Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 36506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Amara swipes at her tears and shoots me a pitiful look. “Is it the lack of sex? I’m just so tired after working all day. Want a blowjob? I can give that to you, Reid. Please don’t do this to us.”
Again, with the us.
“I don’t need that stuff, Amara.” I sigh heavily and scrub my palm over my face. “I guess I’m wanting more of a partner out of life. What we have feels lopsided.”
“Please don’t give up,” Amara begs, tears steadily streaming down her rosy cheeks. “I can do better. In fact, I was thinking about maybe not working so hard so we can spend more time together.”
The desperation in her voice has me feeling guilty as fuck.
Do I keep trying to make this thing work with Amara or am I deluding myself?
“We’ll see,” I say softly. “For now, I think sleeping separately won’t be a bad thing.”
She swipes another tear away. “Okay, but if you change your mind, the bedroom door is always open.”
Amara leaves to retreat upstairs. My mind is still fixated on Emma’s face earlier. I want to ask her about what she and her mom discussed, but it’s probably none of my business.
My phone buzzes with a text.
Cole: I can’t run tomorrow. You guys have fun without me. I’ll catch you on the next one.
You guys have fun without me.
Maybe tomorrow I can find out what upset Emma.
“Where’s Cole?”
I jolt at the sound of Emma’s voice, turning around to face her. She’s in another sexy workout ensemble that’s too damn tempting. But she’s sad and that’s what grabs my full attention.
“Who knows,” I say, stepping closer to her. “What’s up? You’re unhappy.”
“I’m fine.” A slight flinch is her only tell that I’m right and that she’s lying. She takes off in a sprint down the road, avoiding any further probing on the topic.
Following after her is torturous to my cock, so I dig in and tear off after her until we’re jogging side by side. Neither of us speak. The only sounds are the rhythmic pounding of our sneakers and heavy breathing. As much as I want to discuss what’s going on with her, I allow her the space to just sit in her feelings. My own mind is a mess, so I understand the need to analyze everything and work things over in your head.
After our first mile, she begins to relax, muttering about things we pass by on our run. She even stops to pet a dog an elderly lady is walking. Before I know it, she’s taken us to the yellow building again.
What is it about this place that draws her to it?
She walks along the overgrown path and then up the rickety steps to peek in a window. I follow after her but try the handle of the door. It’s unlocked and opens.
“Want to check it out inside?”
She beams at me. “Hell, yeah I do.”
I step through the threshold and scan the big, open space. It’s a typical abandoned building. Someone, at some point, slept here. A pile of filthy blankets and trash litter one corner. From what I can tell, it has a couple of rooms in the back, including a bathroom.
“What did this building use to be?” she asks, ponytail swishing when she turns to look at me. “Maybe a dentist office or something?”
“Honestly, it’s been abandoned for as long as I can remember.” I lift an edge of the peeling, hideous 70s-era wallpaper. “Long enough ago that this was still in style.”
She laughs. “Nothing a little paint can’t fix.”
“It’s going to take a lot more than paint to make this place presentable.”
“I could do it.”
I study her profile as she admires the place. She chews on her bottom lip as she inspects everything. Her mind is working and planning.
“I have no doubt,” I say in agreement. “You got a business idea?”
Her cheeks redden and she shrugs. “Doesn’t matter.”
“It matters to me.”
“I don’t know…” She trails off and looks down at her shoes. “Maybe it’s stupid.”
I take a step closer. I’m near enough I can smell the salty scent of her sweat mixed with the fruitiness of her shampoo. Does it make me a creep that I have the urge to run my nose along her neck and see what she smells like there?
Yes, asshole.
Total creep.
“Does this have anything to do with what you and your mom were discussing last night?”
She stiffens and snaps her head up to meet mine. “I figured she told you all about it.”
“She mentioned you guys spoke about your job and college. Didn’t really elaborate.”
“What did she elaborate on?” Emma asks, swallowing hard.
Shame courses through me. “To be honest, Em, it wasn’t a good conversation between us either.”
Surprise has her eyes widening and mouth parting. “Not good? How come?”
“I told her we needed space.”
“You guys broke up?” She swallows hard, crossing her arms over her chest. “She said…”