Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 117(@200wpm)___ 93(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 117(@200wpm)___ 93(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
"And what do you do?"
"Investments." He shrugs. "The kind of stuff that makes people happy they have money."
I snort. "I bet."
Adam turns back to face me, his eyes raking over me in a way that makes my cheeks heat. "You know, I was having a pretty good night before, but now you've made it better. Before I continue, though, are you here with a boyfriend, or…?"
I look over my shoulder to see Elise arm-in-arm with one of her friends, and while it would make a hell of a lot more sense to just tell the truth and introduce Adam to my group, a big part of me wants to keep him to myself. I want to slip this special moment into my pocket where no one else can see. "No, actually. I work at the bar down the road, but stopped in here to get a drink before heading home. No one wants to drink where they work, you know?"
His smile broadens, his green eyes lighting up. "Great. Then maybe you'll join me for a drink in a more private setting?"
It's like I'm floating outside of myself watching this happen. Like I've slipped into someone else's body. I don't normally flirt like this, don't usually let things get this far. But there's something about Adam that makes me feel brave, reckless. He makes me want to throw caution to the wind and live, if only for tonight.
So, I accept.
The next thing I know, we're in his hotel room, kissing like our lives depend on it. And Adam kisses me like he means it, like he wants to be with me more than anything. His hands are in my hair, holding me steady as he devours me with his mouth, and my heart pounds.
This is what I've been missing all these years. The passion, the spark that comes from being with someone who knows their way around a woman's body.
Adam is thorough and unrelenting. We kiss until my lips are bruised and tingling, until I'm aching and breathless. It's not until my shirt is halfway off that I freeze, suddenly self-conscious.
He notices right away, letting me go so I can pull it back into place. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I say, shaking my head. "It's nothing."
But Adam isn't letting me off the hook that easily. He reaches out and strokes his fingers down my cheek. "Laurie, it's not nothing. If you don't want to do this, just tell me and we'll stop."
My face burns with embarrassment, but I force the words out. "No, it's not that. It's just...I'm a virgin."
His eyebrows shoot up in surprise, but his expression softens a second later. "You didn't mention that before."
I bite my lip. "I didn't want to scare you off."
"Scare me off?" He chuckles. "Laurie, you could never scare me off. But I don't want to do anything you're not ready for."
I'm torn. I want this, want Adam, but the reality of my situation has brought everything into focus. This will be my first time. It should be with someone I know better than just one night, but that ship has sailed. And somehow it feels like I've known this man for years, not hours. There's something between us, something special.
So, I decide to trust it.
"I'm ready," I whisper. "I want this."
Adam smiles, and I know I made the right choice. "Then come here."
He pulls me back into his arms, kissing me again, and this time I relax into it. Everything about him is perfect—his lips, his hands, his scent. He smells like rich cologne and some undefinable essence that's all his own. It's intoxicating, and I find myself pressing closer, desperate for more. I want to sink into him, feel him all around me.
When his hands slip beneath my shirt, I don't flinch away. Instead, I lift my arms and let him take it off. He kisses a trail from my mouth down to my chest, unclasping my bra and tossing it aside. I'm bare before him, and his eyes are wide with hunger as he takes me in.
"Laurie," he breathes, "you're beautiful."
And then his mouth is on me, and it's everything I imagined and more. His tongue circles my nipple, sending sparks of pleasure through me, and I arch into his touch. His hands cup my breasts, squeezing and kneading, and it feels so good that I never want him to stop.
But then his mouth moves lower, his tongue tracing patterns over my skin as he makes his way down my body. I gasp when he reaches the waistband of my jeans, his fingers working deftly to pop the button and slide the zipper down. He pulls them down my hips slowly, his eyes fixed on mine.
"Is this okay?" he asks, his voice low and husky.
I nod, unable to form words.
He presses a kiss to my hip, then slides my jeans all the way off, leaving me in just my panties. He kisses his way back up my thigh, his touch feather-light and teasing. When he reaches the apex of my thighs, he pauses, looking up at me with a wicked smile on his face.