Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 92972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 465(@200wpm)___ 372(@250wpm)___ 310(@300wpm)
“Lies,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to her neck. “Give me five minutes, and I’ll be fully capable of bending you over the end of this couch and showing you a very good time.”
She huffs a laugh. “I’m sure you…”
She trails off, her head snapping up, eyes going wide at the sound of the latch lifting on the back gate.
“Shit,” she hisses, jerking the straps of her dress back up over her breasts. “We have to hide!”
But she’s still straddling me, my cock still inside her—though her dress thankfully covers where we’re still intimately connected—when a young woman walks into the yard.
I recognize her from earlier. She’s one of Charlotte’s staff, a pretty brunette who freezes like a deer in the headlights halfway across the lawn when she spots us on the porch.
“Oh my God,” she squeaks before emitting a nervous giggle. “I’m so sorry! I just— I forgot my phone. I thought it would be okay to pop in and… But I’ll go. Now. I’m already gone, in fact. Forget I was ever here. I know I have!”
She spots her phone on an empty café table, grabs it, and sprints back toward the gate, calling over her shoulder, “Bye! Have a great night!”
Charlotte curses, wincing as the gate slams shut. A beat later, the sound of a car engine rumbles through the night before moving away, leaving us in buzzing silence.
“Of all the people…” Charlotte closes her eyes. “Of all the people, it had to be Molly.”
“Molly?”
“Molly LaCroix.” She sounds like she wants the earth to open up and swallow her whole. “Her brother plays for the Saints, and her cousin Remi, the jazz musician, owns half the clubs in the French Quarter. Her mother also just won a seat in the state legislature, and her aunt is head of the Junior League. The LaCroix family is everywhere in this city, and they all love to talk. After Sunday football, gossip is practically their family pastime.”
“So, you think she’ll say something? About what she saw?”
Charlotte nods miserably.
“But she said she’d already forgotten she was here,” I remind her.
She snorts. “I’d bet a hundred dollars, she’s already on the phone with her brother, the biggest gossip of them all. By midnight, every member of the Saints will know one of the NHL guys is fucking her boss. By tomorrow morning, half of New Orleans will be whispering about me sexing a hockey player on my back porch.” She sighs, worry clear in her eyes as she meets my gaze. “Looks like our fake relationship just went public. And not in the classy, subtle way I had planned.”
Maybe I should be panicking, or at the very least, concerned.
But all I can think is…good.
I don’t care if we’re launching with a bang…literally. I’m just happy to have an excuse to spend time with Charlotte—naked, clothed, and everything in between.
“Guess we’d better make the heat convincing then,” I say, grinning.
She shakes her head. “I think we were plenty convincing on that front. The sane and responsible part might be harder after this, though.” She shifts off me, both of us wincing at the separation.
“I’m not worried. Nothing crazy about sex in your own backyard,” I say, passing her my shirt to help with clean up.
She eyes it with an arched brow. “Are you sure? There’s…a lot.”
“Totally sure,” I say. “I’ll drive home without a shirt on. You’re a mess.”
Her lips twitch. “And who made me that way?”
“Me,” I say without hesitation, the primal, caveman part of me stupidly proud of the way I filled her. “Can’t help it. You’re too sexy, woman. Not coming my brains out with you isn’t an option.”
“Speaking of brains,” she says, wiping between her legs before she stands, letting her dress fall around her thighs. “We should meet up tomorrow and talk strategy when our brains are in better shape.”
I stand, zipping up before taking my wadded shirt from her hand. “Sounds good. When and where?”
“Audubon Park, around three? We can meet by the coffee truck on the east side and take a walk?”
“Sounds good.” I nod toward the house. “I’ll stay until you’re locked in, then I should jet. Pretty sure I’m going to crash as soon as the adrenaline rush fades.”
She hums her agreement. “Me, too. It’s been a long night. Drive safe and…we’ll figure things out tomorrow, okay? Don’t worry.”
“I’m not. I promise,” I assure her again.
The moment she closes the door behind her, I turn, heading for the gate, already looking forward to tomorrow.
To walking in the park with Charlotte, and to whatever comes next.
My career still hangs by a thread. I’m still one incident away from losing everything. But for the first time since I punched that guy, I’m not just worried about consequences.
I’m excited about possibilities.
Even if they’re tangled up in a few too many lies for my liking.