Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Crimson heat creeps up my neck. “We kissed.”
“That’s it?”
“Trust me,” I grumble, “I wanted to do a lot more.”
“And you didn’t?”
I smirk at her. “I’m a gentleman.”
“With the patience of a saint. I have no chill. You should have seen me practically throw myself at Cole and Travis in the beginning.”
“No shade to you, Sav, but I want to nurture this thing with Casey. She’s so fucking perfect. I’m afraid I’ll ruin it if I do the wrong thing.”
She sets her Dr. Pepper can down on the bar and comes to sit down beside me as I paint. “You’re totally obsessed with her. It’s cute.”
I can’t deny my feelings.
“You know you can just be yourself,” she says gently. “It doesn’t have to be perfect. Based on what you told me, it sounds like she’s very much into you. I’m happy you two made this connection.”
Casey deserves perfect, though.
I’m nervous as I walk up to Casey’s back door. She answers right away, a huge smile on her face.
Holy shit.
Is she trying to kill me?
I gape at her, eyes bugging out of my head. “Wow. You look amazing, babe. Seriously. Now I can’t remember my own name.”
She laughs and her tits jiggle with the movement. The dress she wears has some sort of binding in it—like a corset or something—that pushes her breasts up. She’s fully covered by the floral material, but her boobs are on full display.
How the hell can I think straight with this beautiful sight?
The dress hits her above the knees, and she wears wedge heels that put her close to my height.
“Are those for me?” Her eyebrow arches. “Did you steal those from the pond?”
I grin devilishly at her, my spell of stupidity broken. “Only the best for my girl.”
She takes the orange tiger lilies I’ve bundled together with some ribbon I got from Savvy. I follow her into the house, nearly tripping over Mo who rushes past me.
“He can’t get enough of you.”
She smirks as she pulls a vase out of a cabinet. “You or the cat?”
“Touché.”
I can’t keep my eyes off her as she fills the vase with water. Her ass is so cute in that dress. It’s impossible to focus when I keep eyeing her backside.
How am I going to take her on a walk with a damn hard-on?
“Where are we going?” she asks after she places the flowers in water.
I glance down at her feet. “We’re walking there. Those are sexy as fuck, but do you have something more comfortable to wear on your feet, unless you want me to carry you.”
She snorts. “No. I don’t want you to attempt that.”
Attempt?
I’d carry this woman anywhere and everywhere if she wanted. She’s a bit independent though, so she’d probably prefer to just change her shoes.
Once she comes back with Chucks on her feet, I take her hand and lead her outside where my bag is waiting. She eyes it curiously but doesn’t try to peek inside.
We walk toward the back of the complex, passing several townhomes until we reach a fence. Behind our property is a wooded hill. Since no one can build on it, it remains wild and untouched. But I’ve been escaping here since I was a child and have carved out a path to the good part.
“I’ve never been back here,” she says, leaning in close. “It’s dark. Anything to be scared of?”
“Nah,” I assure her. “Squirrels and rabbits mostly. Plus, I’ll protect you.”
She seems satisfied at that answer which makes me puff up in pride. The moonlight shines brightly through the trees, making our trek easy to see. It’s a steep incline and we have to weave around some of the bigger trees and roots, but we eventually make it to the opening near the top.
Years ago, Dad helped me build a picnic table up here, so I’d have a place to sit. Tonight, it’s decorated with a yellow tablecloth weighed down by a couple of rocks. More tiger lilies sit in a vase in the center beside several candles.
“Oh my God,” she says under her breath. “This is the most romantic thing ever.”
“Have a seat while I get things ready.”
She sits down at the picnic table, eyes lit up with anticipation. I set down my bag and retrieve a lighter. Once all the candles are lit and adding to the mood, I begin pulling out the containers of food I prepared.
“At home, I do all the cooking. I always felt bad for my dad and wanted to help him whenever I could. When I was a kid, and he needed a sitter, I’d go over to Maggie’s. She taught me to make quite a bit of stuff. The rest I learned from Pinterest.”
“Pinterest.” She grins at me. “You’re continuously surprising me, Brayden Foss.”
I wink at her and then start telling her about all the different courses I made. We start with a simple Caesar salad with homemade croutons. Next, I offer her some stuffed mushrooms.