hours later, I watch Colt sleep. We stayed in the tub together until the water was cold and my hands were wrinkled. We didn’t talk more about his family and I didn’t ask any questions. Just the little bit he did share was a big breakthrough.
When he carried me from the bathroom, he’d changed the sheets on the bed and put the blankets back. He even dried them, so they were fluffy and warm. He’s an amazingly thoughtful man, and I want him to keep me. But will he? Once the threat with my stepdad is over, will Colt send me on my way?
His phone beeps and I reach for it on the bedside table. I roll over to pass it to him but he’s still sleeping soundly. When I glance down, my blood runs cold. The missed call is from Albert and he left another voicemail.
I debate waking Colt but decide against it. Taking his hand, I swipe his thumb on the device. I shouldn’t snoop but this is about me.
When the phone is unlocked, I force myself from the bed and pad into the kitchen. My fingers shake as I press play on the message.