Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 85484 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85484 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
I catch her reflection in the mirror. She grins, unsnapping her bra.
Nope. Not yet. I look away. “Clean up the kitchen because Mom’s palmetto bug warnings live inside my head rent-free.”
She laughs.
“Then … I don’t know, Pippa. What do you want to do? Watch a football game? Work on the house? Go shopping? I don’t care. I really don’t. I’d take you out to dinner, though, to build the tension so when I get you home, you’re all hot and wet for me. Then I can get all the way inside you before we go to bed.”
I keep my back to her, waiting for her to fire back another question. But when a full minute goes by and she says nothing, I turn around.
She’s naked, her hair piled on top of her head. She’s a fucking vision.
My mouth grows dry and I fight myself not to go to her. I don’t know what all of this was about, but it’s important to her. So we’ll do this until she’s satisfied.
Then she’ll be satisfied.
“You could replicate every day for the rest of your life, and you’d be happy?” she asks, her eyes sparkling. “Truly?”
“I mean, I might want some variation because French toast is good, but I also like blueberry muffins.”
Her grin spreads until it’s splitting her cheeks. “There’s nothing else? Even if in ten years—”
“If I have you ten years from now and I live in a box on the beach with sand crabs snapping my toes while I sleep, I’ll be one happy and lucky motherfucker.”
She launches herself into my arms. I catch her, chuckling, and capture her lips just as they land on mine.
My tongue plunges into her mouth, taking ownership of it and her.
“We have a little over an hour to get to the paddleboarding place,” she says between kisses. “Can I make a request?”
I pull my head back to see naughtiness spelled out on her face. Fuck. I roll my hips into her, letting her feel how hard I am.
“Request away,” I say.
“Bend me over and fuck me quick and hard. Make me sore.”
I flip off the water and snatch her up off the floor. She squeals as I carry her into the bedroom.
My girl asks, my girl receives.
20
PIPPA
“Do you think it’s a bad sign that we’re the only people out here?” I ask, laughing nervously.
Jess paddles next to me. “Well, it’s late in the day on a Tuesday. That probably explains it.”
I move my paddle through the water, working to keep my balance on the board. It’s both easier and harder than I imagined it would be. The man working the boathouse was shocked that I’ve lived in Florida my whole life and have never used a paddleboard. Why do outdoorsy people always assume everyone else likes the outdoors too? So weird.
“What happens if I fall off here?” I ask.
Jess smiles. “You climb back on.”
“That’s it?”
His laugh echoes through the forest. “What are your other options, Pip?”
“I don’t know.” I glance around the water. “I’m just mildly panicking.”
“How can you be panicking when you’re the one that set this up?”
I glare at him, which only makes him laugh harder. “I didn’t think this through, okay? Like announcing I had an ex-husband when, in fact, I didn’t. Sometimes I’m impulsive and get in over my head.” I peer into the green-blue water again. “I just hope I’m not in there over my head.”
“I will fight an alligator for you. You’ll be fine.”
My quick turn toward Jess wobbles the board. My heart leaps and I squeal as I steady myself.
“Stop it,” he says, holding out a hand.
I brush my fingertips against his but then pull them back. “I’m fine. This is fine. We’re going to be fine.”
We float down the river, growing farther away from the boathouse. With every minute that passes, the quieter it gets and the prettier it becomes.
The foliage on either side is thick and green. The water is surprisingly clear and the most beautiful, transparent teal color that looks otherworldly. Fish jump ahead of us. Birds squawk overhead. And beside me is a man who puts it all to shame.
Wearing bright blue board shorts, a white tank that highlights his muscled arms and golden skin, and a pair of aviators, Jess belongs on the cover of a magazine. Or in a porno.
“Hey, look at that.” He points at the water. “See that?”
I lean forward to get a better look. “Is that a manatee?”
“Yeah.” He smiles. “Cool, huh?”
“Yeah. It is.”
“There’s another one.”
We drift across the water, using our paddles to go around the beautiful creatures. It’s much less taxing than I feared. The current carries us with little effort.
“You feeling better over there?” Jess asks.
“Yes. The manatees look pretty defenseless, so if they can live in here, surely I can paddle for a couple of hours on top of it.”