Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86068 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“Now, if you want to admit that the ‘just once’ stipulation isn’t going to fly, I’m more than happy to amend the rules.”
I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up from my chest. “Oh, really? You think I’m hooked after one time?”
He leans closer, brushing a strand of hair from my face, and I feel the warmth radiate through me all over again. “I don’t think so. I know.”
I roll my eyes, but the corners of my mouth twitch into a smile I can’t hide. “You smug bastard,” I mutter, but my voice has a soft, breathless edge to it.
“Oh how you like it,” he counters, his tone low, teasing, a hand tracing lazily along my arm.
“Maybe,” I concede.
The silence that follows is comfortable, intimate, charged. I’m still catching my breath, still feeling the aftershocks, and I can’t stop thinking about the novelty of it — the way it made me feel alive in a way I didn’t know that I could feel alive. I feel powerful, desirable, dangerous even, and I realize he’s right. I do want more. Not just more with him, but more for me. More experiences, more exploration, more of life outside the small, safe bubble I created around George and me.
I know this thing with Rhett will burn out. All passion fizzles out. It’s the nature of lust and desire. You want a thing so badly you think you’ll die if you don’t have it, then you get it, and it’s not so important anymore. Then you start to chase the next thing as if you’ll die if you don’t have that new thing. But George. He’s not an urge or an ache. He’s the real thing. He’s the warm fire you come back to when the temporary cravings are gone.
“You know,” I begin, hesitating slightly because it feels bold. “Maybe we should extend our arrangement a little. How about we end it when we leave New York?”
He arches an eyebrow, that grin that’s both infuriating and irresistible curling at his lips. “Is that your way of telling me you want to keep having more uncomplicated sex?”
I nod, trying to keep my tone casual, though my pulse is hammering. This is raw. This is thrilling. It’s not boring. Not dependable. And this is mine to explore, to savor, and to control.
“Exactly. No feelings, just fun. For both of us. We’ll go back to being friends when we return to London.”
He leans back slightly, his eyes glittering with amusement, and I see the way his jaw tightens just a fraction. There’s something in his expression, a mix of desire, calculation, and genuine delight, and it makes me shiver.
“Friends?” he murmurs.
“Yes, we are friends, aren’t we?” I confirm firmly.
“Sure,” he says smoothly. “We can be friends with benefits, but in the interest of full disclosure, I should warn you, Miss Fairfax, you’re going to end up falling in love with me.”
I lie back against the pillows and laugh at his arrogance. “You’re insufferable.”
“Insufferable, but correct,” he counters, leaning down suddenly, and cutting me off with a kiss that’s hard and demanding. My hands find their way to his shoulders, pressing against him, and I feel the pull, the need, the strange spark between us. His kiss wipes away all of my thoughts, silencing me with a warmth and intensity that has my head spinning.
I melt into him, the laughter and teasing dissolving into sighs and soft murmurs. For the first time in a long time, I feel untethered and unashamed of my sexuality. I realize that this night, this connection, this reckless adventure is exactly what I need.
A storm has started, and outside, the sea rages relentlessly. And here, in Rhett’s arms, I feel that pulse of danger, thrill, and desire. I feel free. I feel wanted. I feel alive. And for tonight, that’s all I want.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Rhett
Sunlight is sneaking in through the open curtains, forgotten last night. The bright glow paints the room in yellow streaks, and I have to squint until my eyes adjust to it. I remember last night, how good it felt, and I can’t keep the smile off my face. I am a good few steps closer to her choosing me over Mr. Dependability.
For a moment, I let myself linger in the warmth of the bed, the afterglow of last night still clinging to my skin like a private, dangerous secret. Then I hear the shuffle of sheets beside me. Pippa is awake. I sit up, immediately alert.
“Oh my God, Rhett. You’ve got to see this,” she cries. She is practically vibrating with energy and excitement as she thrusts her cell phone at me. Her eyes are wide and sparkling.
I rub a hand over my face, but the corners of my mouth are already twitching into a grin. Her excitement is infectious.
“What is it?” I murmur, reaching for her cell phone, my curiosity piqued.